| Hello everyone, and Happy Spring to you all! I am the guest editor this month for the Interdisciplinary section, and I hope that you enjoy some of the information that is provided for you.
In this month’s section I have attributed a portion to the Paralympics that just ended a few weeks ago. I think it is really important that all children are aware that there are many amazing athletes that do incredible things, and who are disabled. The Paralympics aren’t as nearly publicized as the Olympics, but are JUST as important. Please take the time to discuss with your classes the Paralympics, and perhaps go through the information I have provided and discuss some of the sports, athletes, and successes of those involved in them.
I have also provided some fun games, and similar variations, that can be found around the world. I think that many children today are overwhelmed by what is going on in society with the war, and much of the other fighting in the world. So it is important to help the next generation grow up learning that we are all human and not that different. These games show how other children play around the world in different countries and cultures.
Next there is some information on how to make exercise “cool,” and how to discuss this and act it out within your classes. I hope you enjoy the information provided on this page, and have fun with it!
Anjee Roth
Interdisciplinary Section Editor
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by Jean
Blaydes
This section within the Interdisciplinary page is updated
each month with a new idea from Jean Blayde's book "Thinking
on Your Feet." |
This month's activity is called the Shiny Clean Dance, and focuses on using a song to learn more about hygiene. It allows the children to make an interpretive dance based on a song to help promote better hygiene.
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| Find out
more information about Jean Blaydes and Action
Based Learning. |
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| From Kidshealth.org, here are some fun ways to teach that Exercise is Cool! I have also added in other ideas, or suggestions to make learning more fun, that you can try and are not part of the website.
There are many lesson plans available to help kids learn why it is so important to exercise, and how exercise can be integrated into the classroom. Here is one such plan that helps show children “Why Exercise is Cool.”
Kids are always exercising, even though they aren’t even really aware of it, or thinking that they are. Just being active, running around, and “being kids” accounts for a lot of exercise. Playing sports, dancing, running around on the playground, playing tag, and even reaching down to touch your toes are many ways of exercising that school children engage in.
Go over these things with your children in the classroom to help link exercise to learning: When you exercise, you're helping build a strong body that will be able to move around, and do all the stuff you need it to do. Try to be active every day and your body will thank you later!
Exercise Makes Your Heart Happy
You may know that your heart is a muscle. It works hard, pumping blood every day of your life. You can help this important muscle get stronger by doing aerobic (say: air-o-bike) exercise. Aerobic means "with air," so aerobic exercise is a kind of activity that requires oxygen. When you breathe, you take in oxygen, and, if you're doing aerobic exercise, you may notice you're breathing faster than normal. Aerobic activity can get your heart pumping, make you sweaty, and quicken your breathing. Read more about Heart Happy exercise.
Exercise Strengthens Muscles
Another kind of exercise can help make your muscles stronger. Did you ever do a push-up, or swing across the monkey bars at the playground? Those are exercises that can build strength. By using your muscles to do powerful things, you can make them stronger. Have the kids brain-storm activities or exercises that can help build strong muscles. Go over the individual muscle groups. (Possible exercises include: push-ups, pull-ups, tug-of-war, bike riding, sit ups).
Exercise Makes You Flexible
Start by asking kids if they know what “flexibility” means. Ask the kids why flexibility is important. Have everyone try to touch their toes. Most kids are pretty flexible, which means that they can bend and stretch their bodies without much trouble. This kind of exercise often feels really good, like when you take a big stretch in the morning after waking up. Being flexible is having "full range of motion," which means you can move your arms and legs freely without feeling tightness or pain. It's easy to find things to do for good flexibility:
Ask your class to brainstorm sports or activities that can help increase flexibility. Possible activities include yoga, gymnastics, dance, mainly ballet, martial arts, or just stretching.
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| Do you believe that physical educators should spend class time trying to integrate academic content into their lessons or should they focus on teaching skills and developing health-related fitness? Please
post in the forum. |
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One can not look at the Olympics solely based on the short two week duration that we watch on TV. The Olympic spirit continues, though it may not be as thoroughly televised or as popular. It is important that children of all ages know that the Olympics continue past what they see on TV. They continue for many people who have suffered great loss and faced more hardships then many of us will ever know, and yet have found amazing ways to overcome it.
If you have been covering the Olympics in your classes, why not continue with activities that focus on the Paralympics. The Paralympics were last month from March 10-19th. Children can continue to learn about other countries, other athletes, other sports, and also learn many valuable lessons of triumph in the face of adversity, and this can instill a hope in those who have ever felt they could not compete in something due to a physical limitation.
Granted, this article could also go in the adaptive section of our magazine, however I placed it in the interdisciplinary as I wanted this topic to involve students on a first-hand basis.
Here is a little bit of history about the games you can share with your class.
The Paralympic Winter Games (See also the Birth of the Paralympic Movement) - Once the Second World War was over, soldiers and civilians who had been mutilated, or had spinal injuries, moved to be able to practice, in their new condition, summer and winter sport disciplines. One of the pioneers was Austrian Sepp Zwicknagl, who had lost both legs in the war and skied with prostheses. Since then, many technical solutions were invented and tried, such as crutches with small skis on the bottom, wheelchair sleds, and using a guide giving vocal indications on the particularities of a track to a blind athlete.
The first Olympic Winter Games officially limited to athletes with a disability were held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. Two hundred and fifty athletes from 14 countries took part. Alpine skiing competitions took place, and Cross-Country Skiing for amputated and blind athletes. Since then the Games have been held regularly, and now count five disciplines: Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Biathlon, Ice Sledge Hockey, and Wheelchair Curling.
In 1992, in Albertville, for the first time the Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same place, and this has continued every year since. Read more this at The birth of the Paralympic Movement.
There are many events that are very competitive for Paralympic athletes. They compete in Ice Sledge Hockey, Biathlon, Wheelchair Curling, Alpine Curling, Alpine Skiing, and Cross-Country Skiing. Below are further descriptions of each!
Ice Sledge Hockey
Sticks, puck, and skates. Strength, endurance, and power. Two goals, three referees, an ice rink from which the puck never leaves. Ice Sledge Hockey is the version of the traditional Ice Hockey for athletes with a disability, with checking against the boards, constant turnovers, players "changing on the fly," sudden and lightning hits, spectacular saves and special pads for protection.
Biathlon
The strength and the resilience of the Cross-Country skier joins with the lucidity and concentration of the shooter. The symbolic repetition of a primeval activity: hunting in the snow, long moves on skis, meeting the prey, the sangfroid of the shooter. Power, precision and muscle strength to slide on the snow, and mental concentration to aim at the target: the sum of all this represents the essence of Biathlon.
Wheelchair Curling
The rock slides on the ice towards the house: Wheelchair Curling is a team sport that requires great concentration and absolute precision in calibration of effort. Pinerolo will be the home of Wheelchair Curling, a sport that presents itself for the first time at the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.
Alpine Skiing
The thrill of the Downhill, the technique of the Slalom, the style of the Giant, the power of the Super-G. All the elements that have ensured Alpine Skiing and its various disciplines are the most practised of winter sports and the most beloved among all fans of mountains and snow. One or two heats for a breathtaking competition against time.
Cross-Country Skiing
In the grandeur of the fairytale landscape, an athlete is on his own with his fatigue. To move ahead all that are required are muscles, skies, sledges, and ski wax; to resist, one needs lungs, heart, a clear head, and the will to arrive. Five distances, varying for men and women. Two techniques: classical and freestyle. The track, with its hard ascents, reminds one of the sport's origins in the Scandinavian countries, as a means of transportation through a landscape covered with snow. Cross-country skiing: the proof that in the effort for a medal, all athletes are the same.
Find out more about each type of sport, or find out more about the paralympics altogether. See the full results for the Paralympics, how countries did, or about individual athletes themselves. |
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Hello in Different Languages - This is a fun, warm-up, cross-cultural activity. The group tries to come up the word(s) for "hello" in as many different languages as possible.
The Story of My Name - Where does your name come from? Share the story of where your name comes from and what your name means. Helps to build intercultural respect and understanding.
Have You Ever? - Active, fun group activity to explore and celebrate the rich diversity of people's past experiences. Works well with large groups.
World Meal - A World Meal consists of a limited amount of rice and beans. This is the average meal for the average person on the planet. Cook this for a group of others and encourage them in turn to cook a World Meal for others.
Cross-cultural IQ Tests - This activity helps students become aware that so-called "intelligence" is culturally-bound and culturally defined. Attempt short IQ tests for mainstream US/Australian culture, Black-Rap 1960's culture, Australian Aboriginal culture. Ideal for class-room based education about psychology and culture, suited to older adolescents and adults. The tests are written in good humor. |
Today in the U.S.A., and many other places throughout the world, children are experiencing harsher times then most of us ever experienced. Kids learn of fighting and war, something they had been innocent of since most haven't experienced war in their lifetime. But then 911 happened, and once again life changed forever.
However, there is still one thing that unites us all, the common bond of humanity, of childhood, and of a youthful spirit that loves to learn, laugh, and just be. Whenever I struggle with the indifference of society, and get overwhelmed with the news of war, I look at the children and remember a time when I too was innocent, and loved life for all it’s simplicity and fun that it offered.
Around the world, children have one thing in common. They love to play games. They love to laugh, learn, and have fun playing with each other. Take your class on a world adventure and see how similar they are to other children from different countries. Discover how children from Venezuela, Mexico, Korea, China, Germany, and other countries play different versions of the same traditional games, such as jump rope, marbles, tag, top spinning, hopscotch, jacks, card games.
I think it is amazing how simple lessons like this can help children learn that history doesn’t have to repeat itself, and what we hear on the news isn’t always true for everyone, because we can see how children from other countries are similar, in that they love to play and have fun.
Traditional Children's Games: Jump Rope Games
Jump Rope games have always been popular in countries around the world. One version of a jump rope game, played with rubber bands connected together to make a long rope, is played in many countries, including China, Colombia, and Indonesia.
Tag and Chase Games
In games of chase and tag, the object is to tag, or touch, other players who are then out of the game. Usually one player is it and has to chase and tag the other players, one of whom then becomes the new person who is it. In other versions, players must be tagged by a ball, sometimes thrown at the player. Check out the versions for many different countries. To find out more about what Iraqi children are thinking, and some of the games they play visit Lives of Iraqi children.
Children's Games from Around the World - Check out all the various types and versions of traditional games being played through out the world.
Hurling - It was played in the pre-Christian times. It originated in Ireland, but has been taken to London, New York, Boston and other cities with strong Irish communities. Check out how this game is played.
Takraw - Games like takraw were played in 7th century Japan (Kemari) and China, but this game actually comes from Thailand. Takraw is mainly played in Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. It's a variation of volleyball.
Team Handball - This sport originated in Central Europe. It is played in Sweden, France, South Korea, Norway, England and the United States. It is an Olympic sport.
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| Multicultural Lesson Plans |
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