We have started a basketball unit in 5th and 6th grades. I wanted a fun way for them to work on the skills before we jumped into games. I have my classes previously divided up into 4 groups (see this post). I made four sets of game cards. Each card had a skill to work on, a points value, and how I wanted the group to work on it (either individually, partners, or as a team). Each of my teams has a basketball captain and a team captain. I chose basketball captains who had previous basketball experience. The basketball captain would select a card, read it and demonstrate the skill. The team then followed the directions on the card to practice the skill. The team captain recorded the points earned from completing the card.
Some examples of cards:
Partners: practice chest passes with a partner for 2 minutes. (the captains had timers so they could time the group)
Team: score 20 points as a team, use correct shooting form, each person on the team must complete at least one basket
Individual: dribble a basketball waist high to the music trailer and back
I also included cards that were fitness based like running around the field, doing wall push-ups with a basketball in your hands, curl-ups, etc.
The activity was very successful. The teams all worked hard and the students responded well to learning from each other. I circled the groups and gave help as needed. My principal even walked by one day and commented on how productive and organized the class was. She asked me later to explain the system to her. I was also impressed with how the students interacted with each other. I teach a boy who is deaf and handicapped. His team captains worked together to make sure he stayed involved and was part of the group. It was impressive!
We did this activity for two weeks (each class has 30 minutes per week). Then we began small 3 on 3 games. All the students were ready to play and had some understanding and comfort with the game so they could all be involved. Ideally, I would have stayed with the skills activity for another 2 weeks. However, time constraints permit me from staying on one unit for too long.