Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources

• Grade level: Upper Elementary, Middle School

• Subject Area: Health and Sports, Math

Brief Description

    Students will visit sites that contain information about a variety of health and fitness activities. They will be expected to analyze the activities according to several criteria, and will later be asked to describe how their particular activity choices can contribute to a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their families.


Objectives

Students will:

• Compare and contrast various forms of physical activity according to a given set of criteria.
• Consider those activities in which they could participate with family members on a regular basis.
• Consider and discuss ways to involve their family members with them in their physical activities.

Materials and Resources

    In developing our lessons and activities, we made some assumptions about the hardware and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or activities have a computer (PC or Macintosh) with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) as well as software (operating system, TCP/IP software, networking or dial-up software, e-mail and a World Wide Web client program, preferably Netscape, but perhaps Mosaic or Lynx). In the section below, we specify any "special" hardware or software requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above) and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.

1. Special hardware requirements: None.
2. Special software requirements: None.
3. Internet access: Modem-speed: high
4. Classroom materials: None

Activity Description

Introduce the assignment to students. Let students know that they will be visiting sites that have a good deal of information about health and fitness activities, that they will be expected to analyze the information according to several criteria, and that they will later be asked to describe a set of physical activities that would appeal to them and their families. Discuss the list of criteria that students will use to analyze the components of a healthy lifestyle:

The following are a list of possible criteria:

Can you and/or family members participate in this activity for a 20-30 minute period?

Will the activity contribute to "aerobic fitness"?

Will the activity contribute to "muscular fitness"?

Does the activity/sport require one or more partners?

Does the activity/sport require participants to have a high level of skill or fitness?

Does the activity/sport require money, equipment, or special facilities?

Will the activity be safe for all?

Will the activity be fun for all?

Have students visit the Internet sites listed below and consider the wide variety of choices that might appeal to family involvement. Students should keep with them a list of the questions above. After they have had sufficient time to consider their choices, assemble the class for a whole group discussion of students' observations. Conclude the discussion by highlighting the suggested criteria for choosing family fitness activities. Ask students for their ideas on techniques that might be used to get their family members involved in a physically-active lifestyle.

Internet Resources:

• The Personal Trainer
  [http://www.menshealth.com/personaltrainer/calcindex2.html]
  A handy calorie counter to assess energy (caloric) expenditure of different activities.
  
• 99 Tips for Family Fitness Fun
  [http://www.shapeup.org/sua/publications/99.tips.for.family.fitness.fun/index.html]
  This website is also part of the "Shape-up America" website.
  
• The Fitness Library
  [http://www.cdc.net/~primus/fpc/fpcarch.htm]
  The Fitness Library is full of helpful articles and advice on weight management, nutrition, and physical activity. You can also catch up on the latest news in health and fitness, read book reviews and browse through past monthly features. Read the article, "Ways to BoostYour Physical Activity Level", among others.
  
• Fitting Fitness In
  [http://www.cdc.net/~primus/fpc/fpcarch.htm]
  This web site is located within the "Shape-Up America" website, designed to provide you with the latest information about safe weight management and physical fitness.
  
• Frequently Asked Questions about Fitness Activities
  [http://www.cdc.net/~primus/fpc/fpcjs100.htm#10]
  This website offers an extensive list of physical activites and answers many of the common questions about each of them.
  
• "Get Active"
  [http://rcc.webpoint.com/fitness/acthome.htm]
  A part of the "Fitness Files" web site of Racine County, Wisconsin. Included are sections on fitness fundamentals, fuel for fitness, injury prevention and mangement, and tips for "getting active".