Unit Plan 29 (Grade 2 PE): Striking & Running Game
Help Grade 2 students combine striking and running by hitting safely off a tee, following a clear running path, and connecting striking to simple, controlled game play.
Focus: Combine striking and running by helping students hit safely off a tee, follow a clear running path, and begin understanding how striking can lead into simple game play.
Grade Level: 2
Subject Area: Physical Education (Object Control • Simple Game Play • Movement Concepts)
Total Unit Duration: 1 core session + 2 optional sessions (1–3 weeks), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students begin connecting striking skills to game action by learning that a hit is only the first part of the play. After striking a ball or lightweight object from a tee, students must quickly transition into movement by following a safe running path to a cone and back. This unit helps students understand that successful striking games involve more than hitting hard. They also require body control, a clear running path, safe directional movement, and awareness of where to go next. Through tee striking practice and a simple Strike & Run game, students build confidence with both the striking motion and the movement that follows it.
Essential Questions
- How can I strike a ball or lightweight object off a tee with better control?
- What should I do right after I hit the ball?
- How do pathways and direction help me run safely after striking?
- How can striking and running work together in a simple game?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Strike a ball or lightweight object off a tee with improving control and direction.
- Combine striking and running in a simple game sequence.
- Follow a safe running pathway to a cone and back after striking.
- Apply movement concepts such as direction and pathway while transitioning from striking to running.
Standards Alignment — 2nd Grade (SHAPE America-based custom)
- PE:S1.2e – Object Control: Striking Strike a lightweight object (balloon, foam ball) with hands and long-handled implements (paddle, foam bat) with developing control.
- Example: Students strike a balloon upward with a paddle, trying to keep it in the air for several hits.
- PE:S1.2f – Combining Skills in Simple Games Combine locomotor and object-control skills in simple game situations and challenges.
- Example: Students run to pick up a ball, dribble it with their feet, and then kick it into a marked goal zone.
- PE:S2.2b – Pathways, Levels, Direction Apply movement concepts such as levels (high/medium/low), pathways (straight/curved/zigzag), and directions (forward/backward/sideways) while performing skills.
- Example: Students travel through cone courses using assigned pathways and levels, such as low-level zigzag pathways.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can hit a ball off a tee with control.
- I can run to the cone and back after I strike.
- I can follow the correct pathway and direction when I run.
- I can use striking and running together in a simple game.