Week of October 12, 2015: 1st Grade Health

Our new unit is Nutrition and Physical Activity!  This week we talked about the food groups, and how they can help us make good nutritious choices.  Students learned how healthy snacks are also important.  Our students enjoy such healthy snacks!!  Carrots was a very popular item, along with other vegetables and fruits.  We also talked about what physical activity is (moving parts of our bodies and making our hearts beat faster), and why it's important.  We learned there are three main benefits to physical activity:

• Flexibility:  when we are active, we encourage flexibility - especially when we stretch after an activity.  Healthy muscles are flexible.  Like a rubber band, we want our muscles to be stretchy so they don't tear or break.  
• Strength:  activity can help make our muscles stronger, making it easier for us to move and lift things.  Our heart is a muscle, too, and gets stronger and more healthy when we are active!  
• Endurance:  activities can help us move and play longer without being tired.  

Next week, we'll talk about our pulse and learn how to check it.  Students will also get an log to keep track of physical activities for one week.  I plan to post the ones returned on the bulletin board outside of the gym!  

Fitness Testing....and more

Fitness Testing continues!  With missed days of school, we are continuing to work on finishing up our fitness testing. :)

For younger grades (Y5, K, 1, and 2), aerobic capacity (cardiovascular fitness) test results are reported as all being in the Healthy Fitness Zone (no matter the score).  This is because the students are too young to have accurate data representing what qualifies for the Healthy Fitness Zone for their age.  Why test these students, if the results aren't viewed the same as older students?  These experiences help students learn about fitness testing:  how it feels, looks, and sounds.  We talk about why we are doing any fitness testing, and why each area of fitness is important.  For example, when discussing the Flexed Arm Hang, we talk about why upper body strength is important, and what types of activities and exercises can help strengthen upper body muscles.

The FitnessGram website provides a wealth of information about the testing program.  FitnessGram final reports will be sent home with students in June, along with their final report card.  We generally participate in a pre-test in the fall (including the mile run), and then a post-test anytime after the new year (including PACER).  We'll also do a post-test for the mile run when the weather improves.

We'll also continue exploring nutrition topics with PE/Humanities-Health classes (K & 1).

1st Grade and K Health: Week of 12/1

First grade and kindergarten families, look for Family Resource Sheets in backpack mail later this week about our upcoming Nutrition unit!  We'll play with food models, talk about the major food groups, and why good nutrition is important.

Some quality nutrition resources include:

Choose My Plate  (Replaces MyPyramid)

For Kids:
CDC BAM!  (Body and Mind)
KidsHealth