Active Classrooms
Jo BaileyD. C. Everest Senior HighWHPE President 2012-142013 Midwest High School PE TOY
Email: [email protected]: @lovephyed
Waves!
The line you don’t want to see
Movement Data!
http://www.learningreadinesspe.com/http://www.kidsreadandride.com/2011_Ark
ansas_Data.pdf
Finland – 15 minutes of activity before every class
California, Texas: Fitter students performed better on tests
Why do our students need classroom physical activity breaks (CPAB)?
It takes just 17 minutes (+/- 2) of sitting down for blood to leave the brain and pool in the hamstrings. Signals the body to release melatonin, reduces release of BDNF (brain fertilizer)
Exercise fuels the brain with oxygen and triggers the release of neurotrophins which enhance growth, impact mood, cement memory, and enhance connections between neurons
Why do our students need classroom physical activity breaks (CPAB)?
Standing up creates more attentional arousal, speeds up information processing by 5-20 percent and increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain by 10-15 percent
Social Network for the brain
>20 minutes of inactivity, neural communication declines
Activity increases neural connections in the brain
We need to expand the social network in our brains- get the neurons to “talk” more to teach other
Brain Activity
What are the benefits of CPAB?
Physical activity and cognition are positively related (Sibley & Etnier, 2003)
Physical activity improves cognitive performance and behavior improves following bouts of activity (Tomorowski, 2003)
CPAB temporarily improve attention and behaviour (Pellegrini et al, 1995)
Systems and Learning
Motor development: framework to sequence patterns needed for academic concepts
Skipping – prerequisite for readingVestibular: Balance and spatial awareness-
placing words and letters on a pageVisual: activities help develop eye trackingSuggested 85% of students are predominately
kinesthetic learners – move to learn!
Pyramid of Learning
But I don’t have enough time..
Scenario A Scenario B
• Class in session for 15-20 minutes
• Students start to display subtle signs of distraction (glazed eyes etc.) (2 mins)
• Students start to display more obvious signs of distraction (fidgeting, talking, doodling) (2 mins)
• Teacher stops teaching, addresses behavior (1-2 mins)
• Class restarts
Total Time: 5-6 minutes
• Class in session for 15-20 minutes
• Teacher stops students and does 3 minute movement/ brain break
• Class restarts, students are engaged and alert
Total Time: 3 minutes
Glasser & Confucious
Levels of Integration
Level Purpose Times Per Week
1 Preparing the Brain 1-2
2 Providing Brain Breaks
2-3
3 Supporting exercise and fitness
3-4
4 Developing class cohesion
4-5
5 Reviewing content 5-6
6 Teaching content Daily
Source: The Kinesthetic Classroom
Managing the Environment
Emphasize that CPAB are a privilege and can be removed
This is NOT PE – only a 2-5 minute breakNeeds to be done quietly – Practice!Outcome is not importantToe to toe – easy way to get students into
groups, work with different studentsLost and found/ Friendship cornerWatch for the hypermotivated student – may
need directions twice
Managing the environment
Have a distinctive transition – clap once, clap twice
Hey-HoBells/ soundsTimersWatch the hand
Cross Lateral Activities: Activating all parts of the brain (level 1)
Brain Challenges:1. Hold your nose, reach over or under and grab
your nose with the other hand. Switchand switch2. Point an index finger out on one hand and a
thumb up on the other. Switch andswitch.3. As you write your signature on an imaginary
table, rotate your foot in a clockwise circle.4. Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes
More cross lateral movements
GrapevineHeel tapsWindmillsBody taps: Tap left ear, shoulder, elbow &
wrist with right finger. Repeat on opposite side
Vestibular Movements
Hop and spin- clockwise and counterclockwise
Hand spin – move feet around hands on floor
Crab walk spin - clockwise and counterclockwise
360 spin
Balance activities
Arabesque walkingTree PoseSide plankCrab kicks holding chairHopscotchSkatersAcross the line
Combination activities
Jump, throw and catch ballHopping and arm circlesJog & wrist/ elbow/ shoulder tapCross country ski
Activities
Three shakes (no refusals!)Body writing- name, animal, breakfast,
game with different body partSocial walk and talk –assign topicsFoot to foot bean bag passing
Activities: Colors/Hyperdash (L2)
Pick a color – touch 5 things of that color around the room (can’t be a person!)
Hyperdash!Post colored spots around classroom. Each
spot also has a number on it (you could also add a letter or a symbol to give you more options or use two different color sets).
Hand out index cards – student must follow sequence on card.
Can be a color, number or mixed sequence.
Activities: Rock Paper Scissors (L2)
Stand back to back with partnerJump 5 times, turn on the 6th jump and
showVariations: use feet for symbols –
together= rock, apart side = paper, front back straddle = scissors
Activities: Same Different (L2)
Walk around room. On command get toe-to-toe with a partner
Designate one person to be “same” and one person to be “different”
Jump 10x. On the 10th jump, both partners put one foot forward
If the feet are the same (both right feet), the “same” person gets a point, if they are different, the “different” person gets a point
Change movement pairs from one session to the next – feet apart or feet together; palms up/ palms down
Scarfs (L2)
One scarf per student preferablyThrow and catch scarf with opposite handThrow, turn, and catch scarfThrow, clap as many times as possible, and
catchThrow and catch scarf on head/ backThrow and catch scarf on foot, lift up to catch
with opposite handThrow and catch behind bodyDo the same activities with a partner
Activities: Sherlock Holmes (L2)
Send two people out of the roomChoose one person to initiate and change
the movement of the class – quiet, subtle movements
Invite the detectives back in – try to figure out who is the person initiating the change
Add decoys to increase the difficulty
Activities: Maestro
Activities: Maestro (L2)
O = lungeX = jumpArrows show which direction to move one
step only)Read the notes like words on a page – L to
R, top to bottom and SAY THEM OUT LOUD.Great activity for decision making, crossing
the midline of the body, tracking, rhythm
Activities: Maestro (L2)
Level 1: move and say the SAME direction as shown on the screen
Level 2: move in the SAME direction as the arrows, but say the OPPOSITE direction
Level 3: move in the OPPOSITE direction, as the arrows but say the SAME direction
Level 4: move in the OPPOSITE direction as the arrows and say the OPPOSITE direction as shown on the screen
Activities: Do This, Do That (L2)
Chosen leader performs various movements, each preceded by saying “do this” or “do that”
Students copy the movements but only if they are preceded by the phrase “do this”. If the directions are “do that”, no one is to move
Can use points – students try to get the least number of points during the game
Activities: Do as I say (L2)
Leader gives verbal commandsLeader attempts to confuse the class by
performing a different movement from what they are saying
E.g. Say “put your hands on your elbows” while placing hands on your waist
Popsicle Sticks (L3-4)
Write activities/ movements/ exercises on popsicle sticks
Students aim to complete as many stick as they can in time allowed by teacher
Encourage students to add their own (pending teacher approval!)
Work as team: table aims to complete as many stick as possible in time allowed
Give a target to aim for: Expert level=6 sticks
Cupid Shuffle (L2-4)
4 steps to right4 steps to leftKick left right left right8 step turn 90 degreesRepeat!
Movement is the number 1 manager of student learning states!
Activities: Academic Integration (L5)
Quick Math Face your partner. Pretend to put your water gun in your
holsters. For one-hand addition,on the signal “Draw” each partner shows
any number of fingers and thumbs on one hand. The first partner who adds the fingers and thumbs of both
partners wins the draw. For two-hand addition, add partner #1 and partner #2 fingers
and thumbs together for the sum. For one-hand multiplication, multiply partner #1 times partner
#2 for the product. For two-hand multiplication, multiply the sum of Partner#1’s
hands times the sum of partner #2’s hands for the product. ** Can’t do same number every time!**
Activities: Academic Integration
EvensStudents walk around the roomOn command they find a partner, designate one
to be “odds” and one to be “evens”Hit fist into hand 3x and on 3rd time stick out a
combination of fingers: 0,1,2,3,4,5Total number of fingers is added togetherIf it is even, “evens” player get the point, if it is
odd, “odds” player gets the pointPlay best of 3 games then find another partner
and repeat
Academic Integration
It’s all in the numbers
Spread playing cards, face down around classroom
Show a math problem on boardStudents solve the problem then look for the
cards that make up the answerFace cards = 10, Ace’s =1Could assign points to groups; complete
several problems
Activities: Academic Integration (L5)
BalloonsOne per group of studentsKeep up – have to review topic/ answer
question/ link concepts while keeping balloon from hitting the floor/ table
Activities: Academic Integration (L5)
Rock Paper Scissors, MathWalk around room. On command get toe to
toe with a partner.Face partner and say R-P-S MathWhen you say the word math, you should put
between 1-4 fingers out (no thumbs or zero’s)
The person who adds the numbers/ multiples the numbers first wins the round
Play best of 5 rounds
Punctuation in Action (L5)
Read a sentence or story. Punctuate using the following body movements and sounds.
Capital letter: jump up and say. “Go” Period: Put your fist on your nose and say, “Whoa” Comma: Hands on hips and circle hips around and say, “Slow
down” Question Mark: Shrug shoulders with hands up in air and say,
“Huh?” Exclamation Mark: Grab the air with the right fist and bring
down forcefully and say, “Yes” Quotation Marks: Pretend to make quotation marks in the air with fingers and
say, ”Ching, ching” Apostrophe: Use the elbow to make an apostrophe in the air
and say, “Not”
Milk top math
Add 2 dice - flip over milk cap with number on itDo activity under cap that many times. First with all flipped over wins.
Content Review Ideas (L5)
Give students cards with information that needs to be ordered on them
Students need to find their group (differentiate by color/ number) and get themselves in the correct order
Dance/ Lyric Creation – create a song of the material to be reviewed
Q and A match. Half the students have the Q, half have the A. Find your matching partner
Partner ball pass review
Academic Integration: Letter Spots
Letter SpotsThink of a word involving letters A,B,C,D,ERight shoulder = A, Right Ear = B, Nose =C, Left
ear = D, Left shoulder = EWithout talking, spell out the word using letter
spots on bodyPartner has to say letters out loud and say the
wordChange letters/ body parts/ add body partsVocab lists for topic; spell out answer to question
using body
Activities: Academic Integration
Pre-Test Taking Activity
Before starting test have students perform these warm-ups/hook-ups:
1 leg squat touch opposite hand to floor: 20 each side Spins and turns: 5 spins in each directions Knee to Elbow: 30 times for each elbow Stretches Hands over Heads Hands behind back Shoulder shrugs Head Rolls
Resources
http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/teachingTools/upload/PA-During-School-Day.pdf pages 2 and 3 have a variety of links to different activities
http://brainbreaks.blogspot.com/http://
pecentral.org/lessonideas/searchresults.asp?category=55 classroom integrated lessons. Most of them are elementary but you could adapt and tailor them to suit your needs
Roll Some Fun brain break activity: http://yourtherapysource.com/files/Roll_Some_Fun_Freebie2.pdf
Further Reading
The Kinesthetic Classroom – Traci Lengel and Michael Kuczala
Promoting physical activity and health in the classroom – Robert Pangrazi, Aaron Beighle & Deb Pangrazi