If you have used my Government Systems Sports lessons before, you already know the core idea:
Students feel how different systems of government work by living inside them through gameplay. Leadership matters. Power matters. And decisions, good or bad, have real consequences.
Because volleyball has become such a popular sport with my own students, I started experimenting with how this model could translate beyond basketball. The result is Government Systems Volleyball, a fast-paced, strategy-heavy variation that my students immediately latched onto, and today I am excited to share it with you.
Best of all, it’s free!
I wanted to make this update available to everyone, especially those who have already purchased the Government Systems Sports lesson series. Consider this a big “thank you” to everyone who has already invested in the lessons, but everyone benefits!
This lesson is being released as an additional variation, not a replacement. You will find that the same big ideas are still there: leadership, responsibility, risk, and stability, but the sport of volleyball adds a whole new layer of strategy and tension.
Why Volleyball Works So Well
What makes this version especially powerful is the scoring system.
Just like in the original lessons, players are assigned different point values based on the government system their team chooses: autocracy, oligarchy, republic, democracy, confederation, and more. But here is the twist that really brings the lesson to life:
The same value a player earns for scoring is the same value they give up when they make a mistake.
A high-value leader can dramatically help their team or cost them dearly in a single moment. Students immediately feel the pressure that comes with power, and the class naturally begins discussing responsibility, risk, and accountability without prompting.
In volleyball, where every touch matters, this dynamic becomes especially clear:
Low-value players become critical defenders.
High-value leaders must decide when to take risks.
Teams actively target powerful players, just like real-world political rivals do.
The conversations that follow the game are some of the richest I have seen.
A Concrete Example of Membership Value
If you are a member, this lesson has already been added to your collection.
That is one of the biggest benefits of membership. You do not just buy a static product. You get the most up-to-date version of the work as it grows. New sports, refinements, and variations are added as they are developed, without you needing to repurchase anything.
Want More Like This?
If you enjoy this volleyball lesson and think it is a cool way to bring civics, social studies, and physical education together, I encourage you to check out the full Government Systems Sports lesson series in the Lesson Collections section.
The collection gives you:
Multiple sports-based simulations
Built-in discussion prompts that connect play to real-world government systems
Flexible lessons that work in PE, advisory, or interdisciplinary settings
Whether you are introducing government systems for the first time or looking for a more experiential way to reinforce them, this series is designed to make abstract ideas felt, not just memorized.
Without further ado, here is the lesson plan for Government Systems Volleyball!
Government Systems Volleyball
Montessori Physical Education
Introduction:
While I would consider our school a “basketball factory,” volleyball has undeniably become our second-favorite sport. Because of its popularity, I started thinking about how I could adapt this government-sports gameplay style to volleyball. It’s actually quite simple. High-powered players score more points than their compatriots based on their role within the government they chose. However, the magic of this version isn’t just the scoring component. What makes this version even more dynamic is that the same point potential a player has to score points also applies to the number of points they give the other team when they make a mistake! This is huge and dramatically alters the strategy of a team, as well as that of the team playing against them. This variation was wildly popular with my students, and I’m sure it will be with yours as well.
Materials:
· A large playing area (gym or field)
· If in a gym:
o Volleyball net
o Volleyball court lines
· If outside:
o Outdoor volleyball net
o Cones, rubber disc dots, or lines to show the playing area
Minimum Number of Students Needed: You can play this game with as few as six students per side (or 12 total); anything larger would just rotate players.
Prior Knowledge: This lesson is the perfect introduction to different government systems.
Presentation
· Split the class into two large teams, but only six players are on the court at a time. Players rotate in and out when the whole team rotates because of a new server.
· This game uses the core rules of volleyball, but with a significantly altered scoring system based on the player who last touches the ball.
o This is the core component of the game. If a high-value player gets the ball over the net and it scores, they earn the full points for that role. However, if a player from the other team touches it before it hits the ground, the point's value is determined by the last defender to touch it, not the high-value player. This is a crucial strategy when playing against autocracies, oligarchies, and sometimes confederations.
· Here are the government types:
o Autocracy: The team chooses a leader (dictator), or sometimes a player demands to be the leader. It is worth ten points if a dictator gets an untouched ace on a serve or an untouched pass or spike.
§ If the team wants to depose a dictator, everyone must approve. The deposed dictator cannot return as leader.
§ Leaders who want to "retire" can appoint a successor, like a monarchy or a dynasty. An old dictator cannot become one again if they "retired."
o Oligarchy: The two oldest players on the team become the oligarchs. It is worth five points when an oligarch aces a serve or hits an untouched ball. There must be at least one oligarch always playing, and both can play simultaneously. A new oligarch can replace an old oligarch, but both must agree. An old oligarch can become one again if they "retire."
o (Con)Federation: In this government, the students decide how to divide fourteen points among all the players. Every player must have at least 1 point. For every player the team has over six, add one more point to the collective that must be distributed.
§ For example, if your team has six players, they may split the fourteen total, like 4, 4, 3, 2, 1.
§ A confederation is very versatile because you are allowed to change the point values of the players after each game. Depending on how the points are distributed, it may look like an autocracy or democracy, or anything in between.
o Republic: The team votes for two players to become senators. People vote by pointing at two people (like the Spider-Man meme). Players are allowed to use one vote for themselves. A senator scores four on an untouched ace or hit.
§ Old senators may win by reelection in a new game.
§ If there is a tie in the vote, the instructor will be the tiebreaker.
o Democracy: Every player scores three points.
o Anarchy: When any player scores an untouched hit, the teacher/referee flips a coin. If heads, that is one point, and the teacher flips again. If tails, then stop. This means a score can be worth nothing if a tail is flipped first. However, there is a (unlikely) chance that a team could get a twenty-point basket (or more).
§ I would not use anarchy in this game because it would slow the pace too much. However, feel free to use it if you think it would be valuable.
· A game starts with a team serving the ball over the net to the other team.
o If the server hits the ball into the net, if they are inexperienced, give them one more try, possibly a little closer, so the serve makes it over. After the second missed serve, award the point value of that player to the other team, and it’s their serve.
· Strategy concepts
o Low-point players should always be going after a hit because even if they make a mistake, they are reducing the number of points scored against them. While counterintuitive at first, some of your best players (especially back-row players like a libero) should be low-point scorers so they feel less pressure when playing defense. Conversely, high-point players may not want to be the first to hit because a shank will give the other team many points. This should actually be the server's strategy: hit the serve to the highest-value player to force them into a mistake.
o Any violation that would award a point to the other team in a normal game is worth the value of the player who committed it. For example:
§ If a 10-point player touches the net, that is a ten-point penalty to the other team.
§ If a 10-point player makes a double contact or lifts the ball, that is a ten-point penalty to the other team.
§ If a 10-point player hits a ball into the ceiling and it goes over the net, that is a ten-point penalty to the other team.
§ If the player hits the ball into the ceiling, but it stays on their side, that is not a violation and can be played by a teammate.
o After the match reaches 25 points, ask the losing team if they would like to change their government. Usually, the winning team does not want to switch governments, but they may want to elect new representation as a republic or change the point distribution as a confederation.
Post-Game Discussion: Volleyball & Government Systems
· Leadership & Responsibility
o In systems where one player was worth more points, how did that change the pressure on that player?
o How did it feel to know that the same value used to score was also the value lost for a mistake?
o What does this tell us about the responsibility leaders carry in certain governments?
· Strong Leaders vs. Weak Leaders
o When a high-value player played well, how did it affect the entire team?
o When a high-value player made mistakes, how quickly did the team suffer?
o How does this mirror how strong or weak leadership can shape a nation’s success or failure?
· Targeting Power
o Why did the opposing team often try to attack the highest-value player?
o When did targeting that player backfire?
o How does this relate to the idea of a powerful leader supported by popular support or loyalty?
· “Cutting the Head Off the Snake.”
o What happened when the high-value player was successfully targeted?
o How quickly did the team’s structure or strategy fall apart?
o What does this suggest about governments that rely heavily on one central figure?
· Democracy & Shared Power
o How did it feel when everyone was worth the same number of points?
o What advantages did shared scoring create for the team?
o What challenges came from not having a single dominant leader?
· Shared Responsibility
o In democratic scoring, who was responsible when the team lost points?
o How is shared responsibility different from placing most of the burden on one person?
o Which system felt more stable over time? Why?
· Risk vs. Stability
o Which system offered higher rewards but greater risks?
o Which system felt safer but less dramatic?
o How do governments balance efficiency, power, and stability in the real world?
· Real-World Connections
o Can you think of historical or modern examples where strong leadership helped a country?
o Can you think of examples of harm caused by too much power in one leader?
o Why do different societies choose different systems of government?
Aims:
Direct: The students will play a dynamic volleyball game that illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of different government systems.
Indirect:
Verbal (and non-verbal) communication
Prediction making
Sportsmanship
Strategy
Teamwork
Physical skills practiced:
All the skills associated with volleyball.
Control Of Error:
The teacher will referee, but the students should also know the basic rules of volleyball.
Points of Interest: Students will gravitate toward this game because every action has a consequence, sometimes big and sometimes small. However, there is a clear understanding of someone's actions and the consequences they produce.
Age: All ages, but works best with upper elementary and middle school