Lesson: One Introducing European Handball

Learning focus: On completion of this lesson, students will: Develop an understanding on how the ancient Romans played Harpastum Develop basic passing, catching and defending skills in European Handball.
AusVELS: Strands, Domain, Focus & Standards Health and Physical Education

They participate in a variety of team and individual games and activities, using and building on skills and strategies from other sports as well as continuing to develop new, sport-specific, skills.

History: The Mediterranean World Roles of key groups in ancient Roman society (such as patricians, plebeians, women, slaves), including the influence of law and religion. (ACDSEH038) The significant beliefs, values and practices of the ancient Romans, with a particular emphasis on ONE of the following areas: everyday life, warfare, or death and funerary customs. (ACDSEH039)

Setting: The school oval and the indoor basketball court

Classroom Management Strategy:

Outline the safety considerations before each drill. Ensure all students are participating in all of the activities by engaging them.

Materials, Resources & Equipment

Softballs: 3 Blocks: 6 Cones: 20 Handballs: 4 6 Coloured bands Goals: 2 Whistle Pen

Introduction (15 minutes) The students will be introduced to the new sport, where they will become familiar with its origin and the rules. Harpastum was known as the small ball game, made from chopped sponges and animal furr and was popular for 700-800 years in the Roman Empire. The game was played with a small hard ball on a rectangular field, marked by boundary lines and split by a center line (similar to rugby) and played by between 5-12 players. The rules were that each team had to keep the ball in their own half for as long as they can, while their opponents tried to steal it and get it over to their own side. The game involved kicking, throwing and bouncing.The only team member that were allowed to

be tackled was the person with the ball. Harpastum was a sport used as a form of military training to improve fitness of the Roman army. The game was brutal and very competitive, there were no rules regarding the players safety, this meant you could use any tactic to get the ball from the opposition ie. Tackle, bump, hit. In order for teams to be protect themselves they required skills such as twisting, dodging and hard running, but for them to score there was a strong focus on passing, catching and defending which are the skills going to be learnt in this lesson. Explain (15 minutes) Now that the students have been informed about the sport Harpastum, they will now learn the skills required to play both Harpastum and see how it has evolved into European Handball and why. The students will warm up to begin with, they will be put into drills that focus on passing, catching and defending. Once the students demonstrate the skills, we will move into a game of Harpastum. The game will have no rules and no tactics for the purpose of this lesson. As the game goes on, I will slowly bring in the rules of European handball. The aim of this is for the students to identify the differences and understand why the sport has evolved into a sport that requires skills and rules. Discuss (5 minutes)

Warm Up (8 minutes) Engage: Activity: War ball This is a fun warm up exercise and incorporates the basic necessities of European Handball It involves the same court length and heavily involves throwing a ball very much similar to that used to play European Handball Teaching Points: War ball The game is played out on a basketball court Divide students into two teams and chose one end of the court Each team stays on their side of the line The area behind each team's side of the court is the Jail Set one or more rubber balls on the dividing line between the two teams At the signal (any signal, make one up) people on both teams run forward to grab the balls, and throw them at people on the opposite team For a hit to count, the ball can't have bounced on the ground more than one time Once you're hit, you're out and you must go to the jail that is behind your opposing team If you catch the ball however, the person who threw it at you must go to Jail Players are not allowed to leave their side of the court, or else they go to Jail too The last team left with members free of incarceration is the winner

Explore

(10 minutes) Activity: Basic passing skills Pair up, passing the ball to each other Practice overhead pass and wrist pass Use opposite hand Every time the pair catches the ball 10 times between them, they move back one meter each Teaching Points: Overhead Pass Preparation Use finger tip grip Flex elbow 90 degrees Put weight on back foot Hold shoulders perpendicular to target Execution Step toward target Rotate and square shoulders to target Lead with elbow Follow through Bring weight forward Throwing arm continues in a downward relaxed motion Teaching Points: Wrist Pass Preparation Grip ball with two hands at waist Place feet shoulder width apart Execution Step laterally toward target Raise and point elbow toward target Grip ball in passing hand Transfer weight toward target Extend elbow Flip wrist Push ball with thumb Follow through Extend and relax passing arm Bend knee Put weight on passing side foot Safety Points: Students may run into each other and that can inflict injury, ensure that the class starts the drill at a slow tempo so students can become acquainted with the drill. If the drill seems to be becoming dangerous, drill will be halted immediately. (10 minutes)

Activity: Full court partner passing This activity will further emphasis passing and running with the ball

Start partner 5 meters apart, one person leads out as the other person bounce passes to them. When person receives ball they take three steps and completes a bounce pass back. This sequence continues until the pair reaches the other end of the gym Upon their way back the pair will peel off to their side of the court and they will complete overhead passes over the pairs that will be completing their bounce passes down the centre of the gym

Safety Points: The pairs on their way back will complete the overhead pass seriously and not try to fill in the pair completing first task. If this occurs, the offending pair will sit out for the better part of the lesson. Activity: Defence Players pair off to practice defensive skills Players face each other and hold hands (1 hand only) Players must slap the knees of their partner being slapped themselves, slap feet of partner without being slapped themselves This gives the students an understanding of the concept of defence e.g. if they do not defend themselves an action will occur

Safety Points: If the activity is looking ominous and about to get out of control, quickly move onto next drill. If a pair becomes sill with the drill, they will sit out for the next drill or under the discretion of the teacher. (10 minutes) Activity: Passing and Defending 1 ball per group 3 volunteering defenders required 3 defenders set up in a single file, 5 meters apart from each other. Defenders are only allowed to move sideways, not forward or backward. 2 attackers run out and must pass the ball sideways to each other, through the defenders on each line. The ball must be passed 3 times, and there must be a defender between the attackers. Ensure that the defenders do not move off their line, only side to side. The attackers are only supposed to move in a forwards motion. Encourage the variation of speed from the attackers to get past the defenders.

Evaluate (10 minutes)

Activity: Peer Assessment In pairs, the students will assess each other The focus will be on Passing, Catching and defending The students will be required to correctly demonstrate a variety of Passes and Catches Beyond expected level Can pass powerfully and accurately with over arm throws, lob passes and bounce passes. Can catch safely above their head, at chest level and below their knees and can also catch consistently with one hand. Beyond expected level Has the ability to closely follow their opponent and read the play and intercept passes regularly. At expected level Can pass either accurately or powerfully and can perform either a lob or bounce pass. Can catch safely above their head, at chest level and below their knees. Building towards expected level No real power or accuracy with passes and cannot complete a lob or bounce pass regularly. Struggles to catch consistently and often fumble balls when catching with two hands.

Skill 1: Passing

Skill 2: Catching

At expected level Has the ability to closely follow their opponents and can read the play and make interceptions occasionally.

Skill 3: Defending

Building towards expected level Struggles to keep up with opponents and fails to make many interceptions.

Total time: 100 minutes