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Welcome to this week's "Interdisciplinary PE" section on PELINKS4U.
As guest editor, and in response to reader feedback, I decided to try a slightly different page format. Instead of providing many links to lots of different information, I've selected about six items and presented them in detail. My thinking is that - given a limited choice - you might feel more inspired to try one of these activities! Sometime it's easy to be overwhelmed by too much information.
Let me know what you think. I would also encourage you to share one idea that you use or have heard of for integrating movement into regular classroom lessons. Sharing your ideas with other teachers not only helps us all learn more, but is a neat way to show your professional involvement to your school administrators.
Incidentally, notice that I requested activities that classroom teachers could use to integrate movement into learning. I tend to think that it should be the classroom teachers who use movement to enhance student learning, rather than Physical Education teachers who attempt to teach "academic" content in their lessons. We just don't have enough time!
What do you think? To what extent should physical educators attempt to teach math, language, english etc., in physical education classes? Post your thoughts on our PE Forum by clicking here.
Please use this page and our Forum to share ideas with others, and take a moment to give me some feedback on the format of this page. Thanks and have a great week.
Steve Jefferies
Guest Section Editor
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Too Much of a Sweet Thing: Grades 6-12
From New York Times Learning Network
In this lesson students examine the growing prevalence of processed sugar in the American diet, first through a demonstration that makes graphically clear the amount of sugar an average boy and girl consumes on a daily basis. They then explore the issues in greater depth through a featured article. Finally, student teams devise illustrated posters for a "Sweet Health" campaign aimed at persuading other children and parents of the potential dangers of processed sugar over-consumption, and the value of healthy eating alternatives. Detailed instructions are provided for about a 45 minute lesson. For complete details click here.
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No Habla Ingles: Grades K-5
From John Williams
Does your school have a Hispanic population? "No Habla Ingles" is a way to integrate ESL and language arts into movement oriented activities that utilize many physical skills.
John Williams, from Ayden ES got together with his ESL specialist to help him correctly pronounce, write, and use selected Spanish words. Using these words you'll write out physical activities onto large index cards, and also prepare posters with English translations.
Small groups of students choose a card, then as soon as they can translate it, they go ahead and do the activity. As students learn these new words and phrases, teachers can use them as part of their ongoing instructional strategies in other lessons. For complete details click here.
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If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions about particular topics, please email one of the following Interdisciplinary PE Section Editors:
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Help to support quality physical education and health education by contributing to this site.
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Hoop Jump/Hop: Grades 2-3
From Matt Smith & PE Central
Prior to introducing this activity teachers should review odd and even numbers, and ensure students have basic addition and subtraction skills. Hula hoops and foam dice are also needed.
For a small class, spread out 6-10 hula hoops so that they are all touching (if done correctly, it should look like a spider web). If the class is large, set up 2-3 sets of spider webs, so that the groups of students remain between 4-6 at each set of hoops. Have student roll the dice and add or subtract the two numbers. The children then determine if the number is odd or even.
If the number is an odd number, they hop through the hoops on one foot. If the number is an even number, they jump through the hoops on two feet. Example: 6+3=9 gives an odd number, so they hop 9 times in and out of all the hoops as fast as they can. Tip: So they can remember which is which, tell them you hop (One) foot when it is an Odd number...O and O. They are to jump on two feet because all even numbers are divisible by 2.
The teacher can vary the locomotor skill by using skipping for odd numbers and galloping for even numbers. For more variations and assessment ideas click here.
Number Sense: Primary Grades
From Diane Baker
Jump Rope and draw numbers on the ground. Write the number that comes before and after. Write the number that is 2 more, etc. With a partner write the number that is the sum of combined ages.
Play Mousetrap variations. Count how many mice caught, how many safe. Which is more? How many all together? Mousetrap Students form a large circle holding hands. Three to ten students are designated as mice and move around the outside of the trap. On signal "trap open," students raise their arms and the mice run in and out of the trap. On signal "trap close" all hands are lowered. Choose new mice, play again.
Explore body actions of stretch, bend & twist. Identify joints and muscles then draw numbers with body. ("Count Bounce" by Greg & Steve) Use 3 hoops to show place value. Write 1, 2, or 3 digit number on lap chalkboard. Choose players to get in hoops and form written number with their bodies.
Roll number cubes, or use pairs of numbers. Jump or bounce ball that many times high/low, in place/moving, fast/slow. Read "My Little Sister Ate One Hare" or other counting book.
All practice animal imitation walks. Place cones with animal pictures around perimeter of open space. Assign 3-5 students to each cone. Make up animal stories for children to act out. Example: 5 fish were swimming in the pond. 3 frogs jumped in too. (How many animals all together?) Each frog ate a fish and hopped out to a log in the sun. How many fish are left in the pond?) Ideas complied by Diane Baker. For more information click here.
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"Interdisciplinary Teaching Through Physical Education" presents innovative games and activities to integrate the content of: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, as well as active learning for music, theater arts, and visual arts.
An overview of the concepts for these disciplines, by grade level, is displayed in a scope and sequence chart form at the beginning of each chapter. PELINKS4U book reviewer Eileen Sullivan explains more, click here. See other book reviews on our PELINKS4U Book Review page by clicking here.
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One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year. He only is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with worry, fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson-
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Geography Golf: Grades 4th and Up
From Mark Manross & PE Central
In this activity students practice their knowledge of states and capitals, while at the same time working on motor skills. This activity also promotes working together in small groups. To run the activity you will need stand up targets for the capitals (cones work well), carpet squares for teeing areas, ropes to outline states, frisbees (preferably foam), pencils and paper, cards to identify what hole they are on, and scorecards.
This activity is similar to frisbee golf, but now the students will work together to build the golf holes and they will incorporate their knowledge of states and capitals. Have three-four students get together privately and decide which state they would like to make for their golf hole. They also need to decide what the capital of that state is.
After deciding (don't allow them to choose square states), they are to get 8-12 jump ropes, a cone, and a card in which they will write the number of the hole on. They are to build that state using the jump ropes as the border of the state, and then they put the cone where the capital should be. Give them 5 minutes to do this. They are not to tell anyone what their state and capital are!
(While they are doing this the teacher can take cones and put up the teeing areas based on where the students are putting together their state. Make some holes longer than others.)
Have the students return to you as a group. They are to get a partner, a scorecard, and a frisbee. Have the students start at any hole they want. They decide who will throw first, and then they alternate throwing the frisbee trying to hit the cone in the state. Tell them they must hit the cone "on the fly." The Frisbee can't roll and hit state. Students throw from where the Frisbee lands, and not where it rolls to. The object is to hit the state capital in the least amount of throws.
At each hole or tee, have the students record number of throws they had on their scorecard. Also, have the students record their guess as to what state and capital for each hole. Tell them to keep their guesses to themselves.
Upon completion, have the students write their collective score on the board, and their guesses at the states and capitals. Have a discussion about all of this. For more variations and assessment ideas click here.
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Grammar Quest: Grades 3-5
From Matt Smith & PE Central
Student use various locomotor skills to develop an understanding of the parts of speech, and to be able to distinguish between them. Before playing this game, teachers should review the parts of speech so that students can begin to identify them. It's also helpful to review the correct cues needed in the skill of hopping, jumping, skipping, leaping, galloping, etc.
Teachers will need to create charts or posters designating the different parts of speech, and ensure students have a large area for the game. Have several sets of posters designating the different parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) scattered on the floor throughout a large space. The teacher will say words such as "red, wagon, run, quickly," each time giving children time to identify the type of speech and move to the correct poster. Have students develop a movement (a locomotor skill) for each action word in the sentence. They use the movement to travel to the corresponding poster.
Next, the teacher will slowly read simple sentences like "Bob quickly ran to the red wagon," and the children will move to the corresponding posters in the correct order. As a culminating activity, they can connect the movements to make a sentence.
The children should vary the locomotor skills by using the right and left foot, different levels, directions, and pathways. Equipment can also be added for the children to move over, around, onto and off of, or moving while jumping rope, dribbling a ball, etc.
At the conclusion, have ten different sentences clearly posted on a handout and have children go through them individually. Have students start with different sentences to avoid traffic jams, and encourage individual problem solving. For more variations and assessment ideas click here.
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