Introduction Lesson:
BENDING AT YOUR BONES Lesson:
Fantastic Food Choices Lesson:
Muscle Mania Culminating Assessment Activities Additional Children's Literature Introduction
Lesson:
BENDING AT YOUR BONES
Lesson:
Fantastic Food Choices
Lesson:
Muscle Mania
Culminating Assessment Activities
Additional Children's Literature
It is certain that children begin to notice differences about themselves and others at an early age. One of the first things children become aware of is the changes that occur during growth, and the endless possibilities that their body provides for them. However, the body is a complex system and this subject may be difficult to comprehend at such a young age. Therefore, as professionals we feel it is essential to offer them relevant information about "themselves", "their own body’s" and how each one is unique from the next. Our goal in teaching a unit on my body, is to provide all children with accurate, developmentally appropriate information about their own bodies other’s who have disabilities. We want to foster an understanding that a person with a disability is different in one respect, but has many other similarities. This is important to establish understanding, so that children interact comfortably and fairly with others.
Realizing that each person is unique is a concept that includes several considerations of subject matter relevant to children’s lives. For example, the parts that make up the body. We have included lessons on the body, and some of its valuable parts. Not only do we want to emphasize that our bodies are made up of the same material, but that they are different from each other. It is what is underneath our skin that is constantly at work. Children grow rapidly in body size, so they need to learn that body changes (i.e. strength in their heart, bones and muscles) comes from eating a variety of foods and exercising muscles.
Because our bodies are so valuable we need to learn how to take care of them at a young age, therefor we have included lessons on making good food choices and exercising. Teachers can be a positive influence on children in many ways. As professionals we should promote both group and individual exercising. Being fit can help children feel better about themselves. Exercising large muscles can reduce the amount of excess body fat and increase lean muscle mass. Challenging students to engage in a contest in which they choose the exercise they prefer, such as walking, running, bicycling or wheeling their chair around the park, may be a simple solution to helping the overweight child.
Promoting nutrition in the classroom is also important. Children need to associate food as necessary for healthy growth. Children need to learn how to make important food choices. We want the children to understand energy balance, (calories in, calories out), and that a variety of nutritious food is necessary to provide energy and proper growth. This will also help them understand what can happen if excess calories are eaten and not used in the energy expenditure.
In addition to this, as teachers our intentions (as mentioned) are to help children to like themselves for who they are, and to be accepting of each other. Teaching children that "everybody’s different" and that everyone has feelings can help children get past discrimination, and reinforce a sense of worth in individual differences. All children need love and support regardless of size, shape, and abilities. Last but not least, setting a good example is another way to teach children the importance of good nutrition, regular exercise, and of accepting themselves and others. A teacher can be an excellent role model.
Instructional Methods used in our classroom
Our unit is comprised of a hands-on style of learning. We have a limited use of lecture. We focus on the constructivism teaching style. This is where the teacher is the facilitator, and the curriculum is student centered. In our anticipatory set, we are probing students knowledge by using a variety of learning styles that were founded by Gardner. We allow for auditory, visual, and kinesthetic types of learning styles. Mostly we zero in on the active type of learning styles. We want the children to speak a lot by sharing their information or asking questions, in addition to writing down some of their knowledge. Another skill we want to capture in our classroom is the use of manipulative skills.
When the students do the activities in our unit, they will have chances to build, model, and explore. They don’t just hear the information, they discover the information for themselves. They are the scientists for both subjects. When we start our lessons, we probe them with several questions. Then we present them with activities involving a process during our lessons. Our activities may include problems; but there is always clues to come by for solving them. Generally, they will be able to discover the answers for themselves. After they finish and have their products, sometimes we will allow them an amount of time to share them with the rest of the class.
In our unit on the "body," we want the children to develop a positive attitude toward science, social studies, and themselves. We concentrate primarily on the process in which they take to find more information. Our goal is to have the process be challenging, yet fun. The lessons we have planned allow the students to compare, measure, test, and develop new ideas.
The final step is the product, or new knowledge. We received a sheet of learning styles in class, and realized that several of these learning styles could be easily performed during our lessons. The activities in our lessons incorporate a lot of cooperative learning. We feel the children will be able to solve more problems and pick up vital information easier if they work in groups.
The Whole Science Approach is clearly a focus of our lesson plans. (It was stressed in class and we found it to be very useful as a learning method to follow.) This is done by incorporating process and attitudes. In addition to an informal evaluation, (we don’t give test, grades or asses the learned knowledge formally), we do use the Science Learning Cycle. First, we like to let the children explore the new ideas or material. Then we allow them time for explanations. After that, there is an informal evaluation given so we can see what they learned or need more help on. Even though we are aware that children have different learning styles; if several children fail to comprehend "subject matter" this evaluation may reflect on the teacher’s teaching style or the information that was intended to be learned.
We were instructed to use the Science Learning Cycle. First, we like to let the children explore the new ideas or materials. Secondly, we allow time for explanations. Third of all we allow time for expansions and extensions. Finally, there is a informal evaluation. According to Social Studies class, we need to show the students in our lessons that their behaviors affect other people. We need to model good behavior, so that they can observe us and learn appropriate behavior.
Brief description of our Classroom Layout
The grade level that we have chosen to teach is first grade. Our classroom is part of the Ozaukee County Public School District. The class contains twenty one students there are ten boys and eleven girls. The students’ parents have a social status is primarily middle to upper middle class. They are from suburban background, and a few of the students are bused from the inner city of Milwaukee. The ethnic background is as follows: Eight Native Americans, two Asians, and eleven White Americans. We have two Jewish students and the rest are Christians with Lutheran/Protestant or Catholic religions. So the blend of students varies throughout our class.
In addition to various backgrounds we have a few students with special needs. First, we have three children that have been identified as having ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). We also have two children that have learning disabilities, and both of them have been struggling in different subject matter. We have a teacher’s aid that comes to help out on a regular basis. We also have one child with spina bifida , who is paralyzed from the waist down. This child relates well with peers and can do everything they can do, both cognitively, and with her hands. Some assignments take her longer, but it is not because of her intelligence, it is because of some motor coordination problems.
On account of having children with special needs and various differences there are some considerations we must apply to our classroom. For instance, special needs students we have a lot of "hands on activities." We frequently partner up other students who have learning disabilities with another student that is capable of working productively with the other student. It is also important to modify the large motor activities for the girl that is in a wheelchair. Make sure to always try to include all of the children in the activities.
Our room arrangement is currently set up in "pods," so that there are four desks put together to form a pod. We feel this arrangement is valuable for enhancing cooperation and good socialization skills. Our arrangement changes every four weeks with the help of our students. We try to be mobile to meet our new friends, and to see what the "best" set up is for each individual student, since our goal is to meet the needs of each student
Rationale
To make children aware that their bones represent the skeletal system, and the significance that they have to our bodies. There are 206 bones in the human body. Together, bones and skeletal muscles make movement possible. Bones move other bones at joints. Bones lengthen and thicken during growth, and adapt to the changing weight of the body throughout life. These movements and changes occur at birth and it is necessary for children to know the importance of how their bodies work.
Objectives/ILO’s
Students will demonstrate how joints work on a model and on themselves.
Students will be able to judge the value of their bones in the skeletal system.
Students will be able to compare the different sizes of bones on their bodies.
Students will be able to distinguish between what location on their body that their bones of different sizes belong.
Materials
Student Activity Sheets (4), Scissors, Paper clasps (May substitute clasps with pipe cleaners, twists, ties or string), Hole punch. Students will each need two copies of arm/leg patterns and one copy of other pages to complete a model.
Procedure
(45 minutes)
Anticipatory Set: Have students estimate how many bones they think they have in their body? How many bones do you think are in your arm? Is it all one bone, or more than one connected? Explain that there are 206 bones in the human body. Half the bones are in the hands and feet. For this activity we are just looking at how large bones move at the joints. (Point to the small bones in hands and feet and at the larger bones in arms and legs.)
Teacher role (15 minutes)
Activity I
Have the students play "Simon Says" with commands that emphasize joint
movements. For example, if Simon says, "Touch your toes," or "bend your
elbows," emphasize those movements .
Student Role-
Students will act out the commands during "Simon Says," and observe their
movements.
Activity II (20 minutes)
Teacher Role-
Present a model of the Bone Smart Skeleton.
Explain that the biggest bones (longest too) are the bones in the leg. If a person grows to be 6 feet tall each thigh bone will be almost 20 inches long. Show the students 20 inches on a yardstick, (or something equivalent to 20 inches).
Distribute the activity sheets and explain the directions. (If some children are just developing cutting skills it be necessary to do this activity in groups to reduce the number of pieces needed to be cut and assembled.
Talk about and show how the joints work on the model. Explain that bones do not bend. Arms, legs, and other parts of the body bend at the places where two bones join together (the joints).
Raise the hand with the glass of milk to show the skeleton drinking milk. Reinforce milk as a source of calcium. Explain that calcium is a nutrient used to make strong bones. (Discussion may include explanation and examples of bones that are hard and strong on the outside and on the inside they are soft and spongy.)
Student Role- (10 minutes)
Students will stand with arms at their sides. From head to toe, have them point or demonstrate what body parts can be moved by joints? Have them count how many movements they can generate?
Have students pretend to raise hand with milk to show skeleton drinking milk.
Students will make hypothesize on the characteristics of their bones (before teacher explanation).
Closure (10 minutes)
Review: What can we do to make our bones stronger? Our bones are very strong; but can a
bone break? What happens if you break a bone? Are all of our bones the same shape and
size? Where might we have larger or "cylindrical" bones? Why? Although we can
not see our bones (because they are hidden behind layers of fat and muscle), there are
some on our body that we can see, can anybody name them. (They are the jaw bone, collar
bone, elbow, pelvis, sternum, knee cap, and shin bone.)
Considerations
Those students that have not developed fine motor skills may need additional help during cutting activity (or pre-cut pieces). Students with disabilities may need more time to complete assignments, not necessarily because of their intellectual ability, but because of motor coordination problems. Because some disabilities are more obvious than others, an important goal is to help non-special; needs children feel more positively toward them so that all are comfortable in each other’s presence. Discussing the problems, how they occurred, and how everyone feels about them, will often help.
Assessment/Evaluation:
(20 minutes) I will observe students while they identify 2 bones of different sizes (and reason why it is larger or smaller) on another classmate. (They cannot point to the same bone on the opposing person.)
(20 minutes) In groups of four students will be given written, or pictures of a commands such as "touch your toes," "bend your elbows," or "pretend to be sitting at your desk." The students will then demonstrate their movement in-front of the class to emphasize the joint movements, as they tell the class where the joint movement is occurring.
(15 minutes) Construct a semantic web as a class, put a big bone (write bone in the middle), on the chalk board and have the students fill in the blanks of why their bones are important. (Support, protect, make movements possible, bones move with other bones at joints, lengthen and thicken during growth, adapt to the changing weight of the body throughout life, need milk "calcium" to become strong.) Optional: Have the students write out bone characteristics on the chalk board, make a copy of the semantic web for the students.
Extension
activities:
(15 minutes) Thinking of joints, introduce the words bends, swivel, stretch, snap, clench, pivot, and point. See if the students can perform these different kinds of motion.
Call or visit your local hospital and ask for some old X-rays you can display in the classroom. If a student (or teacher) breaks (or has broken a bone), ask them to ask the doctor if the class could have the X-ray.
Demonstrate how the mineral calcium is needed to keep bones strong and
healthy. Conduct and experiment to show students what bones would be like if some of the
calcium were taken out. Show the children a healthy bone (such as a chicken bone or turkey
bone) and ask them to describe how it looks and feels. Soak three or four chicken or
turkey bones in two cups of white vinegar for two weeks. Check them every three or four
days and change the vinegar if needed. (The acid of the vinegar will cause the bones to
decalcify). When the bones have softened, rinse them off with water and pass them around
for the students to feel.
Compare the bones in vinegar with the healthy bones. How are the bones soaked in vinegar
different from healthy bones? What happened to the bones soaked in vinegar? Why do we need
calcium in our bones?
Works Cited
Bagby S. Robin, & Shirley A. Woika, Nutrition Smart! Lessons & Worksheets for the Primary Grades, West Nyack New York, (1991).
Rationale
Learning a pattern for daily food choices can be a fun way for children to discover the
food groups. These foods are grouped according to the kinds of nutrients that they
contain, so that individuals can use the food groups and suggested serving to plan a total
diet, for a healthy body. Making food choices is more realistic within today’s food
consumption patterns and food supply, and is an adaptation of the Basic Four. The Basic
Four as a foundation diet emphasizes the types of foods to be included daily for nutrient
needs, but at the servings suggested, does not meet the recommended level of nutrients.
Also, the Basic Four provides little specific guidelines on how to moderate fat and sugar
in the diet. The food pyramid or a pattern of daily food choices includes five major
groups and a sixth group-- alcohol, fats, and sweets-- to be used in moderation. It groups
foods by the nutrients they provide. Food groups are not interchangeable.. Each food group
contributes significant nutrients to the diet. Within each group, individual foods vary in
the specific kind and amount they provide. For that reason, it is important not only to
choose foods from each group each day but also a vary choices within each group. For
example, fruits are divided among citrus, melon, and berries along with other fruits.
Children’s eating patterns are similar to adults but the serving sizes are smaller.
Most of the groups in the food guide pyramid show a range of servings specified at the
bottom of the range. (The amount of needed depends on factors such as age, sex, physical
condition and physical activity.
Objective/ILO’s
1. Students will be able to categorize "some" foods into each food group of the food guide pyramid..
2. Students will be able to judge the value of obtaining a variety of foods for a healthy body.
Materials
paper plates, magazine cutouts, writing center materials, homemade game board (and pieces), food pyramid mobile
Procedure
Anticipatory Sets
Ask the students what their favorite foods are and make a list on the chalk board.
Then list the 6 food groups. Show them a picture or the food pyramid. Ask them if they
have ever seen it before. If they have ask if they know what it is and why it is
important. Categorize their favorite foods according to the six food groups, with their
help. See if they can list additional foods under each group. Ask them to describe the
food groups as each is mentioned. For example, What color are vegetables? Are they soft?
Cold? How many do you eat a day? Is all bread the same color? What do you think makes one
bread different from the next? Can you think of anything else that is made with grains?
What do you think your cereal is made out of? Can you think of anything other than milk
that is a dairy product? (Show several real, pictures and pretend examples of foods from
each group.) Ask them why they eat the foods that they do. Explain to them that a variety
of foods will help them grow bigger and stronger and will make them healthier.
Read the book The Berenstain Bears and TOO MUCH JUNK FOOD by Stan & Jan Berenstain.
Divide the students into groups accordingly for three centers:
Building a Food Guide Pyramid Mobile
Have the students get into a group to construct their own food guide pyramid. Provide each
student with a copy of the Food Guide Pyramid, and pyramid food pieces to cut out. Each
student will build their own pyramid receiving the chance to select foods that they would
choose to group according to each food category. Give them the option to draw or cut out a
picture to put on their pyramid. When completed they will have there very own food pyramid
to refer to as a variety diet check and to share with their family and friends.
Fantastic Foods Board Game
This board game is easy to construct and will make an excellent learning tool the teaching
"some" foods that belong to each category of the Food Guide Pyramid. How to
play: Each player will role the dice to see who goes first. To win the game a player must
complete a food pyramid (similar to the color coded one in the center of the board). As
each player lands on a food, (around the board, there are several from each category), he
must say what category it is from. If the player gets it correct he or she receives the
color piece corresponding with that food group on the large food pyramid. If the player
gets it wrong the next player goes. If a player lands on a group more than once and gets
it right; and already has a colored piece from that category, he or she may exchange it
with another player to try to obtain a different piece and benefit the other player
through the trade. There are some directions on the board such as "Go back three
spaces," "Lose a turn," and "Give one piece back." Make sure to
follow the directions carefully. Have fun!
A Plentiful Plate
The students will have the chance to create their own meal. This center will provide many
materials for them to draw, or cut out foods to put on plates. They should select a
variety of foods to make a meal that contains some food from each group of the Food Guide
Pyramid When they have completed their plates have them write why they chose to make the
meal they did.
Closure (5 minutes)
*Ask the students
What is your favorite food group? What foods in that group are your favorite? Has anybody
ever gone a long time without eating? How did you feel? Did you ever eat too many sweets?
How did that make you feel? Remember children are smaller so they don’t have to eat
as much as adults; but it’s still very important to eat a variety of food to grow big
and strong.
Considerations
Some students at this level may need additional help with reading and matching. Several children have allergies, support their food choices if they are different. Keep in mind that children can be very selective eaters so emphasize the importance of eating a variety, and list several foods to try from each group.
Assessment/Evaluation
(30 minutes)
(Do at least one out of the three depending on the needs of the group).
(10 minutes) Have students make four squares on a blank piece of paper. Then each square should be numbered 1,2,3, or 4. Orally say one of the food groups, i.e. vegetable, and have them draw a picture of a food that corresponds with that group, i.e. broccoli, working independently.
(15 minutes) Distribute a blank Food Pyramid chart to each student. Have each student draw as many pictures as they can in the correct box. (Circulate around the room and question children who put foods put in the incorrect group. Ask them if they can think of what group it might belong to.)
(5 minutes) Orally ask the students to imagine what they would be like if they did not eat a good healthy diet. Make a list on the board of their responses, (i.e. weak, tired, won’t grow big and strong).
Extension/Activities
March is national Nutrition Month. Sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), this event is designed to help children and adults make informed nutrition food choices. The ADA makes available a side selection of classroom aids to highlight this month’s activities. For more information write to Nutrition Resources, the American Dietetic Association, 216 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 800, Chicago IL 60606, or call (312) 899-4853.
(2 minutes) Five of the six food groups of the daily food choices are
made up of nutrient-dense foods. These five food groups are: meat, milk, bread, fruit and
vegetables. When given a few moments to kill before the bell rings while waiting in line,
play "Give me." To play, simply ask the students to:
"Give me 5 food groups."
"Give me 5 foods in the milk group."
"Give me 5 foods in the meat group."
This quick thinking activity reinforces not only the variety of food groups but the
variety of foods within each group.
(15 minutes) Provide newspapers and magazines with food advertisements. Ask the students to cut out the ads and put them into food groups. Use food advertisements and have students "stop and think." Evaluate foods by having students respond to a series of questions related to the food groups.
Rationale
Young students perceive muscles differently that the physiologist. Children see muscles as strength and possibly even power. Muscles go beyond the "He-man" stereotype. Muscles are important for other things that just physical strength. Since the heart is a muscle it must be strong and conditioned, an explanation of how a muscle grows based on exercise and conditioning should include the heart as a muscle. Aerobic exercise should be taught as the best way to condition the heart muscle. As children grow in body size so does the muscular system. No powders or special potions will make muscles bigger or stronger. Children need to learn that muscle strength comes from eating a variety of foods and exercising muscles. Children should be made aware that muscles account for half the body weight. There are more than six hundred muscle groups in the human body. Muscle cells are unique in that they can contract and relax. When muscle cells contract, they pull on the parts to which they are attached. This results in movements, as when the joints of the leg are flexed and extended during walking. Sometimes muscles contract to resist movement, as when standing. Muscles are also responsible for the circulation of blood, and maintaining body temperature, such as in heat production.
Objectives/ILO’s
1. Students will discriminate between gross motor (muscle building) activities and fine motor activities.
2. Students will associate that value of the muscles for movement.
3. Students will comprehend how to properly condition their muscles (exercise, eating a variety of foods daily).
Materials
Student Activity Sheet (1), Pencil, Crayons or markers if they choose to color the pictures, Enough space to do movement activities
Procedure
(35 minutes)
Anticipatory Sets: (10 minutes)
Have the students estimate how many muscles they have in their body. Explain to them that
they work in groups. Ask them what are your muscles attached to? What areas of our body do
we have muscles? What do your muscles do (function) for you? Do they stay the same size?
How do they get bigger? These questions will help stimulate an exciting discussion on the
awareness of muscle movement and the value of their functions.
Discuss the importance of moving and working large muscles for strength conditioning and for building the heart muscle. You may need to remind them that the heart is a major muscle.
Activity I (10 minutes)
Teacher Role
Introduce the muscular system and these words: bend, reach, twist, lift, flip, and leap.
Ask students to demonstrate these words using muscles.
Student Role
Have the students demonstrate each movement by using the muscles that correspond with the
word. See what observations they can make by comparing and contrasting the different
movements. i.e.(Bending is at the waist and you go towards the ground; lifting and
reaching you stretch your body up high, or when you lift you might start at the ground and
end u high.)
Activity II (15 minutes)
Teacher Role
Inform your students that muscles make up about half the weight of the whole body. The size of the muscle depends on how much it is used and how big you are.
Explain that when you sit, lie down or eat you use a small part of each muscle. On the other hand, when you run, play games, dance or swim you make your muscles work hard. Hard work done often makes muscles become stronger and bigger.
Again, discuss the importance of moving and working large muscles for strength conditioning and for building the heart muscle. Remind your students that the heart is a major muscle. They may see it working, but as they move large muscles that heart is also working. Have the students experience this by placing their hand over their hearts before and after exercise. They should feel the heart pounding faster and harder.
Student Role
Have the students list as many small and large muscles (orally), and point to the corresponding group that they mention.
Have each of the students place their hands over their hearts. Wait to begin until each student feels a heart beat. Count the heart pounding for one minute, have them record how many times they felt the heart beat. Then have each student run in place for one minute. Have them count their heart muscle pounding again after exercise, and record. Compare the differences of before and after exercise. (If time permits allow them to go outside, hallway, or in the gym, do a few trials to get the heart beating fast.)
Closure (5 minutes)
*Ask the students to name some of their favorite activities and tell whether they are
using their small or large muscles. To think of any ways to help keep their muscles
"healthy" conditioned.
Have them explain what they think would happen if they didn’t have muscles for the
use of the movements they wanted to do.
Considerations
Students with disabilities (hand coordination), may need more time to complete assignments, not necessarily because of their intellectual ability, but because of motor coordination problems. Because some disabilities are more obvious that others, and important goal is to help non-special children feel more positively toward them so that all are comfortable in each other’s presence. Discussing the problems, how they occurred, and how everyone feels about them, will often help. Be prepared to have alternative activities if participation is limited do to impaired conditions. (See extension activities).
Assessment/Evaluation
(20 minutes)
Distribute the activity sheet and explain the directions.
Have children complete the activity sheet, (working individually), to assess what they learned about hard working muscles (larger muscles), and when they do less activity, (smaller muscles).
Use the activities pictured on he activity sheet. Ask the students to act each one out. For example say, " While your sitting in your chair, pretend you are riding a bicycle. What muscles do you use?" and so on.
(1+ days) Ask the students to keep a record of the activities for one or more days. (15 minutes). Then have them get into groups of four, and categorize the activities into small working muscles or large working muscles. Circulate around room to see if the muscle groups from the activities the children categorized are correct. If they are incorrect, have them demonstrate the activity and verbalize the body part used Have them make observations about the large or small body part at this time.
Extension/Activities:
Ask your students to flex their biceps. Watch your students mimic the he-man concept. Let them feel their muscles contract and relax. Explain that muscles are made of long skinny cells that form from muscles bundle. Many bundles make a muscle group, like the biceps. Explain that a muscle fiber can contract or relax-- there is nothing in between. When a child lifts a carton of milk only a few fibers contract. However, when he or she lifts younger brother of sister, every fiber may contract.
Let students give their faces a workout. Using their face muscles, ask them to open and shut their nostrils, pull their scalp back, pull their ears back, raise their ears, raise their eyebrows, wink. open their mouth wide and pull top lip down, and turn the corners of their mounts up and down.
Invite the school’s physical education teacher to the classroom to discuss the muscular system. Ask the teacher why exercise to explain why exercise and the regular movement of the large muscles is important in health and well-being. Reinforce the necessity for regular exercise throughout life.
Do some stretching exercises. Ask your students to stretch--mimicking a cat-- using both arms, legs, neck and tail. Explain that stretching is important for muscle health. Any time you exercise the large muscles you should stretch before and after. This helps prevent an injury from occurring to the muscle and gives you more flexibility.
Works Cited
Bagby S. Robin, & Shirley A Woika (1991). Nutrition Smart! Lessons & Worksheets for the Primary Grades, West Nyack New York, (1991).
Culminating Assessment Activities
Since our students have been introduced to energy expenditure, we are going to test their knowledge and have them participate in additional learning activities to expand what they already know. Energy needed for body functions comes from food. The body uses energy even while at rest. It takes energy for our heart to beat and for blood to circulate. These are things we do without thinking (involuntary), but when the body is moving actively, it requires more energy to move muscles. How much energy used depends on how intense the exercise is and how long the exercise is performed.
First the school’s physician (Mr. Grace) will come in and sum up what it takes to maintain a healthy body. He will get input from the students and inform them on why people go to the hospital. He will inform the class that they will participate in an arranged visit to a nearby hospital. (A letter will be sent home to inform the parents and for the parents’ permission.) The students will have the chance to visit a "check-up room" at St. Mary’s hospital in Ozaukee. A nurse will be available who will orientate the students about the equipment used, explain why and how it is used and answer any of their questions. Here they will be able to see, and manipulate the different equipment used on the body to make sure it’s healthy. They will learn how to check for a pulse, and hear a heart beat with a stethoscope; before and after exercise. The hospital will distribute complimentary bags of imitation materials, and useful literature of what they saw and learned.
After returning back to school the students will discuss what they learned during there visit to the Hospital. As a follow up each student will right a thank you letter to the hospital which includes their favorite part of the visit.
The class will then discuss the concept, the more the body moves, the more energy is used. To assess the comprehension of this concept we will distribute the student activity sheets and explain the directions. Following with the concept that food gives us energy. If we don’t use the energy we take in, the energy is stored in our bodies as fat. Fat either "accumulates," or gets used when we are active and use our muscles.
Next we will play "Simon Says" only using the words "Simon Says use more energy" or "Simon Says use less energy." Letting the students decide what "more" or "less" activities are.
Using the two student activity sheets, we will ask the students how long they engage in any of these activities. For example, do you sleep for eight to ten hours, watch TV two or more hours, play ball one hour, play piano a half hour, read a half hour, and so on. Then we will discuss the concept that the longer they move their muscles, the more energy they use.
In addition to this, our children learned an extensive amount of how a variety of foods is necessary to keep their bodies healthy. So we are including a summery activity to assess what the students have learned about wise food choices.
The students will pretend they are Going Shopping. The students will cut out several pictures from all six of the food groups they have learned. Then they will cover them with clear self-sticking paper, and trim them. They will mount each picture on a plastic foam tray and store the names of the six food groups on strips of paper. Including a extra strip labeled Junk Food. Lay the strips on the floor. Invite students to remove them under the correct headings on the floor. Have the students take turns selecting foods from each group to make a balanced meal. After each group of students has selected the foods for their meal, regroup and discuss why they chose the foods they did. Explanations should be given that reflect what they have learned about a variety of foods for nutrients that affect their bodies.
Additional Children’s Literature
All by Myself by Mercer Mayer
(Available in Canada from Western Publishing, Inc., Australia from Golden Press Pty. Ltd.)
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlhert
(Available in Canada and Australia from Macmillian)
Me and My Body by Davis Evans and Claudette Williams (Available in the United States by Dorling Kindersley, New York, New York and Dorling Kindersley Limited, London)
Web Assistance by
Jennifer Belcher