Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Games and Fun: Marbles and Spinning Top

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Objectives stage is fundamental to establish a clear direction for the lesson. By defining specific objectives, the teacher is able to guide both their preparation and the execution of activities in the classroom, ensuring that all efforts are aligned with learning goals. In this phase, students are informed about what is expected for them to learn and develop during practical activities, preparing them for active and focused participation.

Main Objectives:

1. Explore the benefits of using marbles and spinning tops in the physical and motor development of participants.

2. Develop fine motor coordination and balance through the practice of traditional games.

3. Promote interaction and socialization among students during practical activities with marbles and spinning tops.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage students' emotional memory through the exploration of traditional games that evoke nostalgia and curiosity about past playful practices.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students with the lesson's theme, using problem situations that stimulate critical thinking and the application of prior knowledge. Additionally, the contextualization seeks to connect the content with the students' reality, demonstrating the historical and cultural relevance of marble and spinning top games. This moment prepares students for practical activities, motivating them to explore the concepts more deeply and meaningfully.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you have to compete in a spinning top race. How would you decide which spinning top to use and what strategies would you adopt to win?

2. If you were a master of marbles, how would you organize a tournament where all your friends would participate? Think about the types of challenges and rules that would be the most fun and fair for everyone.

Contextualization

Marbles and spinning tops are toys that have transcended generations, being popular in various cultures around the world. They are not just objects of entertainment but tools that aid in the development of motor and cognitive skills, in addition to promoting socialization. Interestingly, these traditional games have origins that date back centuries, when they were made from materials such as stone or wood, highlighting the cultural and historical importance of these practices.

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The Development stage is designed for students to apply practically and playfully the knowledge acquired about marbles and spinning tops. Through group activities, they will explore ingenuity, cooperation, and competition skills in an integrated manner, consolidating learning in a fun and meaningful way. Each proposed activity aims not only for entertainment but also the development of specific skills such as motor coordination, critical thinking, and teamwork.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Masters of the Spinning Top

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop manual and creative skills in the construction and decoration of spinning tops, while promoting collaboration and sportsmanship through a tournament.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups of up to 5 people to participate in a large spinning top tournament. Each group must design, build, and decorate their own spinning top using recyclable materials such as bottle caps, popsicle sticks, and string, as well as paints and stickers for personalization.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute recyclable and artistic materials to each group.

• Guide the students to design and build their spinning top using the provided materials.

• Allow the students to decorate and personalize their spinning top.

• Organize a playing area where each group will have a chance to launch their spinning top and try to keep it spinning for as long as possible.

• Hold a tournament where each group competes for the best results.

Activity 2 - Marble Treasure Hunt

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Stimulate logical reasoning and cooperation among students, while reinforcing the value of teamwork.

- Description: Students, divided into groups, will participate in a treasure hunt where the goal is to find marbles hidden inside and outside the classroom. Each found marble must be accompanied by a clue that leads to the next one, culminating in a large chest filled with playful prizes.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Hide marbles in various locations around the school.

• Each marble must be associated with a riddle or clue that leads to the next hiding place.

• The groups must solve the clues to find all the marbles and, finally, the 'treasure'.

• The first group to find the treasure and solve all the clues wins the prize.

Activity 3 - Maze Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop planning, coordination, and problem-solving skills, while exploring concepts of physics and mathematics practically.

- Description: Students, organized in groups, must build a maze on the classroom floor using ropes, adhesive tape, and other available materials. The challenge is to make a marble traverse the entire path of the maze without leaving it.

- Instructions:

• Group the students into teams of up to 5 people.

• Provide materials such as ropes, adhesive tape, straws, and cardboard.

• Instruct the groups to sketch on the floor the layout of the maze they wish to build.

• The students must then assemble the maze using the materials provided.

• Test the maze with a marble to ensure the challenge is adequate.

• Each group must try to make the marble traverse the maze as quickly as possible.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this feedback stage is to allow students to reflect on what they have learned and how practical activities helped consolidate that knowledge. Through group discussion, students can verbalize their discoveries, listen to different perspectives, and collectively build a deeper understanding. This stage also serves to assess the impact of the activities on students' learning and identify any areas that may need review or reinforcement.

Group Discussion

To start the group discussion, the teacher should gather all students in a circle and introduce the theme with the following words: 'Now that everyone has had the opportunity to experiment and create with marbles and spinning tops, let's share our experiences. Each group will have the chance to tell what they liked the most and what they found challenging in their activities. Let's listen attentively to each other to learn even more.'

Key Questions

1. What skills do you think you developed the most while participating in the activities with marbles and spinning tops?

2. How did the interaction with your peers during the activities influence your learning experience?

3. Was there any moment when you needed to change your strategy or approach? How did this help in your learning?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of the Conclusion stage is to consolidate students' learning, ensuring they can relate theoretical knowledge to the practical experiences experienced in the classroom. Additionally, this stage aims to reinforce the importance of traditional games in the integral development of individuals and the promotion of values such as cooperation and respect, encouraging students to reflect on the applicability of these concepts in their daily lives.

Summary

In this final stage, the teacher should summarize and recap the main points addressed during the lesson, emphasizing the skills developed through play with marbles and spinning tops. It is important that students can connect practical activities with the theoretical concepts studied, reinforcing the relevance of experiential learning.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson was structured to connect theory and practice integratively. By revisiting the history and cultural importance of marble and spinning top games, students were able to understand how these traditional toys are not only fun but also instruments of learning and motor and social development.

Closing

Finally, the teacher should highlight the importance of preserving and valuing traditional games, not only as forms of entertainment but as valuable tools for personal and social development. Students should be encouraged to continue exploring these games in their free time and to share their experiences with friends and family, contributing to the perpetuation of a rich cultural tradition.