The Ball - Teachers Notes

Task 1 - Worksheet 15

This task is suitable for group work

Test school footballs for bouncability. Before you start decide:

How to measure and record the results.

Why it is necessary for everyone to use the same method.

On a 'drop' height suitable for the place of the tests and the height of the pupils.

Record the results of the tests on Worksheet 15.

Discuss these results and try to draw some conclusions.

Discuss the various ways the results can be presented, i.e. different types of graphs, with or without a computer.

Task 2

The Laws of the game do not specify bounce but they do specify shape, size, weight, pressure and materials. Use the results of the tests to try and explain the reasons for this.

Task 3

The Laws of the Game state the weight of the football at the start of the game. Try to explain the reason for this. Think of ways to test these answers.

Task 6

Make the Ball

In Ancient Egypt there was a team game in which they could kick AND throw the 'ball'. It must have been a gentle game because of the frailty of the ball which was something like a round bean bag.

Some children could use templates to make an 'Egyptian' sphere. They will need 16 petal shapes and two circles. Make them from felt or other cloth (if possible linen). The 'petals' will have to be sewn together. Leave an opening. Stuff the sphere with straw which is usually obtainable from a pet shop. Sew up the opening.

Discuss how to make a class collection of spheres of different sizes by experimenting with the size and shape of the 'petals'.

Task 7 - Play the game

Invent games for which the ancient Egyptian cloth spheres may have been used.

Draw a pitch and then write the rules.

You need to decide:

The size of the pitch and the floor markings

Is any other equipment needed.

The number of players

Where it is to be played (indoors or outdoors)

How long the game lasts

The rules and

the officials

Then play the games. The rules may have to be revised several times.

Task 8 - Worksheet 17

Materials needed card, rulers, crayons, scissors and double sided sticky tape.

Some pupils may be able to cope with making a three dimensional shape of a modern football which, geometrically speaking is a dodecahedron.

It needs patience and fairly nimble fingers and is more enjoyable if two or three children work together to make one 'football'. The results are more rewarding if patterns are added. For example:

black pentagons and white hexagons or

a symmetrical pattern with all white pentagons and hexagons with coloured circles around the pentagons. To achieve this the arcs should be drawn on the hexagons before they are cut out or

an asymmetrical pattern. (Two halves of the pattern not identical)

Templates are provided (to scale) on Worksheet 17 but some additional interesting work on shapes is involved if children construct their own pentagons and hexagons.

Draw 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons on card

Draw in the arcs on the hexagons if you want a circular pattern

Cut along the solid lines

Score along the dotted lines

Cut away the shaded areas

Bend the flaps inwards towards the wrong side of the shape

Stick the flaps of one shape to the adjoining shapes with double sided sticky tape

The diagram shows the way to build up the pattern. Start with one hexagon and surround it with five pentagons. The next step is to add five hexagons as the red numbers indicate