Active ClassroomsJo Bailey

Physical EducationD. C. Everest Senior High

WHPE Northeast (CESA 8,9) District Coordinator

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

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

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)

Motor Skills

Associative Thinking Deductive Abstract Inductive

Sequencing Analysis Sequence synthesis Organizing Visualization Pattern visual

discriminationVerbal ability Memory reason

Center Line skills Eye-foot coordination

Spatial coordination Eye-hand Hand-foot tracking

Reading Math LanguageWritten/ Oral

General Knowledge

Dynamic Balance Body Awareness Uni/Bi/Cross laterality

Locomotor Skills

Academic Skills

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 corner

Cross Lateral Activities: Activating all parts of the brain

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.

Activities: Colors/

Pick a color – touch 5 things of that color around the room (can’t be a person!)

Activities: Rock Paper Scissors

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

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

Activities: Sherlock Holmes

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

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

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

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

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

Activities: Academic Integration

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.

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

Activities: Academic Integration

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

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 roundPlay best of 5 rounds

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