One step ahead

These guys have the right idea, and we have the perfect way to reform it.  <-- Click me!

What better way to improve the "Shape of the Nation," than to provide our children the opportunity to learn about their overall health?  Physical education needs to be reformed.  The best way to do it is to include lessons in a classroom setting in addition to physical activity.

I swear, it was for science!

I took a survey of my own to ask how my 5th grade PE class liked PERP.

The majority of them approved of the program, even if there were several reasons why.

Now, I don't approve of young girls going on diets to change their appearance in ANY way, but many girls said that the program will help them avoid becoming fat.  I corrected this on their papers when I returned them.  I told them to focus more on how healthy they are instead of comparing their bodies to what they see in magazines.  

The boys liked the physical activity, especially because they were required to recored their progress.  Instead of competing with each other I told them to compete with themselves.

Another observation was that the girls participate much more when there isn't the threat of boys hitting them with dodge balls thrown as hard as possible, and honestly I can't blame them.  Those things hurt.

I asked them if they preferred traditional PE or PERP better, and almost all preferred PERP.

Physical education needs to be reformed.  The program can help children and young adults become comfortable with their bodies and focus on health instead of appearance by educating them early on.  

Take that, traditional PE!

Lesson Plan

I think I've mentioned this a couple times before, but I am a physical education teacher at Rya's and Josh's school.  I do teach as a part of the PERP, but I am not allowed to teach Rya or Josh because the scientists conducting the research are afraid that I could skew the results by teaching my own kids.

Anyway, that doesn't really matter.  What I wanted to show you what a typical class looks like under PERP.  This is what I will be doing with my class of 5th graders tomorrow.


Tomorrow, I will be teaching a fifth grade class.  

1. 20 minute lesson on cardio exercise on the heart and circulation
1. The heart becomes stronger and will have to work less
2. Measure the heart rates of the class using two fingers on the wrist method, counting how many times it beats for one minute.
1. I plan on recording the heart rates and having the class measure again near the end of the school year to see the difference.
2. Teach them that athletes' have a lower heart rate because their hearts can pump more blood because the hearts are stronger.
3. You get lower cholesterol, which is basically fat.  Also there is less "congestion" in the arteries.
4. Have the class color a diagram of the heart, veins, and arteries.
2. Physical activity
1. Run/walk as many laps as you can in 20 minutes and keep track.
1. 5 minute stretch before and after.
3. Have the students start a food log.  
1. Have them log everything they eat every day

An article from Time

This is why we're becoming more and more unhealthy- and we need to stop it.  <-- click me!

Our kids spend about six hours in school.  They need physical activity during that time.  It would help them stay focused when they're in class, helping the teachers keep sane, and making a healthier generation all at the same time.

Physical education should not only be required, but the program needs to be reformed so that it includes lessons in health, nutrition, and exercise.

Update on the kids

About a month ago she played t-ball for the first time in the PERP, and she's been hooked on it ever since!  Getting her to consistently eat vegetables is still a bit of a challenge, but when she sees her older brothers sticking to the plate diagram during meals, she feels like she needs to do just as well.

When it comes to eating healthily, I think Josh might be a step ahead of me.  He still hates sports, but ever since the lesson on heart attacks and diabetes (they showed how you need to prick your finger every day), he's been worried about it and forces himself to at least walk or play tag with the other kids.

Migues does not have the opportunity to be in the program, but he's learning from his younger siblings. Whenever I catch him with junk food in his hands, he laments over how he did not have the opportunity Rya and Josh do.  Part of me knows that this is just an excuse coming from a sixteen year old, but I also know that he does have a point.  Learning about health and physical education at an early age is important, and should be taught in schools.

Update on the Plate Assignment

Rya and Josh were pretty good about their plate assignments (from the last post).  Even they don't have to follow it anymore, they started becoming concerned and telling me their food isn't right when the portions don't match up.

It might have take a while, but eventually the nutrition lesson will stick!

Out with the old, in with the new.

The USDA came out with a new food pyramid about two years ago.  This pyramid is a part of the Physical Education Reform program Rya and Josh are taking part in.  

The food pyramid is part of every grades' curriculum, usually at the beginning of the year just to get a feel for what nutrition should be like.

While I am a fan of the pyramid, I think the diagram with the plates is much more useful and fun for the younger set to actually use.

Rya and Josh have actually shown interest in making their meals look like this plate.  I would like to say I was the cause of this, but they've both been assigned this as homework.  Whoever sticks to the diagram the most during their meals get "points" that they can use later to buy little prizes at school.

"Mom, are we there yet?"

Three months ago I took my six year old daughter out for a hike.  While the scenery was beautiful, it was a bit of a hassle trying to keep her walking.  Twenty minutes in, she was exhausted and I had heard the words, "Mom, are we there yet?" more times than our eight hour drive to Disneyland.


Yesterday, I took her on the same hike (it was about three miles long)
and we managed to get to the top without a single complaint.  I know the exercise she's getting in PE definitely helped, but the fact that she's been eating apples instead of her daily bag of chips or fries has helped too.

I'm not sure how to feel about this fad.

My 16 year old came home from school very excited to tell me about his gym class today.  I thought it was going to be something he learned.  Instead, I saw this...

The Research

Bits and pieces of the research responsible for the physical education program at the elementary school.  I know, not the most exciting but it is important.  Need to know some facts before you can support it, after all!

Abstract

 

The purpose of this study was to help find the best possible curriculum for physical education in the United States.  This research helped by determining whether or not having classroom lessons on health and physical activity in addition to physical activity in class had any additional benefits in the long-term, and into adulthood.  The experiment was done in a span of 20 years, starting with 200 3^rd graders that were split into two separate groups.  Each group was given a five-year physical education program, one that only included physical activity while the other included health lessons in addition to physical activity.  Fifteen years after the program, participants were given a survey and a health test.  We hypothesized that the group that participated in the program with the health lessons would become healthier adults.  The hypothesis was supported, as the participants who did participate in health lessons were much healthier on average than the group who did not.

Introduction

 

Health has been a growing issue in the United States.  Currently, more than one-third of US adults are obese.  With the junk food industry growing and technology making it easier for people to live a more sedentary lifestyle, it is easy to understand why more Americans are suffering obesity, diabetes, and heart disease than in the past fifty years (Flegal, 2012).  There are underlying problems that contribute to the nation’s health include the lack of knowledge of physical health and poor diet choices.  For decades, the United States education curriculum has taught students the importance of physical education, but the current system might not be the most effective way of teaching students about their long-term health.  Many studies agree that physical activity during childhood can have beneficial effects, the majority of those effects do not last until adulthood.  Physical health does not only include exercise, because diet, sleep, and other habits also have a big role in overall health.  Currently, physical education in elementary schools includes only physical activity.  This topic is relevant in the science community as well as the nation as a whole because the current school system in the US includes more than 4 million students.  This research explores the difference between two groups of students, starting from third grade, who experience different physical education curriculums.  The hypothesis is that the students who experience a classroom lesson in addition to physical activity during P.E classes will overall have better health choices in adulthood.  If test subjects from both groups report the same level of physical activity, and/or have the same eating habits, the hypothesis will be rejected.  If the second group reports better overall health choices, the hypothesis will be supported.

Procedure

Both groups were put into a physical education program that lasted five years, or until the end of their 8^th grade school year.  Each would have physical education class for one hour two times a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Group A were put through a more traditional physical education curriculum that only included physical activities such as sports and running.  Group B were given a twenty-minute health lesson before physical activity every class.  These lessons became more detailed every year, starting with lessons about the different food groups in 3^rd grade and slowly progressing to lessons that include the benefit of sleep patterns and different nutrients the body needs in 8^th grade.  After the fifth year of the program, we kept track of every student who participated and had them agree to be contacted in fifteen years regarding the study.  After fifteen years, all of the participants were contacted and given a survey and a fitness test.  The survey questions asked:

1.     How many times a week do you exercise?

2.     On average, how many hours do you sleep each night?

3.     On a scale of 1 to 10, how healthily do you think you eat?

The fitness test required the participants to run one mile and do a series of 10 lifting exercises.  The survey answers were collected, and the average number for each answer was calculated.  The test was timed and each group’s average time was calculated.

My Kids

I am a mother of three wonderful children!  I am glad to say that as a physical education teacher at the elementary school that two of them attend, the Physical Education Reform program that is being tested at their school is working wonderfully.  I've listed their "problems" with being healthy, and I'm sure you other parents can relate.  Hopefully the progress that I've seen with my kids and shared with you will help the movement towards Physical Education Reform!

1. Rya

1. Six years old, first grade
2. Picky eater, a bit chubby, has trouble with exercise but does enjoy sports
2. Josh

1. 10 years old, 5th grade
2. Will eat everything, does not like physical activity
3. Miguel

1. 16 years old, sophomore
2. Eats junk food most of the time because he does not eat at home, on the track team

Raising Healthy Kids

Raising kids isn't easy.  As a mother of three and a teacher of hundreds, I know this.  With all the video games and other electronics to lure kids into staring at a screen for hours to the vast amount of fast food chains on every street corner, it gets hard for parents to keep our kids away.  Frankly, it's hard for me to not give in, save time, and settle on a trip to McDonald's for dinner after a long day.  Start with the little things, because they add up.

Is school close enough to walk or bike?
This can be good for you and your kids.  Fifteen minutes or more of activity is recommend for adults.

How is the quality of school lunch?
School lunches have never been appetizing or nutritious.  Packing lunch instead of getting hot lunch at school can save calories, are much healthier, and can save you money too.  Just stay away from pre-packaged lunches, like Lunchables.  Sandwiches, fruit, crackers, and milk are staples in my five year old's lunch.

Teach
One day, your children are going to be grown adults- out of the house and out of your control.  Teaching your kids what is and what isn't healthy from an early age will have a huge impact on the choices they make later in life.  My kids are going through a program that integrates health education and physical education, and I feel like the impact it's made already is great.

I will be writing more about this program later!  Stay tuned!

A poster from the NASPE