The Four S’s & Critical Thinking

Discussions

1. The Four S’s

   Read the following scenario that describes the game of Red Rover (an activity in the hall of shame!). Reflect on how this game violates the Four S’s as outlined in Chapter 8: safe, success, satisfying, and skill appropriate.

   Two teams face each other across half of a basketball court and take turns calling players over from the opposite side.  After Team A decides who it wants to challenge, the members join hands to form a long chain and call for Team B to “send Frank over.”  Frank then runs as fast as possible to either break through or dive under the chains formed by Team A. If Frank fails to break through, he becomes part of Team A. If he succeeds, he returns to his team together with the two players of Team A who were at the point he broke through. Team B now calls over a player from Team A.

   You can choose to discuss Red Rover or any of the other games that violate at least one of the four S’s.  Some examples are: dodge ball, “Messy Back Yard”, relay races, tug of war, “Simon Says”, musical chairs, tag, etc.

   Explain the basics of the game/activity that you chose and how it is usually played.  Give an analysis of how it specifically violates at least one of the Four S’s.  Finally, include a detailed explanation on how you would modify and adapt this activity so that it meets all of the Four S’s: safe, success, satisfying and skill appropriate. It might be that the activity would need to be completely revised and a new activity would need to take its place in order to not violate the Four S’s.  In that case, explain which activity you would use to replace this one.

   Guided Response: Respond to two classmates.  Review the game/activity they chose and respond with how you would adapt the lesson to include a child with a specific disability (such as vision impairment, Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc.) If relevant, include a reflection of your own experiences with the game/activity they described.

2. Critical Thinking 

   In this discussion forum, you will examine your critical thinking, inquiring, and communication skills within the subject of physical education.

   Questioning compels thinking and, as thinkers, you assess what you read and incorporate knowledge with your prior understanding of the subject. As part of this discussion, you will read about concepts surrounding physical education and evaluate your previous knowledge on this subject. Then, you will create your own question for your classmates to answer.

   Complete each of the following sections:

   Section 1: KWL Chart.

   Before reading Chapter 8, fill in the “What I Know” and “What I Want to Know” section of the following chart.  Then read the chapters and complete the “What I Learned” section of the chart*.  You will not include the KWL chart in your discussion post.

   KWL Chart
   Topic	What I know	What I Want to Learn	What I Learned
   Inclusion, special needs, least restrictive environment
   Physical, health, and learning disabilities with  accommodation strategies
   Obese and overweight children’s experiences in physical education
   The four S’s: safety, success, satisfying, skill appropriate

   Download an editable copy or the KWL Chart here.

   Section 2: Creating Your Own Discussion Question/Prompt

   For your initial post, you will create your own discussion prompt based on your own research and review of the chapter reading for this week.  Your questions need to originate from one of the concepts introduced in Chapter 8.

   After reading, use your completed chart and chapter reading to formulate a discussion prompt. Your discussion prompt should include all of the following:

   1. An opening question or statement to introduce the topic:
      • Examples: What are some difficulties that an obese child might have during a PE lesson? OR List several difficulties that an obese child might encounter during a PE lesson.
   2. A question or statement that requires further research or thinking on the subject:
      • Examples: What are some adaptations that a teacher can make to ensure that an obese child is able to complete a physical activity? OR Explain how a teacher can adapt a physical education lesson to accommodate an obese child.
   3. A question or statement that requires the reader to apply it to their own situation, current or future profession:
      • Example: What are some outside resources or websites that you would use to offer support to an obese child and their family? OR Evaluate a website that you would use to support an obese child and their family. Explain how you would use this resource.

   Additional Tips

   • Use words such as: compare, contrast, discuss, evaluate, explain, how, why, or why not.
   • Your prompt should be open-ended (i.e., it cannot be answered with just a “yes” or “no” statement, a one-word answer, or a simple definition).
   • Your prompt can require the reader to do further research on the subject, such as researching a website or outside source.