The game, Steal the Bacon is in the physical education hall of shame. As a student I loved playing steal the bacon mainly because I was fast and good at the game. When your young you don't really realize how the game singles out students and could really hurt someones self esteem each time their number is called and they lose. This game essentially singles out students to see who is the fastest in the class. Steal the bacon is in the hall of shame for many reasons. Student who numbers aren't called are sitting on the side not doing anything physically active, when your number is called you are singled out in front of the entire class and somebody wins and loses each round in the game. I believe steal the bacon should be in the hall of shame for that reason.
However you could always alter the rules and change the name of the game as the teacher, and I believe "steal the bacon" could be acceptable in class. For example, all the students on the sideline could be doing jumping jacks, pushups, or even crunches then once their numbers are called they could run into the middle and grab whatever object the teacher decides to use as the bacon but they do not necessarily receive a point for bringing the object back without being tagged, instead they have to answer a question the teacher has and then they will get the point. For instance if I call out numbers two and four and team one gets the pin and runs back to their side without being tagged I would then ask them a question, only the two students who just went can answer the question. I as the teacher then have the ability to make the question as hard or as easy as I want and if I know my students well enough I could ask a question to a students strength or weakness. I feel that the question part is a good idea because then as a teacher you are controlling the score of the game and you are also able to get everyone to involved in the game more. Steal the bacon just doesn't cut it when it comes to NYS and NASPE standards of teaching, singling students out and having more than half the class sitting on the sideline just doesn't make sense. I feel that my idea for that different version of steal the bacon could meet the standards, all the students were active and as the teacher I controlled the outcome of the game over the students.
Another game that could be played in-place of steal the bacon could be "Everybody's It Tag". In everybody's it tag all students are "it," when a student gets tagged they step out of the playing area and do an exercise for example jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups etc. If two students tag each other at the same time they both have to step out and do an exercise in order to get back in. This game doesn't single any student out and the entire class is involved in the game. I believe everybody's it tag meets all three NYS and NASPE standards for education. The game can be altered in so many ways, you could have students hoping, jumping, leaping in order to test students on certain skills.
As a physical educator it is your job to get your students to be as active as possible in a safe comfortable atmosphere. Singling students out is not a proper teaching technique and should be avoided at all costs. As a teacher you have to realize you will learn along with your students, if one version of a game doesn't work, change it up! You are not being a good teacher if you play the same games year after year, variety is important and adapting games to students needs and wants is very important. Physical education has a bad reputation in schools and it is our job to change that!
