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OCTOBER 1, 2003 at 3:09 PM
Posted by GERI
Source: Boston Globe via The Leaky Cauldron
The world of Harry Potter, credited with inspiring millions of children to read, is now being used to get students excited about physical education
. Justin vanGelderh, a first-year gym teacher at Horace W. Porter School in Connecticut, is among those across the country incorporating the game "quidditch" into their curriculum.
Determined third graders with foam bats stand guard as "chasers" charge toward the hoops with foam balls in hand, trying to avoid being tagged out by the "bludgers" -- students holding yarn balls -- before they can score. Every few minutes, vanGelderh will throw out his own version of the "golden snitch" -- a small bouncy rubber ball.
But Jared Hickey, 8, thinks improvements can be made.
The game also meets the standards of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education that provides guidelines for teachers across the country to follow.
Neil F. Williams, professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education at Eastern Connecticut State University said:
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Chief Brain Washer
Points: 2874
Chogiiiirl says:
Well, I teach 3rd grade, so maybe this is an idea for me to try with the kids. It sounds like another great way to incorporate Harry into education.
Posted Oct 1, 2003 at 9:09 PM EST
Points: 351
Imelda Moonshine says:
Wish my PE lessons had been that good.It was always matball or running.oh the fun.
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 6:54 AM EST
Head Boy
Points: 405
Gandalf says:
Cool. I wish there was this kind of game when I was 8. Anyway, it's still a very good idea.
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 8:45 AM EST
Prefect
Points: 377
wolfie says:
Peitouche, I agree with you! Except I think that a lot of the kids at my university would love to play! Hmm... maybe I should suggest an inter-house quidditch game. ^_^
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 10:36 AM EST
Prefect
Points: 323
fang says:
What a wonderful idea to incorporate reading with physical education, now if we could just get more of our atheletes to read.........fang
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 10:37 AM EST
Witch
Points: 684
Malakite says:
This sounds like a GREAT idea! I bet I'd have had fun with all those things going on....
And why worry more about being hurt in Quiddich than in any other game? If a bludger is really a ball of yarn, I hardly see the harm in THAT.
It's really cute that the kid wanted to fly on a broom. What a great imagination he had - to know how he would go about making it possible (the "string on the roof"). How adorable!
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 11:21 AM EST
Witch
Points: 676
Madame Rosmerta says:
Great idea! My son would love to play Quiddich in gym, and so would I.
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 1:28 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1990
HarrysGran says:
Oh, I love quidditch. It would be wonderful to be able to fly on a broomstick! I'm not very athletic, but this game I would play! Wish I was in school again...
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 3:04 PM EST
Wizard
Points: 603
Padfoot7 says:
As soon as they figure out how to make flying brooms, I'm in! That would rock! I wish I was eight so I could play with those kids.... oh well, I got to find some adults to play with :)
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 6:28 PM EST
Student
Points: 224
Diasco says:
Way to go to that teacher...I wish they had something like that when I had gym classes.
Posted Oct 2, 2003 at 9:59 PM EST
Student
Points: 233
danfan89 says:
I read that article and I find it SO cool! We never got to play stuff like that in our gym class. I don't have gym until next term but she's a hard...er...you know, she's a hard "bottom" and we'd never have fun like that...
Posted Oct 3, 2003 at 6:53 PM EST
Head House Elf
Points: 2755
Dobby says:
That is so cool! If they would do something like that for us, i would actually get into PE! But, we do silly things like JUMPROPE(can u believe that, i mean, come on! We are supposed to learn to jumprope in elementary!)!
Posted Oct 4, 2003 at 11:24 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1092
quidditch_queen says:
Mmm...Interesting! I wish i can do something like that in my school! I hate the gym class and the teacher hates me too:) but if i can play quidditch...Wow! It would be really cool!
Posted Oct 5, 2003 at 3:47 PM EST
Squib
Points: 191
kanismajor says:
I havent gotten to play "kid" games like pig pen or dodge ball sence 5th grade, because I have had strict pe classes. I wish we could play a quidditch like game. It would be much more intresting then 4 weeks of volley ball.
Posted Oct 5, 2003 at 5:13 PM EST
Student
Points: 290
sweetmagic says:
That is so cool. I wish they had games like that when I was in elemantary school.
Posted Oct 14, 2003 at 4:26 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2034
Professor Snape says:
That sounds like a great idea. Too bad noone thought of this back in the day when i was still in grade school.
Posted Nov 15, 2003 at 11:01 PM EST
Professional Beater
Points: 20891
feltonluver says:
That sounds so funny, however exciting. I would like to play that for fun!
Posted Dec 25, 2003 at 3:38 PM EST
Mediwitch
Points: 2608
nickyole1 says:
Sounds like loads of fun, really. I wish that my PE people at my school did such a thing. Cheers to the person who thought it all up!
Posted Jul 30, 2004 at 2:47 AM EST
Student
Points: 227
ObsessedFan says:
That sounds like fun! Too bad our school won't do it. I always thought it'd be cool to hop on a broomstick and fly away with a string tied to the broom and all.
Posted Dec 24, 2004 at 6:41 PM EST
Witch
Points: 911
Rasial says:
It sounds like complete anarchy! I would have loved it when I was a kid. The teacher is right about the merits of a game like this. Once the pressure is off a kid to kick or hit a single ball wile everyone watches the kids are free to just have fun.
Posted Jan 8, 2005 at 11:03 AM EST
Witch
Points: 606
Slytheprincess says:
I never realized that it can created into one of PE game!
Posted Sep 27, 2005 at 5:39 PM EST
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