At Farmer’s Hat Productions, we know you inspire strong minds and help inspire strong bodies for our children. We want to find a way to thank all of the wonderful educators out there who make such a strong influence in the lives of our kids. Bur Bur and Friends was created as a way to get kids and families active. Below are some things that may help you as you prepare for the school year:

Weave physical activity into the life lessons you teach each day.
You win as a teacher’s and kids win as your students because physical activity can:
• Increase self-esteem and capacity for learning.
• Help kids handle stress.
• Build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.
• Help control weight.
• Good for the heart, the head and the soul.
• Create a classroom that moves.

Put a little active fun into your lesson plans. Try:

• Math: Have students practice their measurement skills by measuring the distance covered when jumping, leaping and hopping.
• Science: Encourage students to do reports on the benefits of physical activity
• Computer Lab: Send students to Web sites that provide information, tools and games that encourage physical activity. Try: http://www.kidnetic.com and http://www.verbnow.com
• Language Arts: Ask students to record in their journals the amount of time they spend watching TV and being physically active and what activities they enjoyed most and why. Encourage students to brainstorm with their family and classmates ways to be more active.
• Spelling: Host a spelling bee with a physical activity theme.
• Reading: Ask the librarian to prepare a book display and list of books about various physical activities and sports. Step into an active mindset.

Make learning fun by adding activity. Here’s how:

• Add-A-Move Memory Game: Play a memory game in which students memorize movements instead of words. Keep it going until the class can remember 10 different movements, all in the right order. Ask the students to act out the movements in the correct order.
• Mathematical Jumping Jacks: Call out a math problem. If the answer is less than 20, ask students to give their answer in jumping jacks.
• Authentic Graphing: Have students do different activities that require varying amounts of effort like standing still, walking and running in place. After two minutes of each activity, ask them to measure their heart rates by taking their pulses. Graph and discuss results. Brainstorm ways to increase heart rates throughout the day.
• Fitness Breaks: Take a two-minute fitness break between lessons. Ask students to lead the break with stretches. Or, play a popular dance song and let students dance.
• Q&A: Catch Play a game of catch where a student catches the ball, calls out the answer to a question asked by the teacher, and quickly tosses the ball to someone else for the next answer.
• Add-verb Fun: Ask students to act out verbs such as skip, hop and march. Ask students to modify the actions by stating adverbs like rapidly, powerfully and enthusiastically.
• Stretch your active influence beyond the classroom walls.
• Reward students for being active at recess.
• Request donations from parents of used sports equipment for use at recess.
• Encourage participation in school intramural programs and community teams.
• Ask students about their physical activities outside of school.
• Create a bulletin board where students and teachers can post pictures of themselves being active.

Assign this important homework: “Make sure you play.”

For more ideas to foster strong minds and bodies:
http://www.pe.central.org (click on Lesson Ideas, click on Integrated)
http://www.americanheart.org/heartpowerhttp://www.take10.net
http://www.bam.gov (click on Teacher’s Corner)

A classroom that moves is fun for your students and for you. Your students will be more excited about learning and will learn important lessons for life.

Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, VERB, CDC Foundation, MetLife Foundation. This information was made possible by a grant to the CDC Foundation from MetLife Foundation.

Book Covers from the award winning Bur Bur and Friend’s children’s book series: Bur Bur and Friends is a cast of multicultural characters who cultivate self-esteem by educating kids about self-esteem, sports, outdoor exploration and active play though their experiences.

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This entry was posted on Friday, August 14th, 2009 at 6:25 pm and is filed under Community Board. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.