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Types of Games

Eighth graders learn that sports fall into categories — invasion, net/wall, target, and striking/fielding games — each with shared tactics. Seeing the category helps you transfer skills between sports. They match types to examples, then classify games.

Grade 8Types of Games45 minutes1 class periodSHAPEExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name game categories.
  • ✓Match type to example.
  • ✓See shared tactics.
  • ✓Classify games.
Essential Question

What do soccer and basketball have in common — and how is tennis different?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Game Type

Project this and match each game type to an example — tap the type, then tap the example.

🏅 Match each game type to an exampleTry it
Game type
Example
Now tap the example!
The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Same Idea

5 min

Soccer and basketball feel different — but is the goal the same?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pose the question.
  • Share ideas.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Game Types

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Game Type.
  • Match each one.
  • Note shared tactics.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Classify

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a sport.
  • Say its category.
  • Name a shared tactic.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name.
  • Classify.
  • Tactic.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Play a game in one category.
  • Transfer a tactic.
  • Name another in that type.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Play.
  • Transfer.
  • Name.
5

Cool-Down — Cool-Down

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What type is soccer?
  • What type is tennis?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the SHAPE America National Standards for Health Education and Physical Education.

SHAPE
PE.2

Classify games by type and tactics.

SHAPE
PE.1

Apply skills across game types.

SHAPE
PE.5

Value strategic understanding.

SHAPE
PE.3

Transfer concepts between activities.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Game/type cards.
  • Frame: "soccer is an ___ game."
  • Use examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Match 3 types.
  • Use familiar sports.
  • Use pictures.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add more examples.
  • Compare tactics across types.
  • Invent a game.
Materials

What to gather

  • 🏅Game cards
  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💻Match the Game Type
  • 📋Classify worksheet
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

invasion gameenter the other team’s area to scorenet/wall gamesend an object over a nettarget gameaim at a targetstriking/fielding gamehit and field, like baseballtactica game plancategorya group of similar gamestransferapply a skill elsewhereobjectivethe goal of the game
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What type of game is soccer?
An invasion game.
QUESTION 2
What type is tennis?
A net/wall game.
QUESTION 3
Why learn game categories?
Shared tactics transfer between sports in the same type.

Cool-down: types of games.

Have students classify several sports by game type. A printable classify worksheet is in the PE & Health library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Types of GamesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Types of GamesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Types of GamesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: category, invasion game, net/wall game, objective, striking/fielding game, tactic, target game, transfer
  1. apply a skill elsewhere
  2. hit and field, like baseball
  3. send an object over a net
  4. the goal of the game
  5. a group of similar games
  6. a game plan
  7. aim at a target
  8. enter the other team’s area to score

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What type of game is soccer?
  2. What type is tennis?
  3. Why learn game categories?
Answer key — Part A: 1) transfer · 2) striking/fielding game · 3) net/wall game · 4) objective · 5) category · 6) tactic · 7) target game · 8) invasion game
Part B: 1) An invasion game. 2) A net/wall game. 3) Shared tactics transfer between sports in the same type.