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The holidays are almost upon us. Many have suffered
loss, some of a loved one, others the sense that our nation is no
longer impenetrable and others the loss of financial security. As
we look forward, we might do well to reinforce what we learned from
these last months. For me, it is that what we are and what we value
is not wealth or trophies, but the people we love, our freedom to
make choices and the country that allows it.
The national conscience has moved away from the win at all costs,
every man for himself, it's all about money attitude pervasive before
September 11th. Times have created more grace, more giving, thoughts
of our neighbors and social accord. Can we find ways to extend these
gains into our gyms and playing fields? While a challenge to stay
in curriculum and respond to current events, it would be great if
we could do something to reflect the season, send a message and enhance
the values regained during this painful year.
Below there are two ideas. If you have others, please post them on
the Forum. We might not get to use them this year, but it would be
nice if they were there to consider for the future. In the meanwhile,
let me wish you all a wonderful holiday and a healthy, happy new year.
Isobel
Kleinman
Secondary Section Editor
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- Organize a fund raiser around an activity that the kids in your
school love and would come out to participate in, in large numbers.
Have the participants pledge a minimum amount of food or money,
letting them know it is for a charity or community cause. Involve
the staff and the businesses in the community by asking that they
donate time, goods for prizes or food and run the event so it
is festive and exciting. It could be a Volleyball Marathon, a
Dance Marathon, a Rollerblade Evening, an old fashioned Ho-Down,
just about anything that engages kids in activity, is fun, is
social and represents giving something back to the community.
- Before the last class of the year begins or during the last
ten minutes before you break for the holidays, teach "Jingle
Bells," walking students through the instructions before
putting the music on. You might not tell them what you are teaching
and try just giving instructions. If you do it that way, and then
put the music on, wow, will you see their faces light up.
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Please let your colleagues know about PELINKS4U, and remember you
can catch up on a year's worth of news in our PE
Archives. |
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| Physical Activity Today (Volume 7, No. 3) reports that men are
more likely to meet the CDS/ACSM Activity Guidelines than women and
that there is a relationship between those who perceive the importance
of physical activity and those who do it. One might conclude that
convincing students of the values of physicality will improve their
participation levels. One might also conclude that existing physical
education programs are letting our girls down.
As reported in The New York Times, 10/16/01 -- It doesn't pay
to buy a $2.50 bottle of super oxygenated water according to the
American Council on Exercise. Dr. John Porcari of the University
of Wisconsin and his colleagues tested men and women's performance
on a treadmill, measured heart rates, blood pressure and oxygen
consumption and saw no measurable difference between the youngsters
using the super water and those using regular. The director of operations
of Aqua Rush claimed that the tests were flawed (surprised?) because
the subjects needed to be tested over a longer period of time to
see results.
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VERSION ONE:
Formation: double circle, partners facing, the boy's back
to the center of the circle.
Position: partners hands are joined.
Part I -
- girls' right, boys' left foot - heel, toe, heel, toe, 4 slides
CCW
- girl's left, boys's right heel - toe, heel, toe and 4 slides
CW.
- repeat
Part II
- clap own hands 3x, partner's 3x, own hands 4x, partner's once
- join right elbows and circle skipping 8 skips, singing
- repeat the claps, join left elbows and circle, skipping 7 skips
- on the 8th skip, say "Merry Christmas" leave partner
and go one person to the left
VERSION TWO
Formation : Partners in a single circle, girl to the right
of the boy.
Position : Hands joined, weight is on the right foot.
"Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh"
"or the field we go, laughing all the way"
- 7 ½ slides left (the half is a walk which frees the right
foot)
"Bells on bobtails ring, making spirits rise"
"Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh"
- 7 ½ slides right, ending facing partner
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way"
- clap own hands in front 2x, own hands in back of self 3x, partner's
hands 1x
"Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh"
- join hands of partner, circle left with 8 skips.
Release partner, face the corner.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way"
- repeat clapping pattern with the corner
"Oh what fun it is to right in a one horse open sleigh"
- corners join hands and circle left with 8 skips
The dance continues as it started. Mixers get everyone dancing
with each other. This is written as a mixer. The corner becomes
the new partner, students join hands in a single circle with the
girls moving to the right of their new partner and the dance beginning
- walk in 4 steps.
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| Achieving
Multiple Goals Indoors |
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Can we teach new skills in crowded gyms and have students engaged
in aerobic activity, progressing as citizens, developing a satisfactory
level of fitness, social abilities, an ability to accept individual
differences and cultures and a love of being physical? Yes, we can.
Try an aerobic dance fitness unit which incorporates group cooperation,
social skills, respect for a variety of cultures and accommodates
large groups. Plan movement that is synchronized with popular
music and interspersed by folk dance. Choose songs with themes that
have moral value. Choose folk dances from different periods, countries
and of different energy levels. Teach six, seven or eight routines
that will provide a 3-5 minute warm-up, 15 to 20 minutes of high
energy that raises heart rates to 65 - 75% of maximum and end with
a 5 minute cool down of stretching. Teach each routine individually.
Then tape the music together. Once the class knows each routine,
let the music run. Students will have at least 30 minutes of constant
movement that gives them multi-cultural exposure, skills that will
help make them socially viable, and for all but the dance phobic,
a lot of fun. Want specifics? See Complete Physical Education Plans
for Grades 7-12, available at Human
Kinetics.
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Pass the word. According to the American Heart Association, dieters
who favor the Atkins diet (high protein intake) are at risk for
long term cardio-vascular problems. In addition, though the diet
does well to reduce weight in the short term, the weight does not
stay off in the long term
According to Jane Brody (The New York Times, 11/13/01) the indicators
of osteoporosis start early and are the reason that our youth's
habit of substituting sodas and juice for bone building milk fortified
with vitamin D is so alarming. Smoking, an activity indulged in
by teenagers, and strenuous diet increases their potential for bone
loss. Given this and the failure of youth to make up for it with
calcium rich foods or supplements, she fears "a future epidemic
of osteoporosis" that will far exceed today's.
Concern should not wait until it is necessary to rebuild bone because
it is far more difficult to rebuild them then have them develop
right in the first place. Strong bones require the calcium, sunlight
(vitamin D) which helps the calcium absorption and weight bearing
exercise. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, insufficient calcium,
a shortage of Vitamin D and insufficient weight bearing and strengthening
exercise undermine calcium's absorption. What is more, absorption
rates are further compromised by lowered estrogen levels which people
associate as the exclusive worry of middle aged women. Not true.
Strenuous dieting also causes a loss of estrogen, making those who
lose their period during diets vulnerable to bone loss, no matter
the age. Available medications can only prevent progressive bone
loss. They do not rebuild bone.
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If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions about
particular topics, please email one of the following Secondary PE
Section Editors: |
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