ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

For over 40 years, American students were viewed as physically unfit and in need of strenuous and structured physical activity. The goal of physical educators was to push students to develop high levels of physical fitness without concern for long-term outcomes. An underlying assumption was that if we got them fit as children, they would stay fit as adults. Obviously, this assumption was incorrect, and today the United States is engaged in a battle with the bulge. In the 1990’s, a new analysis of previous data (Corbin and Pangrazi 1992) showed that fitness levels of students had not decreased and had in fact increased in some cases (with the exception of obesity). This finding brought about a shift in thinking: If fitness testing discouraged many of the students who had done poorly or failed the test, then what is the point? If pushing students to be fit often backfired because those who needed it the most hated it the most, something had to change. A new approach that placed strong emphasis on promoting physical activity for all students regardless of natural ability and other genetic limitations began to grow. The shift from structured and often forced physical activity to lifestyle physical activity is now taking place. Pedometers can be an excellent tool for students to see how much they have moved during their physical education class. They can set personal targets for potential improvement in each lesson. Using monitors to quantify a students’ physical activity is a powerful motivational and evaluation tool. Rather than using student attendance, student perceived effort or student performance as an evaluation tool using pedometers provides a more accurate way to determine physical activity levels and student involvement.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: Students should understand how to monitor their daily activity and set meaningful goals while using a pedometer. Students should be able to establish individual step goals that will take them to a healthy level of activity. Students should incorporate their personal goals into lesson plans and use incentives to promote active lifestyle choices and behaviors. Students should understand the importance of exercise and activity to personal, social and mental health and well-being; how to monitor and develop their own training, exercise and activity programs in and out of school. The students will understand how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and understand the long term benefits of regular participation in physical activity. Goal(s): Learn about pedometers. Learn the process of goal setting. Learn the importance of being physically active. Learn the what kinds of activities can be done to increase activity.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: 1) What does my number of steps mean? 2) Do I need to accumulate more steps every day? 3) How many steps should I increase as a part of my new goal? 4) How many steps are enough for good health? 5) What kinds of activities can we do to increase the number of steps we take daily? 6) What are some of the exercise effects, health benefits and safety issues associated with their selected activities? 7) Where can I gain access to activity opportunities both in school and in the local community? Objectives: The students will learn how many steps they take on a daily basis. The students will calculate and understand the method for establishing a daily baseline step-count level. The students will understand how to set a personal goal once the baseline step count has been determined. The students will identify the activity level of physical education lessons with differing content. The students will learn to alternate low-intensity and high-intensity activities. The students will learn about their activity levels during their free time. The students will learn to increase the amount of step counts during their free time. The students will learn to measure stride length.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? 1) What is a pedometer? 2) What does it measure? 3) Where on your waist does your pedometer belong? 4) How many steps should you try to get in during one full day? 5) How far is that in miles (referring to Qu. 4)? 6) How far is 2,000 steps in terms of miles? 7) What kinds of activities are good to increase your step count? What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding?  Is it important to take a certain number of steps each day? Will wearing a pedometer make one more or less likely to exercise? How can a pedometer help in setting fitness goals? What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? Charts, task & recording sheets, goal & activity cards…Making goals & charting progress. Making a chart of what activities proivde you with an opportunity to accumulate more steps. Step comparison/challenge. Who can/did take more steps. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect?  Charts, task & recording sheets, goal & activity cards, spread sheets, journals. Progress charts: Students can monitor their progress on charts,recording information on fitness and physical activity. Students will develop individual progress charts on steps taken per day and the activities involved in. They will report on their daily steps & the things needed to do to improve their fitness level. Journal:These will be written, taped or be an oral reflection on a particular issue or focus area. In this situation students are encouraged to provide personal reflections rather than simple descriptions. Students will have the opportunity to record their results privately and write about any feelings or comments they may have.

Instructional Strategies

Inquiry-based…Progress charts: Students can monitor their progress on charts,recording information on fitness and physical activity. For example,students may develop individual progress charts on steps taken per day and the activities involved in. They can report on their daily steps the things needed to do to improve their fitness level. Inquiry-based…Journal:These can be written or taped or be an oral reflection on a particular issue or focus area. In this situation students are encouraged to provide personal reflections rather than simple descriptions. Students will have the opportunity to record their results privately and write about any feelings or comments they may have. Project-based…Design a Pedometer Frisbee Golf Course:These need to be on parer and will include rules, course map & golf etiquette. Students will learn the basic rules of golf with an emphasis on step counts rather than frisbee throws.