Unit #4

Lesson Title: Passing Fundamentals – The Push Pass

Lesson 4 of 20 in the unit “Mastering Ball Skills”

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Curriculum Area

Health and Physical Education — The New Zealand Curriculum
Strand: Movement Concepts and Motor Skills
Level: Level 2
Curriculum Links:

“Demonstrate movement skills in a range of situations and describe how these skills impact on performance (Level 2, Movement Skills).”
“Participate in a range of games and activities and identify the factors that make participation safe and enjoyable (Level 2, Positive Attitudes and Challenges).”

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Duration: 30 minutes

Class Size: 19 students
Location: Outdoor hardcourt or school field (required: cones, soft balls, chalk/whiteboard)

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WALT – We Are Learning To:

• Use the correct body positioning for a push pass.
• Co-operate with a partner to practise short passing skills.
• Use physical vocabulary to describe how to perform a push pass.

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Success Criteria:

I can:

• Stand with knees bent and step in the direction of the pass.
• Use two hands to push the ball smoothly to a partner.
• Adjust my power to pass to the right distance.
• Talk about the push pass using at least two new words (e.g. follow-through, target).

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Vocabulary for ESL Learners:

Word	Picture/Action	Kid-Friendly Description
Push Pass	Show pass	A way to move the ball to someone by pushing it
Follow-through	Arm swing	The way your hands go after the ball has left
Target	Cone/partner	Where you want the ball to go
Step	Footstep	A big move forward with one foot

Introduce vocabulary using a visual word wall or short animated clip with captions (students can revisit this on a class tablet station, or save it on Seesaw for home review).

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Equipment:

• 10 soft balls (e.g. sponge netballs or playground balls)
• Cones for marking space and targets
• Whiteboard or large chalked area for visual cues
• Optional: 1-2 tablets or a class iPad with tablet stand for video recording

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up Game – "Body Parts Ball" (5 minutes)

Purpose: Get blood flowing, activate co-ordination.
In pairs, one soft ball between two.
Teacher calls out body parts (e.g. “elbow, knee, shoulder”) – children touch the ball with that body part while giggling.
When you shout “PASS”, they do a gentle push pass to each other.
Repeat with fun variations (“nose”, “foot”, “back”!).

🌱 Differentiation tip: Allow children with mobility challenges to partner with a helper or provide modified movements (e.g. hand-only touches).

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2. Explicit Teaching – Push Pass Demonstration (5 minutes)

Use a large ball and cone target for visual learners. Demonstrate step → push → follow through. Emphasise:

• Two-hand hold
• Front foot leads
• Eyes on the target Let a confident student volunteer to mimic the movement. Use simple labels and gestures.

💡 Digital Integration option: Set up a tablet to record the teacher or a student’s push pass; play back and discuss what worked.

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3. Skill Practice – Partner Passing (10 minutes)

Students in pairs, 3–4 metres apart.
Use the cone between them as the "goal" target.

• 3 minutes practising soft push passes to one another.
• 2 minutes trying to hit the cone as the target.
• 1 minute giving each other “two thumbs up” and one helpful tip (e.g. “Use your legs more!”).

Teacher roams giving on-the-spot coaching and positive praise.

🔁 Differentiation

• 🌟 Support: Pair ESL or less confident students with supportive buddies; use visual signs.
• ✨ Extension: Challenge confident students to count successful passes in a row or increase distance slightly after 3 successful passes.

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4. Mini Challenge – “Push Through the Tunnel” Game (5 minutes)

Make 3 separate “tunnels” using cones 2 metres apart.
In teams of 3, students must push pass through all tunnels in order without missing. Rotate teams through tunnels for team building and accuracy pressure.

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5. Cool Down & Reflect (5 minutes)

Gather in a circle. Stretch arms and legs while doing a chant:
"Push, step, aim and through – feel the power inside of you!"

Oral Reflection (Ask students to answer with thumbs up, middle, or down):

• Did you remember to step into your pass?
• Could your partner catch your pass easily?
• Do you know one new word about passing?

Quick share-pair: “One thing I did well today was…”

🎯 Digital extension: Students use Seesaw to record themselves explaining the push pass or sharing what they learned in a short video.

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Adaptations for Diverse Learners

• Dyslexia-friendly tactics: Use colour-coded words on task cards or equipment (e.g. “STEP” in green, “PUSH” in blue).
• Visual learners: Demonstrate each skill with slow-motion movements before they practise.
• Kinesthetic learners: Lots of movement-based miming (e.g. miming passing to a tree or pretending to push pass a giant balloon).

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Extension Activity

“Pass Master” Station
Set up a push pass challenge for early finishers:

• Can you pass around the cone 5 times without missing?
• Can you pass and say a new vocabulary word each time?

Students record attempts on a class iPad and watch to self-assess.

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Teacher Notes

✅ Observe: Body positioning – Are knees bent? Are students stepping?
📷 Capture: Try recording a quick highlight reel to share with whānau on your digital platform.
🧭 Next Step (Lesson 5): Introduction to bounce passes and receiving techniques – “Ready Hands!” focus.

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He oranga ngākau, he pikinga waiora – Positive feelings in your heart will raise your sense of self-worth.
Let’s build confidence, movement, and joy – one pass at a time.