tx>wlinco for Elenenta~ Students by joyce M. Curtis

With increasing inactivity, overweight, and obesity among

children, school physical education programs are challenged

with presenting activities that can be enjoyed in childhood and

throughout adulthood as a way to combat these negative

health trends. In particular, physical education programs at the

elementary school level play an important role in developing

students' interest and skill in lifelong physical activities.

Elementary-aged children should develop self-awareness and

an appreciation of their capabilities in a physical environment

In addition, they should be taught how to perform a variety of

balance activities, body movements <including bending, stretch­

ing, and reaching), basic rhythms <such as walking, sliding, and

skipping>, and a variety of motor skills such as tossing, catching,

and rolling a ball. Development of these skills provides the

foundation for social development and an active lifestyle. This

article describes the objectives of elementary physical education

programs, and shows how these objectives can be met through

a bowling unit. In addition, the article gives elementary physical

educators activity ideas that students can do with their family.

Elementary Physical Education Goals Before looking at the specifics of sample bowling activi­

ties, it is first important to consider the goals and objectives

that elementary physical educators have for their students.

Early in the elementary physical education curriculum, stu­

dents should begin to develop basic body control, funda­

mental movement skills, and the fitness components of

strength, endurance, and flexibility. They should learn rules

and procedures for simple games and safety practices for

different activities. As students progress through elementary

school, their knowledge and skill should become more spe­

cialized, and their awareness of personal and general space

should develop into an ability to recognize the feeling of

movement and identify similar movement concepts in a vari­

ety of skills such as getting in the ready position and bend­

ing their knees to absorb force. They should begin to learn

and demonstrate more mature movement forms, and

should use simple game strategies, rules, and etiquette. In

addition, elementary students should be able to demon­

strate various step patterns and combinations of movement

in repeatable sequences, and should demonstrate key ele­ments in manipulative skills such as the underhand throw.

They should also be able to create a movement sequence

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with a beginning, middle, and end. By the end of elemen­

tary school, students should be able to demonstrate atten­

tion to form, power, accuracy, and follow-through in per­

forming movement skills.

Physical activity and health objectives should also be

met in the elementary physical education classroom. Stu­

dents should begin to be able to distinguish between active

and inactive lifestyles. They should know and be able to ap­

ply safety procedures as they participate in games and activi­

ties, using equipment and space safely and properly, and

should learn the importance of taking personal responsibility

for avoiding accidents and preventing injuries during play.

They should also learn how to identify places where they can

participate in physical activities out in their community.

Social development should also be an objective in el­

ementary physical education classes. The students should be

able to follow directions for starting and stopping activities,

explain boundaries and rules for simple games, follow direc­

tions and apply safe movement practices, interact, cooperate,

respect others, and resolve conflicts in socially acceptable ways

such as talking and asking a teacher for help. They should

develop self-management and other skills needed to work in­

dependently and with others in physical activity settings, dis­

play good sportsmanship, and treat others with respect dur­

ing play. They should learn to accept and respect differences

and similarities in the physical abilities of self and others. In

addition, students should learn the importance of teamwork

<Texas Education Agency, 1998).

Using a Bowling Unit to Meet Physical Education Goals

The development of these abilities allows elementary­

school students to enjoy many activities and skills related to

bowling. Walking and swinging one's arms helps to develop

coordination of moving body parts, which are essential to

the development of a smooth delivery in bowling. Bowling

involves rhythm, balance, strength, coordination, and total

body movement, and development of these skills can be

enhanced through various movement activities. In a bowling

unit, fundamental skills and perceptual development, simple

activities, and more advanced activities are integrated into a coordinated whole. Taking a stance with the ball, coordinat­

ing steps with the swing of the ball, and maintaining a bal-

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Figure 1. Equipment Needed for Elementary Activities

Pins Milk bottles/cartons

Tennis ball cans

Badminton shuttlecock cans

24-ounce bottles

3-liter drink bottles

1 0-ounce drink bottles

Small/medium cones

Long Jump Ropes (to mark the lanes)

Boxes All sizes

Balls Tennis

Softballs

Paper mache

Small playground balls

Any small ball that will

fit hands

Chairs Folding

Mats Tumbling for wall protection

anced position during release of the ball is a sequence of

learned skills that students will be exposed to through bowl­

ing. The development of a sound foundation of basic motor

skills and their use in activities will promote skills that are fun­

damental to bowling. The following specific objectives can be

used by K-3 physical educators in the classroom to develop

bowling skills. These can be expanded for grades 4-5.

Teacher Obiectives For K-1 students, use problem solving activities to allow

the student to make the following discoveries about whether

he or she can: roll a ball in a straight line; roll a ball between

two objects; swing his or her arm like a pendulum; place the

proper foot forward; do a no-step approach. Objectives for

students in grades 2-3 include the development of the follow­

ing skills: foot and arm coordination; balance and the proper

arm swing; ability to roll a ball to a target; hand and eye coor­

dination; the one-step approach; proper follow through.

Checkpoints for the Teacher Physical educators should look for the following specific

outcomes, and make their students aware of the tasks they

expect them to be able to perform.

• Accuracy. The physical educator should stress to students

that a ball must roll in a straight line to go between the

cones or knock an object over.

• Proper stance for balance. If right handed, the student

must put the left foot forward.

• Proper arm swing. The student should have a pendulum­

type swing, and should watch for a side arm roll.

• Crouching while rolling ball. The physical educator should

watch to ensure that students crouch low when releasing

a ball <so that the ball doesn't bounce>.

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• Keeping feet behind designated line. Students must com­

ply with the rules and boundaries of the game.

• Proper follow through. The student should reach out with

an arm in the direction of the object {e.g., cone or pin> for

proper follow through.

Observations Physical educators must remember that the main objec­

tives are for students to improve in basic skills and have fun.

In addition, physical educators should consider the following

observations that the author has discovered in bowling units.

1. Children at the K-1 level are not concerned with score. They

seem to be concerned only with accuracy within broad limits.

2. In grades 2 and 3, children are very concerned with the

ability to develop skill and improve their score.

3. Children in grades 1, 2, and 3 realize quickly that what

they are doing is bowling.

Suggested Approach for K-3 Students

A bowling unit at the elementary school level does not

have to be done with actual bowling balls and pins. Physical

educators can adjust their lessons according to the resources

available to them at their school. One way to adjust the les­

son, for example, is to use paper balls <as the bowling balD

and milk bottles <as the pins>. When using paper balls and

milk bottles, allow each child to make his or her own bowl­

ing ball and have a milk bottle for each child. To make the

"ball," wad newspaper into a ball and cover with smooth

masking tape. The size of the ball will depend on the

amount of newspaper used. If possible, have a few special

shaped bottles, and allow each child to select a special bottle

for his or her target as a motivator.

Whatever the format that is used, physical educators

should ask each student the following questions in order to

get them thinking about the proper technique for bowling:

• Can you roll a ball in a straight line between the cones?

• Can you swing your arm in a pendulum motion? Please

demonstrate.

• Is your left foot forward if you are right handed when you

roll the ball?

• Why does the ball bounce instead of roll?

• Are you aiming your hand toward the object to follow

through?

The activities included with this article can be used in

the classroom, in the hall, or on a slab outside. The teacher

must organize students for efficient ball return, set up ob­

jects to be hit with balls, and create a rotation plan for stu-

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Figure 2. Sample bowling activities

Activity 1

• Lines of students facing partners, 1 0 feet apart. Gradually increase distance.

• Roll small ball on a line to partner; follow markings on the floor.

• Look for proper stance and arm swing (correct foot forward, opposite arm swing, knees bent, hand at waist, good balance).

Activity 2

• Roll ball from behind a line toward the "pins."

• Hit object.

• Place I i ne at 4-6 feet for grade 1, 6-8 feet for grade 2. Make adjustments for older students.

• Look for proper stance and arm swing.

Activity 3

• Same as Activity 2.

• Add scoring to improve skills.

• Look for proper follow through.

• Place restraining line for grade 2 at 6-8 feet and adjust for older students.

Activity 4

Object: The ball must go in a straight line to pass through an opened cardboard box. Students get a point if the ball goes through the cardboard box. Or, use a chair. The space between the legs of the chair can be used as the target area.

• The activity improves hand-eye coordination and allows students to work on the one-step approach to bowling.

• Place the restraining line for grade 3 at 8-10 feet, and adjust distance for other grade levels.

• Teaching can be creative by making up a scoring system.

• The physical educator can make variations according to the ability of the children.

dents to follow so that all students get to participate in all

parts of the activity. Set up as many lines as possible so that

all students will be active. Math should be brought into the

game as soon as possible, and students should use a score

sheet to keep track of the score. <See figure 1 for suggested

equipment for a bowling unit at the elementary level.)

In addition, the general ideas for activities listed in figure

2 suggest beginning bowling activities and drills that will help

to meet curriculum objectives and give students an under­

standing of these objectives. The students will also realize that

they are actually bowling <even though they are not in a bowl­

ing alley), especially if they have seen their parents bowl.

Teachers must be creative in setting up pin arrange­

ments, but should keep it simple. Stress the safety aspects of

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Activity 5

• Place two opened cardboard boxes on the ground next to one another, as a target.

• Students get 2 points if the ball goes through box 1.

• Students get 3 points if the ball goes through box 2.

Activity 6 (Variation of Activity 5)

• Roll the ball through the box to hit a pin.

• Scoring can be done in many ways.

• Indian clubs, milk cartons, or Clorox bottles may be used.

• Several of these should be set up so that many stu­dents are participating at the same time.

• One step to the process may be added here.

Activity 7

• Roll the ball between two objects that are 20 inches apart.

• Place restraining line for grade 4 at 10-12 feet.

• Utilizing the distances given above, allow children to roll to a heavy object (e.g., large cones) that cannot fall over. At grade 2, scoring can be introduced by giv­ing 1 point for going between objects.

• Gradually move the objects closer together depending on skill and size of ball.

Activity 8

Begin "bowling" at groups of "pins" using distances that are appropriate for the age of the students.

• The teacher can use group scoring for a team, and each member of the team can have a different responsibility (e.g., a pin setter, ball retriever, and scorekeeper).

• Count the total pins knocked down in one round.

all act1v1t1es and cooperation with other students in the

group. Teach students to cheer for good rolls and successful

attempts at knocking down objects. Bowling can be a fun

and inexpensive learning activity for elementary students

that should be added to the curriculum.

Reference Texas Education Agency. (1998). Texas essential knowledge

and skills for physical education. Retrieved September 30, 2005

from www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tadch 116toc.html.

Joyce Curtis UMC3 lC@aolcomJ is a professor emeritus in the Department of Exerdse Science and Health at Abilene Chris­tian University, Abilene, TX.

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