Exercise for thoughtGrasp how exercise is good for both body and mind
Ready for action?
What
The possible connections with your curriculum
Who
The people who take up the teacher role
Where
The locations where learning takes place
With
The community stakeholders to collaborate with
Short abstract
This Learning Scenario is designed to increase awareness about how people move and the importance of proper movement. Students will collect and analyse information gathered from the community in relation to exercise-related habits and learn about how physical activity contributes to both health and quality of life. They will experiment with their skeletal system and meet with an occupational therapist who will demonstrate the correct way to move various body parts safely. Students will then build models showing the mechanisms of skeletal movement to facilitate understanding before working together to identify technological solutions to address joint movement limitations. At the end of the Scenario, students will apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical way to develop and run an activity programme for kindergarten children.
Students will create and distribute a survey to other students and members of the community to collect information on habits related to movement during the day (how long they sleep, sit, run, walk, etc.) in preparation for the Learning Scenario.
Introductory lesson in which students will analyse the collected survey data, compare it to data from the literature, and discuss the importance of exercise.
Meeting an expert in the field of STEM who specialises in movement and physical activity. During the session students will perform guided exercises while learning about the importance of physical activity and certain exercises to maintain stability and improve mental concentration.
Students will read and independently analyse a scientific paper for young people that focuses on the connection between health and sports.
Students will learn about the skeletal system- its function and the principles that allow for stability on the one hand and flexibility on the other. Through building models and other accessories, students will learn about how muscles, tendons, ligaments, and various types of joints work.
Students will participate in a sports lesson at an outdoor fitness facility located off school grounds. During the lesson, the teacher will show the students how to perform various exercises using designated equipment while focusing on the different parts of the skeleton (muscles, joints, tendons).
Students will be given daily tasks to complete while keeping their joints fixed in place to simulate impaired mobility. They will then design and build creative solutions to these challenges using simple equipment and materials. The experience will allow them to better understand the importance and function of the various joints in the body.
This unit is a summary of the entire Learning Scenario, and students will relay what they have learned to kindergarten children. The first part of the unit will involve students preparing a lesson for younger children that includes guided exercises. These activities will demonstrate the correct way to move the body. It will also involve the construction of a simple toy to show how the joints work. In the second part of the unit, students will take the kindergarten children to an open space and carry out exercises/activities at stations.
Teacher feedback
Aha moments
- The experience of fixed joints (Learning Unit 5) made students feel empathy for people with disabilities and to realise the importance of joints in everyday movement.
Uh oh moments
General tips
- The practical activities (especially in Learning Unit 3 and Learning Unit 5) had a significant impact on students' understanding of STEM topics.