Archery Lesson Plan

Instructor Christopher Sailus Show bio Chris has an M.A. in history and taught university and high school history.

In this lesson plan, students learn about different types of bows before practicing the proper stance of an archer. Students will then learn about proper archery competitions before competing in their own archery simulation.

Table of Contents

Learning Objectives

After this lesson, students will be able to:

• Explain and recognize different archery bows
• Demonstrate the proper stance for an archer
• Set up a regulation archery match

Length

Materials

• Pictures of three different types of bows (if possible, a physical example of each)
• Printed Olympic-style archery targets
• Sticky putty, suction darts or some other object, which will stick to the wall without causing damage when thrown

Key Vocabulary

At the conclusion of this lesson, students should be able to identify and define the following vocabulary terms:

• Archery
• Compound bow
• Recurve bow
• Longbow

Curriculum Standards

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. Analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.

Precisely follow a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, as well as attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text.

Instructions

• Before class, print photos of the three different types of bows and tape them on the board. Also, print out as many of the Olympic-style archery targets you will need for the activity (i.e., ½ of the total number of students in your class).
  • If you were able to acquire physical bows, either hang each one on the wall or hold it up as the class reads about each type. After reading the first section, you can invite your class to come up and see each bow up close.
  • If students are having difficulty, take time in between reading each bullet to help students and make sure each student has each step right.

  Activity

  • Explain to your students they will participate in their very own Olympic-style archery contest.
  • Break students into pairs. Explain that this will be their first matchup.
    • If you have an odd number of students in any round, it may be necessary to give one student a 'bye' to the next round if all other students are already paired. If so, randomly assign a bye to one student using the random number generator function on a calculator or any other fair method you can devise.

    Extension

    • As homework, have students choose a collegiate, national, or international archery contest. Instruct students to do research on the contest and formulate a short report. Reports should include the type of bow used, the organization with which the contest is associated, and any other interesting or pertinent facts.