Energized Interaction

Explain to the students that being active is one of the best things they can do to keep their bodies strong and healthy. Physical activity burns the “fuel” that they consume as food and beverages, and helps keep the body and organs running smoothly.

Remind students that at least 60 minutes a day of physical activity is needed. As schedules become busier, students may need to be creative in finding ways to fit this important element into their daily routine!

Challenge students to think of ways they can use the social and physical activities they brainstormed during down time at school. This could be during breaks, during lunch, or when they have extra time in the classroom. For each activity, they need to build in an opportunity to chat/interact with others. Ideas could include:

Study Hall Stretch: Student teams can study or practice an  upcoming presentation while doing floor stretches

Classroom Connections: Incorporate movement into a  class group share or current topic—like performing a dance  from a particular decade, acting out the verses of a poem  or song lyric, or demonstrating moves of the national sport  from another country. Remind students that the movements they create should reinforce what they are  learning, and not take the class off task

Lunchtime Olympics: Recruit other classrooms to develop  fun or silly five-minute “events,” and do one per day for a  week or month. Examples include:

• Plastic Bottle Recycling Basketball: Use recycling bins  to practice your “jump shot”!
• Round-the-Bases Crabwalk: Test your speed walking  upside down on all fours
• Sidewalk “Tightrope”: See who can go farthest  heel-to-toe

Extend the Lesson

Have students brainstorm ways to extend their ideas to get the whole school moving throughout the day and week. Volunteers could lead a morning stretch over the intercom, or offer peer classes or workshops to teach activities like jump roping, speed walking, or dance.

Students can work with the gym teacher to lead the class in a special dance routine, or create posters showcasing the “move of the day” and place them around the school.

Home Connection

Provide the Interview In Action take-home sheet on the final page of the PDF, and tell students to choose one activity—a nature walk, a trip to a bowling alley, a yoga DVD, walking a dog—to do with a parent, grandparent, older sibling, or caregiver.

They can review the interview questions prior to the activity and fill in the answers once they’re done. Students should bring their completed sheets back to class, compare results and create a bar chart demonstrating which activities are their favorite. Share the results with parents during back-to-school night to showcase what other families are doing!