Fun with Character: Aim High
For this activity, you will need 4 paper plates. Mark one number on each plate: 5, 10, 15, 20. You will need a handful of pennies, buttons, or some other small object. Each student will receive 2 – 3 pennies. Mark a line on the floor with masking tape. Place the first plate (marked 5) close enough to the line so that when standing behind the line, most students can throw the penny and have it land on the plate. Place the three remaining plates in order, farther away from the first plate, so that the higher the value, the farther the plate. The 20-point plate still needs to be within a reasonable distance for the age and skills of your students. Use only 3 plates if 4 plates make the distance too far. The last plate needs to be challenging for the students; they should not be able to throw to it easily. Start by asking the students to stand in a line behind the tape line. They will take turns throwing their pennies onto the first plate. Once everyone has had a chance to do that, let them collect the pennies and try again, this time aiming for the second plate. When they master the second plate, they can move onto the third and so on. You decide if the students move on individually or as a group. With the numbers on the plates, you can have the students keep score based on how many plates they hit. You can also number the plates 1, 2, 3, 4 if you do not wish to keep score. For much younger students, you may want to use Hoola Hoops or box lids to provide larger targets.
To process the activity, ask these or similar questions:
Did you like this throwing game?
How much more difficult was the last plate compared to the first plate?
How difficult would it have been to start with the last plate?
Do you think mastering the closer plates helped to learn how to hit the last plate?
Do you think breaking goals down into smaller goals helps to achieve the bigger goals?
Do you think you will remember these plates when you have a big goal to achieve?