Objectives/purpose:
Battling for Bones is an individual and team game combining math skills, hand-eye coordination and fitness. This activity helps students learn Skeletal System concepts as they increase their heart rates.
Grade level: 2-8
Materials/equipment:
• 2 Poly Bone Body Puzzles (21005)
• a2e skeletal posters and cards (16202/16201)
• 10 hula hoops (including 1 red & 1 blue) (14034)
• 16 dice (2 per hula hoop – different colors) (15034)
• 8 buckets (15607)
• 16 Super 70 gatorskin balls (2 per bucket – different colors) (10485)
• 8 poly spots (21093)
• 10 cones (including 2 red & 2 blue) (21049)
Set-up:
Before students arrive spread out the hula hoops, poly spots and buckets along the center line of the gym (usually basketball half court line). 1 bucket will be placed on 1 poly spot. Alternate hula hoops and buckets in the line. Put 2 dice in each hula hoop (different colors if possible). Put 2 Super 70 gatorskin balls in each bucket (different colors if possible). Put 1 cone at each end of the hula hoops/buckets, and place the other 4 cones in the corners to make a rectangle. Set a hula hoop on the inside of 1 of the corner cones with 1 set of a2e Skeletal System Bone Location Cards. In the opposite corner, set another hoop inside the corner cone with 1 set of a2e Skeletal System Bone Location Cards. There should be 2 corner cones left. Inside each of these cones, place 1 Poly Bone Body Puzzle.
Sequence of events:
The object of the game is to be the first team to move all Bone Location Cards to their Poly Bone Body Puzzle AND have them in the correct locations. Divide the class into 2 teams. Each team is assigned one side of the gym on either side of the hula hoops/buckets.
When the music starts a player from each team will meet at a hula hoop or bucket to face-off.
• A face-off at a hula hoop = each player rolls a die in the hula hoop.
• A face-off at a bucket = players touch the Super 70 balls together over the bucket as the “go” signal. The first player to bounce their ball into the bucket wins.
“Winning” a face-off:
• Dice = The player that rolls the GREATER number wins and moves 1 Bone Location Card to their team’s Poly Bone Body Puzzle. If players roll the SAME number (EQUAL TO), both players move 1 Bone Location Card to their team’s Body Poster. After moving a card, the player returns to the center to face-off again.
• Buckets = The player that wins moves 1 Bone Location Card to their team’s Poly Bone Body Puzzle. After moving a card, the player returns to the center to face-off again.
“Losing” a face-off:
• Exit through your team’s color cones (blue or red) and jog 1 full lap around the gym. Enter back through your team’s color cones. After a full lap is run, they will face-off again.
Play continues until 1 team moves all of their cards AND has all locations correct. At this time, have a student put all the cards back into to the hula hoop and play again if time allows.
Rules of the game/safety:
• Students must clearly drop and let go of the die AND may not touch it once it is rolled.
• If a die rolls out of the hula hoop, the other student automatically wins.
• If a student takes more than 1 card at a time, the teacher will go to that team’s Poly Bone Body Puzzle and put back all the cards in the team’s hula hoop.
• Except for running laps, each team remains on their side.
• Students will be moving in various directions. Remind them to look out for one another.
Variations:
• For larger/double classes, divide the class into 4 – 6 teams. Assign 2 – 3 teams to each side, and they can face-off against anyone on the other side. Each team will need their own Poly Bone Body Puzzle and set of Bone Location Cards. When they win a face-off, they go to their set of poster/cards and place 1 card on the poster.
• Give each team jerseys to distinguish between teams. This will help in the beginning especially for starting/finishing laps at their team’s colored cone. It will also help the teacher make sure students are staying on the correct side.
• Play with more than 1 die for each player, and have the players use addition, subtraction, or multiplication.
• Play the game using scooters.
• Change the locomotor movements for the laps.
• Change to an exercise (i.e. jumping jacks) rather than doing laps.
• Use any a2e health cards for this game (location or vocabulary matching).
• Play with craft sticks instead of cards if you are not learning/reviewing health concepts (K – 1 classes can handle this version of the game)
• Use rock, paper, scissors to face-off rather than buckets or dice.
References:
• The “Roll With It” portion of this game was created by J.D. Hughes:
Check out the original game in his book, PE2theMax II: Stepping up the “Game” in Physical Education.
You can also find this and other activities on TeachersPayTeachers with the following link:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Pe2themax-By-Jd-Hughes
Follow JD Hughes on Twitter @pe2themax
• The Bucket Challenge portion of this game was created by Justin Cahill:
Check him out on Twitter @justybubPE
View equipment needed here: https://www.palossports.com/store/search.cfm?q=Battle+for+Bones+Equipment&go.x=0&go.y=0
