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The Games of Life: Integrating multicultural games in physical education. (Teaching Tips).

Article Excerpt
Visualize a global-based physical education curriculum of the future that encourages all students to have some knowledge of world cultures and an in-depth knowledge of at least one culture other than their own (Jewett, Bain & Ennis, 1995). Exposure to multicultural games is often limited to physical instruction. Using an adaptation of DeLine's (1991) model of socially integrated lesson planning, the "Games of Life" approach informs students about the significance of indigenous physical activities to the living cultures of the world's populations.

Diverse sociocultural traditions regarding physical activities continue to exist throughout the world. The fact that many contemporary sportive activities were adapted from indigenous forms of activity may make the physical education classroom an excellent environment to implement culturally specific games and activities (Ninham, 1992).

Storytelling continues to be important in many cultures throughout the world, and it can also be useful to teachers as a means of developing students' awareness of diverse content knowledge and behavior. Multicultural lessons may be implemented by: (1) stating a culturally relevant theme, (2) emphasizing focus words and reinforcing them during the lesson, (3) describing the origin of the activity and including traditional rules and play, (4) discussing the equipment and field dimensions, (5) presenting the activity with modifications, and (6) reinforcing the thought process by noting extension lessons on how the activities relate to diverse cultures.

Examples of Multicultural Activities

The following lessons focus on three regions of North America: Long Ball, which originated with the Iroquois people in New York; Kick Ball Relay, which originated among the Pueblo, Navajo, and Zuni in the southwestern United States and the Tarahumara of northern Mexico; and the Scissors Broad Jump, an activity of the annual World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO).

Long Ball

The theme of...