| 
It is the beginning of a new year, a time to reflect on the past,
as well as a time to look toward the future. Many of us will begin
to create a list of resolutions in hopes to become a new and improved
person. I would like to suggest that we also include resolutions
that aim to educate and keep our students physically active.
Over the last few years we have seen time allotted for recess,
and physical education classes decreased in order to provide greater
focus on other academic studies.
In this month’s issue, I would like to feature a couple of
programs that incorporate physical fitness with other academic areas
(i.e. reading, writing and math). With the growing concern of obesity
amongst our youth it is imperative that physical education, or physical
activity, be kept alive to combat this epidemic.
Dawn Sakaguchi
Interdisciplinary Section Editor
|
 |
by
Jean Blaydes
This section is updated each month with a new idea from
Jean Blayde's book "Thinking on Your Feet." |
| For
January, we are featuring "Number
Ball," a skill related activity. Students
will practice throwing; catching and trapping skills with
unique equipment designed to practice addition, subtraction,
and multiplication. |
| Find out more information about
Jean Blaydes and Action
Based Learning. |
|
| In the fall/winter
of 1995, Carol Goodrow introduced her love of running to her first
grade students. She incorporated running with all aspects of their
curriculum.
During the first year, students experienced how running could
be applied to the various parts of their school life. For example,
students used running numbers to implement math. They studied
geography by using pins on a map to show where runners live, and
practiced their writing skills in created thank you letter for
other runners.
During the second year, Carol showed the students how running
could be implemented into their daily lives involving a home exercise
program where students ran with their families to complete a 100
mile ultramarathon. They tracked daily miles on a large bulletin
board using cutouts of the students moved along a huge route.
Carol also states that this data was used to create a graph..
This program can be used for all ages, and it proves that physical
education does not have to be limited to one period of the day.
Find out more about this program at KidsRunning.com
|
|
 |
| The Take
10! program helps compensate for the fact that physical
education programs, along with recess periods, are being sacrifice
by schools in order to meet demands to increase academic performance.
Because of this challenge, the Take 10! program promotes 10 minutes
of moderate to vigorous physical activity during down times within
the school day.
The program has been created especially for students in kindergarten
to fifth grade, and is a tool created by teachers for both teachers
and students. A number of worksheets, activity cards, posters,
etc., are offered to help implement the program.
For example, the "Invisible Jump Rope" helps students
work with counting and math skills while jumping. For beginners,
teachers call out a number from 1-10 and students jump while counting
up to that number. Students could also count backwards from a
higher number, such as 20, as they jump.
Take 10! should not be use to replace opportunities
for physical activity such as recess, physical education, and
after-school programs. Rather, the program is a tool used to enhance
and complement other academic subject areas.
The program is flexible, and a teach can determine when these
physical activities should be utilized.
As of 2002, there are 270 schools that have implemented Take
10!
Learn more about the Take
10! program.
|
| Running and Reading Across America |
| …One
Bay at a Time
Fairhope Elementary School, in Alabama, started a running program
where students run/jog/walk around a quarter mile track. Each
lap is logged, and mileage for each student, each class, and the
entire school is calculated.
In conjunction with a Media Specialist, various bays across America
are chosen for students to run to. When each bay is reached the
school library features several books about that bay. A large
map of the United States is hung in the lobby that displays the
amount of miles that the school has ran, as well as a graph of
the miles ran.
Individually, when a student completes 10 miles (s)he is awarded
with a foot sticker which is placed on their photo card. Each
additional 10 miles earns a greater reward. The program beings
at Mobile Bay and travels through bays around the United States,
ending when students circle back to Mobile Bay.
This program is a great way for all grade levels to be involved,
and students to share their own person goals as well as goals of
the entire school. Students incorporate running & walking, reading,
geography, mapping skills, goal setting, and mathematics. Learn
more.
|
 |
|
| The Field
Trip Factory features a program called “Be a Sports Authority,”
that promotes healthy living through exercise, healthful eating,
sports safety, and teamwork. The program teams up with "The
Sports Authority" (TSA), and offers a field trip customized
for two different groups: primary students from kindergarten to
second grade, and intermediate students from third to eighth grade.
Primary students will learn simple exercises and sporting terms,
gain knowledge about safety equipment, and also learn the importance
of rules and teamwork. Intermediate students will learn about exercise
and safety in sports, as well as aerobic exercise, strength training,
and injury prevention.
The field trip follows the National Learning standards for grades
K-8, and lasts from 60-90 minutes. At the end of each field trip
students will be able to take with them a 'goody bag' of souvenirs.
The field trip is a great way to emphasize the importance of physical
education, and how physical education and teamwork can be integrated.
Learn more about this program.
|
 
|
Check out the lesson plans below. Featured are fun ways to teach
academics, while ensuring your students get needed excersise.
Jump
Rope For Health and Literature - grade 5
"Students will use their skills in Language Arts to learn
and recite a Jump Rope Poem/Song individually. They will be asked
to recite, verbatim, the poem to the class and then perform it in
a jump rope routine."
PE
with a Hint of History - grade 3
"This activity combines learned history/social studies facts
with PE skills to make a fun educational activity."
Heritage:
Line Dance is a Pattern! - grade 5
"Students will apply the pattern of a line dance to different
music tempos. The lesson will integrate well when the student is
studying 'patterns' in math and science."
Walk
Across the Country
Another great lesson to integrate activity with math and geography.
Different variations can be applied to stimulate the imagination
and make activity so much fun!
Have a Healthy Heart
A lesson plan to integrate jump rope activity and math.
|
| If you have ideas, comments,
letters to share, or questions about particular topics, please
email one of the following Health & Fitness Section Editors:
|
|
|
