Run for your health!
A WebQuest on healthy living
| Student | Nutrition and HealthNTeQ Lesson Plan
Lesson Summary | Learning Objectives | Standards | Materials | Think Sheet | Computer Functions and Data M
anipulations
Specify Problem | Computer Activities | Culminating Activities | Supporting Activities
Assessment | Management | Diverse Learner Modification
Lesson Title: Run for your Health
Subject Area(s): Health and Physical Exercise Grade Level: 9-12
Run For Your Health is a WebQuest lesson (Deutsch, 2005a) that allows students to be actively engaged as researchers and producers of authentic material. The work is done in teams of four. The teams collaborate and divide the work load. They search the internet for evidence to support the idea that there is a relationship between physical activities, health and well being. They present this in a final team report. In addition, each team produces a flyer or newsletter for a campaign to recruit students to the runner's club of the school. In order to join the club candidates must be physically fit. The team creates a fitness training program to get the candidates into shape and running by the end of one month. This activity helps students learn about the importance of physical fitness and health. They also learn about running, the heart, nutrition, physical fitness, endurance, using a calendar software, designing a flyer, a newsletter or a poster in a campaign to promote healthy living.
By the end of the lesson, students will:
· Be able to design personal fitness programs for others
· Explain the connection between good health and physical activities
· Learn about the value of running as one way of staying fit.
Use MS Word, a calendar software and Desktop Publisher application.
National:
Physical Education Standard and Benchmarks (3rd Ed.)
Standard 4:
Understands how to monitor and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness
· Formulate an effective plan for lifelong health.
· Implement a plan for attaining a personal health goal.
Level IV (Grade 9-12)
· 7. Understands how to maintain an active lifestyle throughout life (e.g., participate regularly in physical activities that reflect
personal interests)
· 8. Designs a personal fitness program that is based on the basic principles of training and encompasses all components of
fitness (e.g., cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition)
Technology Standards:
TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH TOOLS
Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.
STATE GOAL 21:
Develop team-building skills by working with others through physical activity. Why This Goal Is Important: As members of teams, students need to fill the role of leader at times and participant at other times. Knowing how to follow procedures, accept leadership from others, participate actively and lead when appropriate will serve the student on and off the playing field. Students need to know the elements of teamwork (communication, decision making, cooperation, leadership) and how to adjust individual needs to team needs. Students also need to be able to recognize each member's contributions, including their own (ISBE, 2003).
STATE GOAL 20:
Achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness based upon continual self-assessment. Why This Goal Is Important: Regular physical activity is necessary to sustain fitness and health. Students need to apply training principles—frequency, intensity, time and type (FITT)—to achieve their personal fitness goals. Fitness expectations need to be established on an individual basis; realistic goals need to be based on the health-related components of endurance, strength, flexibility, cardio-respiratory fitness and body composition. By learning and applying these concepts, students can develop lifelong understanding and good habits for overall health and fitness (ISBE, 2003).
Computer with Internet Access
MS Word for writing reports and essays
Brown Bear Software for online calendar work: http://my.calendars.net/a_run/d
Desktop Publisher for advertising and designing flyers and newsletters.
WebQuest: Run For Your Health: http://www.nelliemuller.com/runforyourhealt h.htm
Computer Functions and Data Manipulation
A. Computer Function:
Look up each of the resources on Run for Your Health WebQuest http://www.nelliemuller.com/runforyourhealth.htm
Computer Application:
Internet
Data Manipulation:
Research, locate, evaluate, and collect information from the resources listed in the Run For Your Health WebQuest (Deutsch, 2005a)
Team and individual decisions on which websites to use for the final report.
B. Computer Function:
Write a team and individual reports
Computer Application:
MS Word
Data Manipulation:
Write a report using a word processor and print it for the final presentation
C. Computer Function:
Fitness Program Calendar Online Software: http://my.calendars.net/a_run/
Computer Application:
Online Brown Bear calendar software
Data Manipulation:
Use and publish the online calendar for others to view and use for their fitness training.
Design a personal fitness program that is based on the basic principles of training and encompasses all components of fitness (e.g., cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition)
D. Computer Function:
Use Desktop Publisher to create a newsletter or invitation persuading your fellow classmates to join your fitness training program to qualify for the school runners club
Computer Application:
MS Desktop Publisher software application
Data Manipulation:
Use Desktop Publisher to create a convincing design and text format that explains the importance of fitness, health and general well being.
Use Desktop Publisher for the layout of the front cover of the team's final report on the importance of physical training and health.
Specify Problem
Today, we are going to begin an investigation of why physical activities and running in particular are important to our health and general well being. After you learn about the value of running, you are going to convince your fellow classmates to join the runner's club of the school. You are going to launch a campaign by advertising and designing newsletters and flyers to students of your school persuading them to join the club. You will develop a one month fitness training program to get everyone ready to run.
Students will use MS Desktop Publisher, a calendar fitness training program and a word processor to write their final written report
Multidimensional Activities
I will introduce the topic of physical activities and running and find out what the students think about the subject. I would use a Think Sheet and KWL to get them to think about what they know, want to know and at the end of the WebQuest lesson (Deutsch, 2005a), what they learned. Read the article by Randy Dotinga "Running Revolution Started as Evolution: Early humans hoofed it not for fun, but for survival" (2004).
What do you know about running?
Is it natural for man to run?
What do anthropologists know about man's need to run?
Read the article by Reporter Randy Dotinga (Dotinga, 2004).
How can running make us healthier?
How can we strengthen our Heart?
What does it mean to be physically fit?
Why does lack of physical activity cause?
How can physical activities make us feel better?
Think Sheet 2
How can I convince students that running is an excellent physical activity?
What elements do I add to a fitness training program to get students running in one month?
What measuring instruments do I use to help improve an athlete's running performance?
What else should go into a fitness program?
Should sleep and proper nourishment be added to a health and fitness plan?
Think Sheet 3
Activity 1
Activities to be completed:
Prior to going to computer:
Think sheet on team collaboration and learning
Form teams of 4 members each
Brainstorm and organize a plan of action on the team
Division of work
Have teams decide who is working on the Desktop Publisher, Fitness Calendar or writing up the Introduction, conclusion or body of the paper.
One computer for each team. Each team will decide how they want to work
At the computer
Teams will sit together and go over the WebQuest (Deutsch, 2005a) step by step
Team will decide what resources they will use
Divide the work among the team members as they learn about the task
Each team will decide who will do what and draw a plan on a schedule to follow. This can be done by MS Word
It may be a good idea to give roles to each member of the team: leader, secretary, supporter and errand boy
Team collaborate and work on their own doing research at home
Activity 2
Activities to be completed:
Prior to going to computer
Checklists and think sheets on the team progress
At the computer
Start working on the advertising campaign by using Desktop Publisher
After going to computer
Team collaboration to see if team is on schedule.
Activity 3
Activities to be completed:
Prior to going to computer
Team collaboration on progress and plan work action for the computer room.
At the computer
Work on the three aspects of the WebQuest (Deutsch, 2005a); the final team reports,
the fitness training program and the advertising campaign
After going to computer
Collaborate and decide on the final drafts of the written report
The Desktop Publishing newsletter or advertising notice should be finished
The month fitness training program should be almost finished.
Meet and edit all three presentations of the project
Activity 1
Activities to be completed:
Write a report of your individual and team findings using MS Word.
Activity 2
Activities to be completed:
Design a flyer, newsletter or a poster to convince other students to join the runner's club. Use MS Desktop Publisher
Activity 3
Activities to be completed:
Prepare the fitness training program for a month. Use on online calendar.
Each team will present all three aspects of the WebQuest (Deutsch, 2005a); the newsletter/flyer/poster, the one month fitness training program, and the final written report. The presentation can be done by PowerPoint, by adding the newsletter and training program to the notice board of the school or on the school website. Teams may wish to send their work to the President's Challenge and win prizes: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/
Rotation Plan
Students will work in teams of 4. Each team will work on one computer. They will take turns. The teams may split up and do different tasks if there are more computers available.
Objective or Performance
Beginning
1
Developing
2
Accomplished
3
Exemplary
4
1.Students will write a persuasive article using MS Word on why young people should join the runner's club. They will use three or more persuasive arguments that are very clear, concise, and articulate. Three or more excellent references to show the connection between health and physical activities.
No persuasive arguments and very poor references made to show the connection between health and physical activities.
One persuasive argument that is fairly clear and concise. One Reference made to show the connection between health and physical activities
Two persuasive arguments that are clear, concise, and articulate. Two references made to show the connection between health and physical activities
Three persuasive arguments that are very clear, concise, and articulate. Three or more excellent references made to show the connection between health and physical activities
2. Students generates a monthly fitness training program that uses an online calendar software
A fitness training program that is difficult to follow. An attempt to use the online calendar
A training program that is somewhat easy to follow but not for the whole family.
A well organized program that is easy to follow but it is not a complete month.
A well organized program that is easy to follow for a whole month.
3. Student use Desktop Publisher to create a newsletter, flyer or poster for a campaign to convince young people of the importance of participating in physical activities such as running. The language and graphics used show a relationship between health and general well being in a very convincing way. Desktop publisher not used. Another application used with no graphics showing the relationship that exists between physical activities and health Desktop Publisher used but the graphics and texts don't show the relationship between physical activities and health Desktop Publisher used with 2 graphics and texts used that show a relationship between physical activities and health. Desktop Publisher used with 3 or more graphics and texts to show the relationship between physical activities and health. 4. A newsletter, flyer or poster will help recruit students to join the runner's club. The product is organized and very effective. No newsletter, flyer or poster used A flyer, newsletter or poster designed with Desktop Publisher that is somewhat organized A flyer, newsletter or poster designed with Desktop Publisher that is very organized A flyer, newsletter or poster designed with Desktop Publisher that is very organized and effective in persuading students to join the runner's club
Presentation assessment
Aspect of work
Beginning (0-1 point)
Accomplished (2-3 points)
Exemplary(4-5 points)
Team work and collaboration
Not all the members of the team participate. No team collaboration
Most of the team members present their aspect of the report. No real team collaboration
Every member of the team presents their individual report.
Clear collaboration among team members.
Creative, original and appealing
Presentation is not appealing, original or creative
Presentation is appealing and original
Presentation is creative, original and appealing.
Audio visual elements
No audio or visual elements used
Only Audio or visual elements used
Both audio and visual elements used
Organization
Not organized
Somewhat organized
Organized
Clarity of voice
Voices not clear
Somewhat clear
Very clear
Every class, lesson and teacher is different. There are certain variables that make one lesson different from another. The number of computers available is one important aspect of a technology based lesson. The management plan will depend on the number of computers per student.
"Run for your health" WebQuest (Deutsch, 2005a) can be done anywhere; at school, in a public library or a public community centre, at home or in an office. The only management plan required is for team formation and collaboration. Team cooperation and social skills need to be done at school with the teacher as a facilitator. These skills are important for character building and life long learning.
Everyone can learn if they do it in their unique way. Students should learn about their special type of learning. There are four basic type of learners: visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic but many of them overlap. Many are labeled as having attention disorder because they do not pay attention (Linksman, 2000). As a result, many diverse learners are treated with Ritalin. This frustrates them since it does not improve their concentration. Kinesthetic learners are especially misunderstood. "They require body movement and action for optimal results: they need to move around, use their muscles, [and] explore" (Linksman, 2000). They are inquisitive learners who need to get answers on their own. They are "hand-on-learners" or the "doers" who actually concentrate better and learn more easily when movement is involved" (PSU, 2000). They "do well as performers: athletes, actors or dancers" (PSU, 2000). They do "well with their hands while working with various tools" (PSU, 2000).
Team work allows kinesthetic learners a chance to move around if they play the role of the teacher contact, messenger or secretary. They can run errands such as going to the library or interviewing an expert. In "Run For Your Health" kinesthetic learners will have an opportunity to boast about their ability to run. They are generally very active. They can also design and draw a poster if they are artistically oriented. They can also add the flyers to the bulletin boards and other places. There are many opportunities to move around. Some are very "coordinated with a sense of timing and body movement" (PSU, 2000). They can use the various measuring tools to time students' progress.
Finally, "Run for Your Health" is about the importance of physical activities in our daily lives. It is a perfect topic to lighten up a kinesthetic learner. Similarly, a WebQuest is an appropriate learning tool for kinesthetic learners because it allows for movement. Students are free to move around in the computer room. They rotate from sitting at their desks to sharing a computer in another area. These movements back and forth make the kinesthetic learner feel right at home.
References
Deutsch, N. (2005a, January 29). Run for your health: A WebQuest on on healthy living. Retrieved January 30, 2005, from
http://www.nelliemuller.com/runforyourhealth.htm
Deutsch, N. (2005b, January 29). Run for your health: NTeQ lesson plan on nutrition and health. Retrieved February 11, 2005, from
http://www.nelliemuller.com/Nutritionandhealth.NTeQlessonplans.htm
Dotinga, R. (2004, November 18). Running revolution started as evolution: Early humans hoofed it not for fun, but for
survival. Retrieved January 17, from http://www.heartinfo.org/printerFriendly.asp?id=522420
Gootee, T. (2001, January 11). Gootee system: Midi background music. Retrieved January 31, 2005, from
http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/bgmusic.htm
Illinois State Board of Education. (2003). Illinois learning standards: Social/emotional learning (SEL). Retrieved January 30, 2005, from http://www.isbe.net/ils/social_emotional/standards.htm
Linksman, R..(2000). The fine line between ADHD and Kinesthetic learners. Latitudes. 1 (6). Retrieved January 29 , 2005. http://www.latitudes.org/articles/learn01.html
Penn StateYork University. (2000, January 12). Kinesthetic learners: Characteristics of Kinesthetic learners. Retrieved January 29, 2005, from http://www.yk.psu.edu/learncenter/acskills/kinesthetic.html