Volleyball Connections

Overview

Students develop foundational volleyball skills through cooperative games and modified play. The lesson builds communication, balance, body awareness, and movement patterns before students apply them in small-sided rallies. Māori language is used naturally for instructions, encouragement, and reflection.

Learning intentions

• WALT communicate clearly and positively while working in a volleyball team.
• WALT use a balanced ready position and controlled movement.
• WALT perform an underarm pass with increasing accuracy.
• WALT apply simple rules and tactics in a modified volleyball game.

Success criteria

• I can show a stable, balanced ready position with bent knees and eyes on the ball.
• I can call “mine” or “taku” before playing the ball.
• I can use my forearms to pass the ball towards a partner or target.
• I can encourage others and help my team keep the ball in play.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education — Movement skills: specialising in movement patterns in a chosen sport or activity.
• Health and Physical Education — applying rules, strategies, and tactics as a participant and an official.
• Health and Physical Education — developing hauora through active participation, cooperation, communication, and positive relationships.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Welcome and safety. Teacher gathers students on the sideline, introduces the learning intentions, checks boundaries and equipment, and teaches the kupu taku (mine), tō (your), tākaro (play), and mahi tahi (work together) using the welcome and language slides. Students repeat the words, identify safe playing spaces, and practise calling “taku” clearly.

2. 4–10 min · Mirror movement warm-up. Teacher places students in pairs and models athletic balance: feet apart, knees bent, weight forward, hands ready. One partner leads slow movements—side steps, forward/backward steps, reaching and stopping—while the other mirrors without touching. Students swap leaders, freeze in a balanced position when signalled, and notice how their feet, knees, eyes, and hands help them stay ready.

3. 10–17 min · Communication game: Call and catch. Teacher forms groups of five, gives each group one soft volleyball, and explains that a player must call “taku” before moving to catch or gently underarm toss the ball. Add a challenge: the caller names the receiver using their name or “tō” before passing. Students move safely, call early, listen for teammates, and keep the ball travelling. Teacher pauses play to reinforce clear voices, facing the ball, and encouraging language such as “ka pai”.

4. 17–25 min · Skill teaching and partner practice. Teacher demonstrates the underarm pass: balanced stance, hands together, straight platform, contact on the forearms, and gentle lift towards the target; refer to the passing technique slides. Students practise in pairs, first catching the partner’s pass, then attempting continuous passes. Partners give one specific coaching comment: “I noticed…” and “Try…”. Reduce distance for control or allow a catch between passes where needed.

5. 25–33 min · Balance and body-awareness challenge. Teacher sets up four safe lanes or areas. In groups, students complete a sequence: ready position, shuffle to a cone, stop under control, face the ball, call “taku”, and pass to a partner. Add movement variations such as passing after a quarter turn or from a low stance. Students focus on knowing where their body is in space, keeping control after movement, and resetting quickly. Teacher observes balance, footwork, communication, and safe spacing.

6. 33–38 min · Modified volleyball rally. Teacher organises five teams of five, with two games operating on small courts. Teams may catch and throw once before progressing to an underarm pass, allowing more students to experience success. Award a point when a team completes three controlled contacts or sends the ball into space. Students rotate positions after each rally, call for the ball, move to support teammates, and apply the simple rule of three contacts where possible. Use the modified-game rules and tactics slides for reminders.

7. 38–40 min · Cool-down and reflection. Teacher leads slow walking, shoulder rolls, and breathing, then asks: “How did communication help your team?” and “What helped you stay balanced?” Students share with a partner using “I improved…” and “Next time I will…”, then give a thumbs signal for their confidence in calling, passing, and moving.

Resources

• Volleyballs or soft training balls: one per group
• Cones to mark boundaries and lanes
• Low nets, benches, or ropes as barriers
• Whistle and timer
• Māori language and volleyball instruction slide deck: the complete teaching deck
• Safe, open indoor or outdoor playing area

Assessment

• During the mirror game and passing practice, check ready position, balanced stopping, forearm platform, and movement towards the ball.
• Listen for clear, timely communication and observe whether students support teammates and use positive language.
• During the final rally, note whether students apply a rule or tactic. Ask students to state one strength and one next step during the reflection.

Differentiation

• Support learners with a larger, softer ball; shorter passing distances; a catch-and-pass option; visual demonstrations; and a peer partner who models each step.
• Give dyslexia-friendly access through the slides: large sans-serif font, high contrast, minimal text, icons or photographs, and instructions read aloud as they are shown. Use the spoken kupu alongside the written words.
• Support EAL learners with gesture, demonstration, repeated language, and sentence frames: “Taku!”, “Ka pai,” “I noticed…”, and “Try…”.
• Extend confident learners by requiring three consecutive passes without a catch, passing into a deliberately chosen space, or taking the role of referee and explaining one rule respectfully.

Extension

• Challenge advanced players to use a pass-and-move tactic: after passing, move to an open space and communicate with a teammate.
• Invite students to design one safe communication rule that would help their team maintain a longer rally, then test it in the next game.