Building Stronger Teams

Overview

Students develop whakawhanaungatanga through inclusive invasion-game challenges that require communication, trust, cooperation and shared decision-making. The lesson builds from simple connection activities into a modified invasion game where success depends on effective teamwork rather than individual performance.

Learning intentions

• WALT build positive relationships and trust through physical activity.
• WALT communicate clearly and support others in an invasion-game setting.
• WALT use space, movement and passing to work towards a team goal.
• WALT reflect on how teamwork behaviours affect group success.

Success criteria

• I can communicate respectfully and include others in my team.
• I can move into space, pass safely and make decisions that support the group.
• I can adapt my role and behaviour to help my team.
• I can explain one action that strengthened whakawhanaungatanga.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: develop and apply movement skills in a range of physical activities.
• Health and Physical Education: develop interpersonal skills, including communication, cooperation, negotiation and conflict resolution.
• Health and Physical Education: participate safely and fairly, showing respect for others and taking responsibility for group wellbeing.
• Key Competencies: relating to others, participating and contributing, managing self, and thinking.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and shared purpose. Teacher welcomes students, explains that whakawhanaungatanga means strengthening relationships and belonging, and introduces the WALT and success criteria using the opening and learning-intention slides. Students stand in a circle, learn everyone’s name if needed, and offer one behaviour that helps a team feel safe and included.

2. 5–10 min · Active warm-up: Move and connect. Teacher establishes boundaries, safe-contact expectations and a stop signal, then calls movement prompts such as “find a partner”, “travel into free space” and “form a group of three”. Students jog, change direction and form groups without excluding anyone, greeting each new partner with a name, gesture or brief positive comment. Teacher observes spatial awareness, inclusion and readiness.

3. 10–18 min · Cooperative challenge: End-zone links. Teacher divides the class into two teams of five and explains that a team scores by completing five passes and then receiving the ball in an end zone; the ball carrier may pivot but cannot run, and defenders must remain an arm’s length away. Students practise moving into space, presenting clear passing options and using supportive communication. After each round, teams briefly identify one communication behaviour that helped.

4. 18–28 min · Team-building progression: Conditions for success. Teacher adds one condition at a time: everyone must touch the ball before scoring; players must make a forward or lateral support run after passing; and teams receive a bonus point for a clear call, successful encouragement or inclusive decision. Students solve the challenge together, rotate roles and notice which strategies help quieter or less confident players participate. Pause once to ask: “What is our team doing that creates belonging?”

5. 28–42 min · Modified invasion game: Connect 5. Teacher sets up a small-sided game using two end zones and explains that possession changes after an interception, dropped pass or ball going out. Teams play three four-minute rounds with one-minute tactical huddles between rounds. Students apply safe passing, width, depth, support play, transition and respectful defence. Each team appoints a rotating observer who tracks communication, inclusion and movement rather than only the score. Teacher coaches with questions: “Where is the space?” “How can you support the ball carrier?” and “Whose voice or idea have we not heard?”

6. 42–47 min · Reflective cool-down. Teacher leads gentle walking, stretching and breathing, then displays the reflection prompts on the reflection and discussion slides. Students discuss in pairs: “When did our team feel most connected?”, “What action helped someone participate?”, and “What would we change next time?” Invite two or three students to share examples, ensuring responses focus on observable behaviours rather than personalities.

7. 47–50 min · Exit reflection and close. Teacher revisits the success criteria and asks students to complete a verbal exit round: “One way I strengthened the team was…” and “One next step for me is…”. Students self-assess with thumbs, fingers or a private response, then return equipment safely and acknowledge a teammate’s contribution.

Resources

• Cones for boundaries and end zones
• Soft invasion-game balls
• Bibs or coloured bands for two teams
• Whistle or agreed stop signal
• Stopwatch or classroom timer
• Slide deck: the whakawhanaungatanga and invasion-game deck
• Whiteboard or portable tactical board
• Water access
• First-aid kit and roll sheet

Assessment

• Formatively observe movement into space, safe defending, passing decisions, communication and inclusion during each challenge.
• During tactical huddles, listen for students explaining and adapting team strategies rather than relying on one dominant voice.
• Use the final reflection to check whether students can identify a specific teamwork behaviour and a realistic next step.

Differentiation

• Support students with a clearly marked smaller playing area, visual demonstrations, extra time to receive, or a rule allowing one controlled bounce before passing. Use short spoken instructions alongside the visual sequence in the activity instruction slides.
• Offer dyslexia-friendly access by using high-contrast slides, large sans-serif text, minimal wording, icons and teacher modelling. Read all instructions aloud and check understanding through demonstration rather than written recall.
• Include students with different confidence, fitness or mobility levels by permitting walking, adjusting defensive distance, using a larger or softer ball, and valuing supporting, communicating and observing roles equally.
• Extend confident students by requiring purposeful off-ball movement, encouraging them to draw defenders away from space, or asking them to lead a tactical huddle without dominating others.
• Use mixed, changing teams and rotating roles. Reinforce that culturally respectful participation means listening, encouraging and making room for every person’s contribution; avoid competitive language that suggests one group is more capable than another.