Softball Unit

Part A: Overview Background Information:

Number of Students: 30 Duration of Classes: Grade Level: 9-12

Characteristics and Abilities of Students:

High school students are a diverse population. At this level, they have become individuals with their own style, likes, dislikes, and group of friends. As with any other subject, physical education will have its fans and those students who rather be anywhere else but in the gym. This unit will have to provide a diverse and fun learning experience. It is aimed to engage all students and make them willing to perform in phys. ed. At the high school level, most students are able to perform the fundamental motor skills of most athletics. They should as have an understanding and concept of different sports from previous physical education classes or participation in sports. However, as with any group of individuals, there will be varying levels of proficiency. These varying levels are taken into consideration in this softball unit plan.

Equipment Needed:
softballs-regular, foam, sponge, wiffle bats- aluminum, wiffle, foam bases gloves polyspots cones softball field gymnasium buckets hitting tees pencils

Rationale:
This unit is intended to teach students the fundamentals and skills of the Americas game, softball/baseball. During this unit, students are to learn the skills, as well as the rules and regulations of the game of softball. Students will also be able to see how important lifelong fitness is for their health. By the end of the unit, students will be able to see how they can play softball to increase their fitness, improve their skills, work as a team, and have fun at the same time.

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Part B: Standards and Objectives Standards:
2. Comprehensive Health and Physical Education STANDARD 2.2 (Integrated Skills) All students will use health-enhancing personal, interpersonal, and life skills to support a healthy, active lifestyle. A. Communication: 4. Employ strategies to improve communication and listening skills and assess their effectiveness. E. Leadership, Advocacy, and Service: 5. Develop and articulate the groups goals, shared values, vision, and work plan. STANDARD 2.5 (Motor Skill Development) All students will utilize safe, efficient, and effective movement to develop and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. A. Movement Skills: 1. Demonstrate mature, mechanically correct form and control when combining and modifying movement skills in applied settings. 2. Use information from internal and external sources to detect, analyze, and correct errors in movement skills and patterns used in applied settings. C. Strategy 1. Demonstrate and assess tactical understanding by using appropriate and effective offensive, defensive, and cooperative strategies in applied settings. STANDARD 2.6 (Fitness) All students will apply health-related and skill-related fitness concepts and skills to develop and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. C. Achieving and Assessing Fitness 1. Engage in a variety of sustained, vigorous physical activities to enhance each component of fitness. 2. Perform at the intensity level needed to enhance cardiovascular fitness, monitor physiological responses before, during, and after exercise, and modify exercise appropriately in response.

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Objectives:
Day 1: Cognitive: Students will describe verbally how to properly throw and catch a softball when asked at the end of the activities. Psychomotor: Students will perform over hand throws after properly catching a ball from their partner with accuracy. Affective: Students will encourage and help partners to complete a task with accuracy . Day 2: Cognitive: Students will identify the proper and improper techniques used by their partners during activates. Psychomotor: Students will show proper technique when fielding a ground ball from their partner with 4 out of 5 fielded correctly. Affective: Students will encourage group members to push themselves to their fullest potential during group competitions. Day 3: Cognitive: Students will answer 4 out of 5 questions correctly when given a written exam on proper batting stance. Psychomotor: Students will execute proper batting technique when participating in drills and batting activities. Affective: Students will cooperate with their teammates during the softball activities. Day 4: Cognitive: Students will participate in open discussion while reviewing base running rules. Psychomotor: Students will hit controlled ground balls with 70% accuracy to group members will participating in Pepper. Affective: Students will show good sportsmanship by cheering for their teammates as well as their competitors. Day 5: Cognitive: Students will identify situations in which they need to be in proper position to back up their teammates.

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Psychomotor: Students will field 4 out of 5 groundballs and fly balls correctly when working in partners during the lesson focus drills. Affective: Students will communicate the importance of backing their teammates up in order to be successful while playing Five Hundred. Day 6: Cognitive: Students will recall and properly execute base running techniques from previous lessons while participating in circling the Bases. Psychomotor: Affective: Students will provide positive feedback to their partners while going through the station activities. Day 7: Cognitive: Students will transfer the rules of softball to Psychomotor: Students will perform throw in from the outfield and hit the cutoff man with 80% accuracy during drill activities. Affective: Student will encourage each other when their peers are participating in the throwing competitions. Day 8: Cognitive: Students will identify the progress they have made individually and as a class. Psychomotor: Students will complete station activities with proficiency and demonstrate proper technique through all four stations and carrying it over into the culminating activities. Affective: Students will provide positive feedback and help if needed to group members while completing station activities. Day 9: Cognitive: Students will describe how softball can be a lifetime fitness activity and improve their lifestyles. Psychomotor: Students will execute proper running technique and following base running rules why running the base paths. Affective: Students will work as a team with communication while attempting to tag out runners in steal a Base.

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Day 10: Cognitive: Students will communicate offensive and defensive strategies to teammates in order to be successful in Hurry Baseball. Psychomotor: Students will perform all aspects of softball to the best of their ability during the softball festival closing activities. Affective: Students will express high levels of team spirit while participating in activities for the culmination of the unit.

Part C: Learning Experiences Day 1:

Opening Activity/Warm Up: Softball Swat Students are to be grouped in 5 groups with 6 students in each. (predetermined by teacher) Students will circle up and assume an athletic position. Students will swat the ball to the other group members around the circle. This will work on hand/eye coordination, a feel for the ball on hands, and a feel for the stance most commonly used in softball. Lesson Focus: Throwing and Catching, over hand throw, underhand toss, catching thrown balls developing proper technique through drills Culminating Activity/Game: Target Toss: With a partner, students will throw the softball against a target on the wall. Moving back as their target hitting becomes better and better. Students maybe also try to throw different size and texture balls as their skill increases. (wiffle balls, volleyballs, etc) Closing Activity: There will be a short question and answer session to check for understandings on the fundamentals and proper technique of throwing and catching.

Day 2:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: Quick Throws:In groups of 6, groups will compete against each other to see which group can complete the most throws back and forth in a minute. Groups should be split Lesson Focus: Fielding ground balls and fly balls drills- proper position, technique, with and without glove

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Culminating Activity/Game: Throw It and Run Softball This game is played like regular softball with the following exception: With one team in the field at a regular positions, the pitcher throws the ball to the batter, who, instead of batting the ball, catches it and immediately throws it into the field. The ball is then treated as a batted ball, and regular softball rules prevail. No stealing is permitted, however, and runners must hold their bases until the batter throws the ball. A foul ball is an out. Closing Activity: Wrap up and review of throw/catching/fielding

Day 3:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: Indian Run Toss Backs Students are to be in 5 groups with 6 in each. Groups are to run around the perimeter of the field in a line. The first person in line tosses the ball over their head to the next person in line. This continues until the last person catches the ball. When the last person catches the ball, he/she runs to the front and the process is continued. This is to be done for the time allotted. Lesson Focus: Batting: simple skills, tee batting, partner toss, full swinging Culminating Activity/Game: Batter Ball Involves: batting and fielding but no base running. It is much like batting practice but adds the element of competition. Complete rules and regulations can be found in Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Children Closing Activity: True/false written 5 question quiz on proper batting stance.

Day 4:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: Pepper A line of three or four players is bout 10 yards in front of and facing a batter. The players toss the ball to the batter, who attempts to hit controlled grounders back to them. The batter stays at bat for a period of time then rotates to the field. To be done in groups of 6 with 5 students in each.

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Lesson Focus: Base Running To first base and turn, circling the bases Culminating Activity/Game: Home Run: Softball diamond set up with only first base used. The crucial players are a batter, a catcher, a pitcher, and one fielder. Any other players are fielders; some can take positions in the infield. The batter hits a regular pitch and on a fair ball must run to first base and back home before the ball can be returned to the catcher. The batter is out whenever any of the following occurs: 1) a fly ball (fair or foul) is caught. 2) The batter strikes out. 3) On a fair ball, the ball beats the batter back to home plate. Closing Activity: Discussion of rules of proper base running.

Day 5:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: In a Pickle: Several set ups of three or more students with a softball and two bases 45 feet apart. A base runner who gets caught between two bases is in danger of being run down and tagged is in a pickle. The two fielders throw the ball back and forth in an attempt to run down and tag the runner between the bases. Lesson Focus: Fielding: grounder to infield/outfield, backing up other players, double play Culminating Activity/Game: Five Hundred:This game deals with fungo batting, catching flies, and fielding grounders. A batter stands on one side of the field and bats the ball to a number of fielders, who are scattered. The fielders attempt to become the batter by reaching a score of 500. Fielders earn 200 points for catching a ball on the fly, 100 points for catching a ball on the first bounce, and 50 points for fielding a grounder cleanly. Whenever a change of batters is made, all fielders must lose their points and start over. Closing Activity: Discuss the importance of backing up your teammates.

Day 6:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: Circling the Bases: Batters are to bunt the pitched ball and run around the bases completely twice. This is to practice proper base running skills and bunting technique.

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Lesson Focus: Throwing/catching/batting/fielding/base running done in stations Station 1: Bating Station 2: Throwing and fielding grounders Station 3: Base running- In a Pickle Station 4: Bunting Culminating Activity/Game: Babe Ruth Ball: The three outfield zone- left, center, and right field- are separated by four cones. It is helpful if foul lines have been drawn, but cones can define them. The batter calls the field to which he tends to hit. The pitcher throws controlled pitches so that the batter can hit easily. The batter remains in position as long as he hits to the designated field. Field choices must be rotated. The batter gets only one swing to make a successful hit. He many allow a ball to go by, but if he swings, it counts as a try. There is no base running. Players rotate. Closing Activity: Verbal review of terms and definitions.

Day 7:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: Kick Softball: The batter stands in the kicking area, a 3 foot square home plate. The batter kicks the ball rolled on the ground by the pitcher. The ball should be rolled at moderate speed. An umpire calls ball and strikes. A strike is a ball that rolls over the 3-foot square. A ball rolls outside this area. Strikeouts and walks are called just as in regular softball. The number of foul balls allowed should be limited. No base stealing is permitted. Otherwise, the game is played like softball. Lesson Focus: Throwing: throw in from outfield, hitting the cut off man Culminating Activity/Game: Throwing for Accuracy: To test accuracy in throwing, a target with three concentric circles of 54, 36, and 18 inches is drawn on a wall. Scoring is one, two, and three points, respectively, for the circles. Five trials are allowed, for a possible score of 15. Balls hitting a line score higher number. Throwing for Distance: Each student is allowed three throws, and the longest throw on the fly is recorded. Competition is between group members, then the highest group score combined. Closing Activity: Discussion on how improper technique could cause injury when throwing.

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Day 8:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: Fielding Grounders: A file of players is stationed behind a restraining line. A thrower is about 30 feet in front of this line. Each player in turn attempts to field five ground balls. The score is the number of balls fielded cleanly. Inconsistencies will occur in the throw and bounce of the ground balls served up for fielding. Therefore, if the opportunity was obviously not a fair one, the child should get another chance. Lesson Focus: Review of proper technique for all aspects of softball. Culminating Activity/Game: Station 1: Flay ball hitting, fielding, and throwing. Station 2: Pitching and umpiring Station 3: Infield practice Station 4: Batting Closing Activity: Students will discuss in groups new things they learned and how they are progressing as a class and as an individual.

Day 9:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: Softball Swat Lesson Focus: Base Running: Stealing, running in base paths Culminating Activity/Game: Steal a Base: Hoops are spaced approximately 20 feet apart in a rectangular fashion. Hoops are used as bases to prevent collisions. One player, serving as a fielder, is stationed by each hoop to begin the game. All other players are on a base; more than one runner is permitted on a base. On a single, runners begin accumulating runs by running to another base without being tagged. Fielders attempt to work together to tag as many runners as possible. Fielders many leave their base and chase runners if necessary. If a fielder leaves his base, other fielders many rotate to the vacant bag. Fielders and runners change positions every 2 to 3 minutes. Closing Activity: Discussion on how softball can be used as a lifelong fitness activity.

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Day 10:
Opening Activity/Warm Up: In a Pickle! Fitness Activity: See below for fitness activities. Lesson Focus: Super Softball Celebration! Softball Activities Culminating Activity/Game: Hurry Baseball (one-pitch softball): Hurry baseball demands rapid changes from batting to fielding and vice versa. The game is like regular softball with the following exceptions. These expectations can be found in Dynamic Physical Education for Elementary School Students. The batter must take a full swing. The game provides much activity in the fast place changes that must be made after the third out. Teams in the field learn to make the next hitter a catcher, so that she can bat immediately when the third out is made. Batters must bat in order. Scoring follows regular softball rules. Closing Activity: Discussion on the positive and negatives of the unit and the likes and dislikes of the students.