Happy November all! I hope you are enjoying the transition into fall. This months' section starts off with talking about stress and teens. We all know stress is a part of life; however the younger generation is feeling too much too soon.

There is information that discusses how we can help teens cope with their stress. Next, we move into discussing the story of a young girl who is obese, and the struggles she has in being obese and trying to change. Then, we look at ways teens can lead a healthier and active lifestyle. Next, we look at what parents need to know about helping promote better lifestyles for their teens.

The rest of the section was put together by Dawn Sakaguchi, who was kind enough to provide great information in both this section, as well as in the technology section. Dawn provides us with the national standards for physical education from NASPE. She then discusses how students can bring stronger conceptual learning into the PE classroom.

This section ends with some more articles, and websites, that provide useful information on coaching and youth sports, VERB, and nutrition and physical activity. I hope you enjoy the reading, and have a great month!

Angela Roth
Secondary Section Editor

Stress is nothing new to most of us. In fact stress is a normal part of life. However, what is changing is that those who feel stress are getting younger and younger. It is estimated that one third of US teens say they are stressed out on a daily basis.

Although stress is a "normal" part of life, there is a point at which it becomes unhealthy. Not only does stress cause emotional symptoms, but it also causes physical symptoms that can sometimes be severe. Research shows us that if stress is not handled correctly it can create a higher risk for a number of problems as we age.

So why not teach our teens to start handling stress in effective ways? If we do this, it will give them a better chance to learn how to deal with it appropriately, and to avoid many negative side effects. This following article talks about stress that teens face, as well as some ways teens can learn to deal with it.

Teen stress is on the rise - How can we help them cope?

One third of U.S. teens say they feel stressed-out on a daily basis," reports Reuters Health. According to Reuters, researchers suspect U.S. teenagers to be feeling such stress as a result of overwhelming expectations by parents and society. The study, conducted at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, also found nearly two thirds of teens to be stressed "at least once a week."

Adults reading these statistics might now be thinking, "Welcome to the real world!" "Life is stressful!" "Wait until you have a family to take care of!" "What do kids really know about stress?"

Indeed, life is stressful. Without stress, we wouldn't be living. After all, stress is merely the way our bodies react to changes, both internal and external. Stress also includes the way we go on to think about our bodies' reactions and how we process those changes. Those thought processes may go on to produce more stress. Whether change is positive or negative, it will cause stress. How we handle that stress can determine whether or not we live happily and peacefully or in a continual "stressed-out" state. Read the rest of this article...

National Standards for Physical Education from NASPE - A good place to start promoting your physical education program is the national standards. You will find the 6 standards listed below, but for the original document use the link above. That link will also take you to the page stating the purpose of the standards.

"Physical activity is critical to the development and maintenance of good health. The goal of physical education is to develop physically educated individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity."

	Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
	Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
	Participates regularly in physical activity.
	Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
	Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
	Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

Standard 2 of the National Standards of Physical Education states that students should be able to understand, and convey, learning principles of the physical activities performed in class.

There are several ways that you can do this. One way is through conceptual learning, and another way is through writing. Karp & Woods (2001) have listed questions that students in grades K-12 should be able to answer, such as the meaning of being a team player, the importance of exercise, and how to vary force production.

They also suggest various learning goals and activities that can be used according to grade level. For example, the authors state that a unit goal for middle school students could be to obtain knowledge about fitness concepts, enabling them to create their own fitness program. They also offer a table with suggested goals and strategies for this unit, such as identifying physiologic responses to exercise, strategies of activities that have fitness components, followed by a Q&A session and a written test.

Another suggestion is to include writing and literacy as a part of the PE environment. Reading and writing will enhance a student's learning by allowing them to reflect and preserve their ideas (Klein, 1999, 2000). Writing does not have to be a daunting task; Behrman (2004) offers a number of ideas that teachers can use to implement writing and literacy in their classrooms, some of which are: keeping a journal, book/article critique, and writing a letter to their favorite athlete.

In utilizing a writing program, it may also be a good idea to provide writing examples so students see what good writing is, but at the same time teachers should remind students that their work is to be original. Behrman (2004) also notes that teachers should offer some feedback to students, however they should not overburden themselves with "excessive" marking of a student's report because it could lead them to eliminating writing from their programs.

Buell and Whittaker (2001), list a number of topics that could be used for journal writing or quick writes, such as; a student's perception of their efforts during class activities, and addressing questions they may have had during class. They also suggest that literacy could be promoted through presenting a word or strategy of the day, and at the end of class have a discussion about it. This will leave a lasting impression on students of the activity they participated in during that class.

references

Teen obesity is becoming an epidemic in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, teenage obesity has risen to 15%, compared to just 5% in the 1960's. The teenage years are hard enough as it is. When adding obesity into the equation, life can be very difficult for an obese teen.

Below is an article from connectingwithkids.com about teen obesity. The article discusses the struggles of a young girl who has always been overweight and struggling to change.

Teen Obesity Cuts Life Expectancy
By Adam Wilkenfeld
CWK West Coast Bureau Chief

Sixteen-year-old Catherine attends a Jazzercise class five times a week. She's trying to dance her way out of a problem she's had since she was a little girl: obesity.
"I never knew what portion sizes were, or when I was full, because I just ate to the max," she says.

In the third grade, Catherine needed special clothing tailored to fit. In the sixth grade, she weighed more than 200 pounds.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the problem of teenage obesity is now at its highest level in U.S. history. About 15% of teens are obese today, compared to just 5% in the 1960s.

"And I don't want to live like that. I want to be active, I want to do a lot of things, I want to meet people, I want to travel," Catherine says. "Just like everyone else, I have dreams."

But those dreams may be cut short if she doesn't lose some weight. Read the rest...

So how do we encourage our teens, who are struggling with weight, to take better care of themselves, and help encourage them to live a more active and healthier life style?

Well, the following article has some ideas. The article discusses the need for teens to be healthier, and to make that a way of life. It goes over some possibilities as to why we have an obesity problem in the first place. The article also addresses the possibility that part of the responsibility for not stressing healthy lifestyles may lie in the educational system for all but removing physical education from the schools. Tips are then provided to parents and friends on how they can help teens maintain their goals and lifestyle changes.

Healthy Lifestyle Begins with Exercise & Balanced Diet.
By Pam Frazier
CWK Network Inc.

People who are severely obese as adolescents or in their early 20s can expect to have significantly shorter lives, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers focused on subjects whose body mass index (BMI) was more than 24, the reference for adults aged 18 to 85. BMI is calculated based on weight and height. People who have a BMI over 30 are considered obese.

The study, based on years of federal health survey data of thousands of people, examined the extent to which obesity could affect years of life lost. For every degree of being overweight, younger adults generally had greater years of life lost than older adults. Specifically, it was discovered that severely obese (BMI over 45) young females could lose four to eight years from their life expectancy. The results for males were even more astounding. They could lose 12 to 20 years of their lives!

Why is obesity such a problem for today's children and adolescents? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites the following causes for childhood obesity:

	Overweight in children and adolescents is generally caused by lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns or a combination of the two, with genetics and lifestyle both playing important roles in determining a child's weight.
	Society has become very sedentary. Television, computer, and video games contribute to children's inactive lifestyles.
	Forty-three percent of adolescents watch more than two hours of television each day.
	Children, especially girls, become less active as they move through adolescence.

Because diabetes, hypertension and other obesity-related chronic diseases are now more common in adolescents, the recent study results highlight the importance of weight control in the nation's youth through more physical activity and better dietary habits. Several organizations have found that today's youth are considered the most inactive generation in history. In fact, the National Association for Sport & Physical Education reports that only 25% of all kids in the United States are physically active.

And since daily physical education has been eliminated from schools in all but one state (Illinois), the burden now rests on the shoulders of parents to encourage their children to be more active.

What Parents Need to Know! (Scroll to bottom of page)

With the CDC reporting that more than 13% of children and adolescents are seriously overweight, it's now more important than ever to encourage your child to maintain a high level of physical activity. The American Council on Exercise offers the following tips for incorporating exercise into your child's daily activities:

	Set an example for your child and treat exercise as something to be done on a regular basis, like brushing your teeth or cleaning your room.
	Invite your child to participate in vigorous household tasks, such as gardening, washing the car or raking leaves.
	Go biking, rock climbing or inline skating with your child.
	Plan outings and activities that involve some walking, like a trip to the zoo, a nature hike or even a trip to the mall.
	Jump rope or shoot baskets with your child.

Read more... (scroll down to bottom)

Coaching Youth Sports: Coach's Concerns
This article addresses stress in youth sports and though stress is usually looked upon as a negative factor, the author introduces two types of stresses: eustress (pleasant stress) and distress (stress that could be harmful). He mainly focuses on eustress, but does say that distress does cause problems.

VERB
The VERB campaign encourages young people ages 9 - 13 (tweens) years to be physically active every day. The campaign combines paid advertising, marketing strategies, and partnership efforts to reach the distinct audiences of tweens and adults/influencers. - source: site

Programs & Campaigns: The CDC site has a list of programs that you may want to include in your PE program, or provide ideas for lessons that you might want to use.

FDA to Step Up Avian Flu Drug Production
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today it has formed a “rapid response team” to make sure that antiviral drugs will be available in the event of a possible pandemic of avian influenza. The acting head of the FDA, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, said while there is currently no flu pandemic, the rapid response team will be working to ensure that an adequate supply of drugs such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) will be available should there be an outbreak in the United States. Read the rest...

What Public Health Can Do to Stop an Avian Flu Pandemic - There have been three influenza pandemics in the past century—worldwide outbreaks of the flu happened in 1918, 1957, and 1968. Each of those outbreaks was caused by a previously unknown influenza virus of avian origin that crossed over to human beings—what scientists call interspecies transmission—and that seems to be happening again in this century. Read this story...

Avian Flu Fact Sheet - Avian flu, also known as "bird flu," is not a current threat in the United States but is a potential concern due to outbreaks, primarily in Asian countries, during the past few years. Reads the facts on this disease.

Pertussis Vaccination for Adolescents: Pertussis - whooping cough - is no longer a disease of young children and is increasingly shifting to adolescents and young adults, according to articles in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Read the rest...

Study Finds Most Schools Offer 'Competitive' Foods - Asked by Congress to come up with some hard data on the extent to which schools are offering students the opportunity to buy and eat foods not on the federal school lunch and breakfast menus, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) researched and came up with a report.

"Baby" Helps Teens Think It Over!
A computerized doll, programmed to mirror the needs of a real baby, shows teens what parenting is really like.

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools - Survey: How is your school responding to the challenge of childhood overweight? Tell us by taking our childhood overweight and schools survey.

Springfree Trampoline Australia
The safe trampoline. Springfree is a new generation design, removing all risk, so your kids can play and exercise safely. - source: site
See also, Springfree Trampoline in the U.S.

Ban junk food ads from kids' TV?
Do junk food ads make kids fat? Should they be banned? This article provides information on whether this would work or not. Then, you decide. See also Deconstructing Ads For Snack and Junk Food, that provides research, lessons, handouts, articles, and more...

Tourette's Syndrome "Plus"
Wow! This site is not just about Tourette's Syndrome, but provides a wealth of information on how teacher's can improve instruction for students who experience many types of problems. See also, Awareness Exercise for Teachers: Tics
Read an interesting article on what a student, who has Tourette's syndrome, experiences in the classroom

Causes of Teen Stress and Tips for Preventing Adolescent Depression - As far as 'teen depression' articles go, this is a pretty good one - well worth reading.

Teen-Matters.com - You're going to find some serious information here. Matters that Matter to Teens. Some of it may apply to you, or to someone you know - even someone you love. - source: site

Information for Teens - This webpage includes general and legal information on teen dating violence, and links to other online resources on the subject. See also Dating Violence.

Peer Pressure - It Isn't ALL Bad!
This is a pretty good article, explaining very well the pros and cons of teen peer pressure. Then take the quiz: Does peer pressure control you? It's a quick and easy 20 question quiz to help you determine if you give in to peer pressure too easily.

Psychologist examines sources, effects and power over teens - "No influence in your teenager’s life is as powerful as peer pressure. At its best, it can mobilize his energy, motivate him to strive for success, and encourage him to conform to a healthy group norm. At its worst, peer pressure can impair good judgment and fuel risk-taking behavior, drawing a child away from the family and positive influences and luring him into dangerous activities." Read the rest...

Illicit Drug Use During Pregnancy - This site is loaded with some very thorough, powerful information on how different drugs cause various types of birth defects, and on other factors that can cause a child to develop wrong.

A Web Quest Series on Creating Non-Violent Schools - This site offers comprehensive web-based activities where students explore questions related to school safety and consider a variety of ways to help create non-violent schools. Web-based activities include a Hotlist, Subject Sampler, Knowledge Hunt, Concept Builder, Insight Reflector and WebQuest. Each activity is described in the Users Guide and each activity is accompanied by an evaluation rubric.

Reconstructors Solve Medical Mysteries - Medical Mysteries is an interactive online game. Students solve mysteries, and in doing so learn how infectious diseases are spread. The Missions teach the fundamentals of microbiology, infectious diseases, and epidemiology including virtual labs, and are aligned with National Science Education Content Standards.

Teacher Pages contain lots of downloadable resources. The Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning at Rice University designed this website with funding from the National Institutes of Health. Requires Shockwave. Click the round graphic in the top left corner to actually start the game.

WhatUDo - This website was developed by the faculty and staff of HIV InSite (at the University of California, San Francisco) to provide updated AIDS information to students. Choose from Learn (current AIDS statistics), Talk (interviews with teens involved in working to reduce the numbers of teens infected with AIDS), or Do (ideas for community involvement) to give students information beyond the alarming numbers of new cases of AIDS.

Creating Alternatives to Violence - Information and lesson plan. Although conflict is part of everyday life, it does not have to lead to violence. Dealing positively with conflict can help people understand each other better, build confidence in their own ability to control their destinies, and develop the skills they need to lead successful, productive lives. - source: site

Deadly Desires - Students review statistics about teens and sexuality, learn about the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and research and write an informational brochure on STDs.