Mr. Bassett's Health & Fitness Classes

November 10-21

2008-12-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry that this post is late but it has been really busy the last few weeks at SJEA.

First Grade
We have been working on finishing up our jump rope skills.

Third Grade
We have been working on finishing up our jump rope skills.

Fifth Grade
We have been working on our group jump rope skills

Sixth Grade
We have been working on finishing up our gymnastics unit.

Walk-a-thon Update
We have done really well with our walk-a-thon fundraiser. We will be making final announcements for the winners of the prizes either on December 5th or early the following week. We will also be handing out the kid's meal coupon and the free dress tickets around the same time. Health & Fitness will be using the money to purchase equipment for our students. Our goal will be to have the new equipment by early February.

October 27 to November 7

2008-10-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Kinder

We missed going to class for a week because the minimum day schedule does not allow us to have time for Health & Fitness. When we got back we had to deal with some wet weather. We spent some time working on the food guide pyramid, this is also something that the classroom teachers are going over in their classes. Outside, we started to go to work on our jump rope skills. We are working on learning to jump over a jump rope forwards & backwards and side-to-side over a stationary rope.

First

We have been working on our cooperation skills and working together. We have taken out the parachute for the first time this year. We are working together to create different shapes and different activities with the parachute.

We spent one class period inside (because of rain) and listed activties that help us to get our hearts beating faster. Outside, we ended up working on our jump rope skills. We are working on jumping a rope while it is being turned by other people.

Third

We've continued to work on our gymnastics unit. We have been practicing how to travel (forwards and sideways) across a balance beam while manipulating an object (small ball, scarf, etc.).

We spent a day working on labeling the major muscles of the body. Students were given a worksheet and instructed on what muscles to color and also to label the muscles. We will be having a test in the next few weeks (possibly the first week of December) that will cover the names and locations of 12 different muscle groups in the body.

We have also started to work on our jump rope skills. We are working on learning to jump both forwards and backwards while turning a rope by ourselves.

Fifth

We have moved into two standards about jumping. The students were taught the proper take off and proper landing techniques for both jumping for height and jumping for distance. They were required to take an assessment during the first week for both skills. During our rainouts, we were able to work on a worksheet on the effects of drinking water has on the human body and also the effects that dehydration has for the human body.

Sixth

We have continued to work on our gymnastics routine. Students have finished planning their routine and are now working practicing their routine. They were given the day that they will be assessed. Rain has interrupted some of our practice and assessment days. We spent some time wokring on the short term and long term effects that exercise has one the body.

October 13 to October 24 (Start of the Second Quarter)

2008-10-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Kinder

We have started working our our balancing activities. We are learning to make different types of shapes using our bodies. We have learned to use big shapes, medium shapes and small shapes while working with creating letters. We have also worked on balancing on one, two, three, four and five body parts. We are learning how to balance on body parts that are not always the feet.

First Grade

We have started working on our balancing activities. We have learned the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes and have used letters to help us to remember the differences. We have started to learn that we need to create shapes without always using our feet as a base of support. We have also started working on jumping from one or two feet and always landing on two feet. We also have worked on rolling forward. We use a log roll to work on rolling forward during class time.

Third Grade

We have started to work our our gymnastics unit. We have currently learned about the tripod balance and how to hold the balance upside down for at least 5 seconds. We have also learned the proper technique for the forward roll. We have also spent some extra time teaching the students how to spot their partners to keep them safe. We have also spent some time working on the straddle roll. This is very similar to the forward roll but your legs are apart at the start of the skill.

Fifth Grade

We have started to work on our group balancing activities. We have made sure to work on changing our base of support and to avoid going to many levels off of the ground for safety. We have divided the class into groups for their group assessment. Groups have been asked to design five different group balancing activities that they will practice for their group assessment.

Sixth Grade

We have started to work on reviewing our gymnastics activities in anticipation for developing our own routines for assessments. We have practiced the tripod and used the tripod to work on the headstand. We have also started working on the forward roll. We will continue to practice these skills and will work toward developing our individual gymnastic routines. We finished our teaching part of this unit with the cartwheel/roundoff. The major difference between these two skills is how you land. We have started to let the students plan their routine and allowed them to practice the routine during class time.

Health & Fitness (September 29-October 10)

2008-09-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten

We continued to work on our throwing and catching skills. Students were asked to throw a yarn ball to themselves and catch the ball. They were given an assessment on their tossing and catching skills. We also spent some time working on learning about the muscles. We learned that they only contract (get smaller) and for the muscles to go back to full length you just have to relax the muscle. We also learned that the body has skeletal muscles to move you around and cardiac muscles to keep your heart and other cardiac mucles moving.

First Grade

First grade was asked to compile a list of enjoyable and challenging physical activities. The students were then asked to pick four of the activities from the list and draw them onto a piece of paper. The students were also asked to work on their throwing and catching skills. They were assessed on the overhand throw and the underhand throw. We also spent some time working on learning about the muscles. We learned that they only contract (get smaller) and for the muscles to go back to full length you just have to relax the muscle. We also learned that the body has skeletal muscles to move you around and cardiac muscles to keep your heart and other cardiac mucles moving.

Third Grade

We worked on the standard about the components of physical fitness. We learned the five components for physical fitness (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition). We learned how to define each component and discussed the definition for each of the components. We also discussed that the students will be required to take fitness tests that relate to each of the components of physical fitness.

We also spent some time working on learning about the muscles. We learned that they only contract (get smaller) and for the muscles to go back to full length you just have to relax the muscle. We also learned that the body has skeletal muscles to move you around and cardiac muscles to keep your heart and other cardiac mucles moving.

Fifth Grade

We worked on reviewing the compoents of health related physical fitness. We also taught them about the skill related components of physical fitness. We then worked on classifying the activities as health related or skill related and also listed activities for each component. We started working on throwing a Frisbee. We learned the proper technqiue for holding a Frisbee and how to throw the Frisbee for accuracy.

Sixth Grade

We worked on reviewing the compoents of health related physical fitness. We also taught them about the skill related components of physical fitness. We then worked on classifying the activities as health related or skill related and also listed activities for each component.

September 15-26

2008-09-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

Kinder:

We have started our first skill related unit. We have started working on our kicking skills and have incorporated our skills into passing to a partner and also into game activities that focus on proper kicking skills. We also started working on our throwing skills. Our standard is for a student to be able to toss a ball to themselves without the ball bouncing more than two times.

First Grade:

We have continued our kicking skills unit. Our focus is on using the proper technique to pass to our partner and also to develop proper technique for our dribbing (with our foot) skills. We are focusing on skill development and asking other students to give feedback on those skills to help improve our skill level. We are assessing students on these two skills (first grade standards).

We have also started to work on our throwing skills. We are learning the differences between overhand and underhand throwing. We will be taking an assessment on these two skills next week.

Third Grade:

We have continued to work on our kicking skills. Our focus has been on using the instep pass to pass (kick) a ball to our partner. We have also started to work on dribbling while changing directions (zig-zag). We are assessing the students on these two standards.

We are also starting to work on our throwing and catching skills. We have learned to increase the distance of our throws with keeping our accuracy so that a partner still can catch the ball. We are also working on catching a ball while running. We will be taking our assessments on these two skills next week.

Fifth Grade:

We have started our kicking skills unit. We have worked on the instep pass and have been assessed on this skill. We are looking at developing our dribbling skills so that we can control the ball while we are being guarded. We are also working at being able to take a shot at goal while we are being guarded. These are all skills that we will be assessed on (standards).

We have also continued to work on our fitness development. We have spent time learning about the curl up fitness test. We learned about our proper technique that is needed while taking the test. We have also used practice time and had a partner assess our ability to help to develop a better technique. We have started to take our first practice tests for trunk lift and shoulder stretch. Our first mile time has been postponed due to extream weather (heat). We will be working on our first timmed running event next week.

Sixth Grade:

We have started our soccer skills for this unit. We have worked on passing, dribbling, dribbling while being guarded during our class time. We have used partners to help assess our own level of ability to help us to develop our skills to a higher level.

We have also continued to work on our fitness development. We have used partners to assess our skills for both the push up and curl up practice times. Our goal is to use that information to help develop our skills so that we will (ultimately) do better on our fitness tests in the future. We have started to take our first practice tests for trunk lift and shoulder stretch. Our first mile time has been postponed due to extream weather (heat). We will be working on our first timmed running event next week.

H&F (September 2-12)

2008-09-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

Kinder:

We have been spending time working with following directions and following class expectations. This is the key to having a great year in Health & Fitness! We have spent time working on command games so that student will learn how to listen for instructions. We have also spent time working on basic games to work on following directions.

First Grade:

We have been spending our time working on following directions. We have started our first health lesson on the food guide pyramid. We learned that the food guide pyramid is split into different categories that are represented by different colors. We have also been working on soccer skills in kicking and passing. We have started working on our first skills based standards with passing a ball to the partner.

Third Grade:

We have been spending our time working on following directions. We have started our first health lesson on the food guide pyramid. We learned that the food guide pyramid is split into different categories that are represented by different colors. We have also been wokring on soccer skills in kicking and passing. We have started working on our first skills based standards with passing a ball to the partner.

Fifth Grade:
We have been speding our time on team building activities. The goal is to make sure that the students learn how to treat other people in class and how to cooperate with other people. This will be vital to our class (and students) working together toward meeting our standards in Health & Fitness. We have also started working on our fitness standards by learning to proper techniques for our fitness tests. We have also startd working on our movement standards. Currently the fifth grade is working on soccer skills with the goal of taking assessments on the soccer skills during the next week.

Sixth Grade:

We have been speding our time on team building activities. The goal is to make sure that the students learn how to treat other people in class and how to cooperate with other people. This will be vital to our class (and students) working together toward meeting our standards in Health & Fitness. We have also started working on our fitness standards by learning to proper techniques for our fitness tests.

Week of September 15-19

Fifth and Sixth graders will be taking a skills test on the techniques for their curl ups and push ups. Students should be practicing the technique to prepare for the skills test.

H&F (August 18-29)

2008-09-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

All Grades:
Our first two weeks had every class start with the expectations for class (listed below). We spent time learning about the expectations and the students were able to help teach those expectations to the rest of the class.

First/Third Grade:
Our focus was on Hula Hoop skills and bean bag skills: This allowed us the opportunity to teach the students the importance of personal space and how to properly use our equipment without breaking the equipment. We also learned about using the freeze signal so that the teacher can talk with the class.

Fifth/Sixth Grade:
Our focus has been on team building activities. During these activities, the students are given a task to complete. The students must come up with a solution for the task before starting. If they are unable to follow the guidelines for the task they must start over. These activities help to develop cooperation skills and communication skills with our students.

Welcome to the 2008-2009 School Year

2008-08-24T20:16:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Mr. Bassett's Health & Fitness Blog. Over the course of the new school year I will be updating my blog with current events in my Health & Fitness classes. This year has already gotten off to a great start and I wanted to take a few minutes to post my expectations and other important information.

Kindergarten, First and Third Grade Expectations
1) Listen to the teacher
2) Follow Directions
3) Try your best

Fifth & Sixth Grade Expectations
1) Listen to the teacher
2) Follow Directions
3) Participation is required
4) Show the Core Values
5) Always Stay in Class

Grading for Elementary Students
60% for participation
40% for class work

Grading for Junior Academy Students
60% for participation
25% for assessments (Tests, quizzes, etc.)
15% for class work

Other important information:

Non-participation
A student must have a note from a parent for dismissal from one day's activity. Students will be given an alternative assignment for the day.
A student must have a note from a doctor for dismissal for more than one consecutive day. Students will also be given an alternative assignment for the time the student isn't allowed to participate.

Attire/Dress
All students should wear clothing that is acceptable for movement. Please wear shoes that is acceptable for movement as well.

Water
Students are allowed to bring water bottles to class. Those students who are running the mile in a specific class period are also allowed to bring a Gatorade or PowerAid as well. No soda or juice will be allowed.

April 21-25

2008-04-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

First Grade:
This week the first graders worked on a variety of items. They worked on hula hoops, jump ropes and partner activities throughout the week.

Third Grade:
The third graders worked on a walking unit this week. The goal is to work on getting your heart rate up for an extended period while walking. We also worked on long jump ropes and cooperative skills for taking turns during our time.

Fifth Grade:
We continue to stay focused on fitness testing. Our testing window's end is approaching so we continue to allow students the opportunity to test and retest the skills that they have not currently passed. We have also worked on long jump rope skills. The end of the week had us using the computer lab. We worked on an assignment about heart rate, pulse, target heart rate and heart rate zones. The blog entry below will allow you the opportunity to see some of the information below that the students worked on. Many of the students took the assignment home to finish and they need to return the assignment on Monday or Tuesday to work on the second part of the assignment.

Sixth Grade:
We continued to work on fitness testing as well. We continue to give opportunities for testing to each student. We also worked on jump rope skills and walking for fitness as the two major activities for this short week.

Interactive Heart Lesson & Worksheet

2008-04-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

Section 1: Information about the Heart
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/heart_noSW.html

Section 2: Finding your pulse
http://www.tutorials.com/09/0902/09021.asp

Section 3: Finding your target heart rate yourself
Use the calculator function on your computer by going to the start button, programs, accessories and then to calculator.

Section 4: Karvonen Formula (Best way to determine target heart rate zones)
http://www.briancalkins.com/HeartRate.htm

Section 5: Activity Time (outside)
Go outside to the basketball courts and participate in two of the activities below.
1) Individual Jump Rope
2) Long Jump Rope (Groups of three only)
3) Walking around the track (on the blacktop)
4) Trowing & Catching with one partner (Yarn Balls only)

Please listen for the signal to return to the computer lab.

Section 6-7: Short Answer
Please answer the questions listed on the worksheet.

When completed, make sure that you turn in your worksheet and that your name (first and last), homebase teacher and date are located on the front cover.

April 14-18 (Start of Fourth Quarter)

2008-04-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

First Grade:
This week the first graders worked on a health lesson. We learned about opposites while using a worksheet on baseball. We defined different baseball terms and listed the opposite meaning for each term. We also worked on a worksheet about how exercise helps your body. Using a word bank, we listed five things that exercise does to help our body (eyes brighter, heart stronger, not out of breath, shoulders straighter and muscles stronger).

The rest of the week was spent working on scooter board skills. We worked on cooperation by taking turns and working with a partner. We worked on personal space and avoiding obstacles that were placed in our area. Students were asked to push a partner and pull a partner during different activities throughout the day. On Friday, the first graders were able to show off for a group of Cal Poly Pomona students who came to see our Physical Education classes. We reviewed the circulatory system and worked on the standards that relate to heart knowledge.

Third Grade:
This week started with a health review on two topics. First, we worked on making healthy food choices by creating a menu for one day. Students were able to select different foods from a food bank to make their own menu. The second activity involved the students working on reviewing their heart knowledge. The students were given a word bank that they used to fill in missing words in a sentence.

The rest of the week was spent working on scooter board skills. We worked on cooperation by taking turns and working with a partner. We worked on personal space and avoiding obstacles that were placed in our area. Students were asked to push a partner and pull a partner during different activities throughout the day.

Fifth Grade:
This week started by completing two worksheets. The first worksheet was on the muscles. Students were asked to label the different muscles in the body after reading information about each muscle. The second worksheet was on the skeletal system. Students were asked a series of questions on the skeleton and also asked to find words that related to the skeleton and the worksheet.

The rest of the week focused on fitness testing. We are currently giving tests for the FitnessGram fitness tests for the state of California. We worked on giving the curl up test, trunk lift tests, sit & reach test, shoulder test and the mile run test. While not taking tests, the students were given the task of jumping a long jump rope in a small group. This is actually a standard for the fifth grade where students must jump a long jump rope that is being turned by others.

Sixth Grade
This week started by completing two worksheets. The first worksheet was on the muscles. Students were asked to label the different muscles in the body after reading information about each muscle. The second worksheet was on the skeletal system. Students were asked a series of questions on the skeleton and also asked to find words that related to the skeleton and the worksheet.

The rest of the week focused on fitness testing. We are currently giving tests for the FitnessGram fitness tests for the state of California. We worked on giving the curl up test, trunk lift tests, sit & reach test, shoulder test and the mile run test. While not taking tests, the students were given the task of jumping a long jump rope in a small group.

March 17-20

2008-03-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

First Grade:
This week we worked on the parachute. We spent time working cooperatively with various parachute activities. We were also able to work with our new buddies, Ali the Alligator and Dino the Dinosaur. These two buddies like to fly high in the sky but only when students work together.

Third Grade:
This week we worked on Track & Field. In anticipation for Mt. SAC, we started working on the events that students can participate in during the relays. We like for all of the students to learn about the events for a track meet even if they are not going to Mt. SAC. We worked on four stations during the week. Station one was the 50 yard dash and represented the sprinting events. The modified javelin represents one of the field events. This event has been modified to throw a bean bag for safety reasons. The third station was the standing broad jump and it represents the jumping field events. The last station was the relay station and represents the various relays that students can compete in. Students were given the opportunity to rotate from one station to the next throughout the class period. Wednesday & Thursday we set up to run the half mile again. Students were encouraged to work on pacing themselves and trying their best.

Fifth Grade:
This week we worked on Track & Field. In anticipation for Mt. SAC, we started working on the events that students can participate in during the relays. We like for all of the students to learn about the events for a track meet even if they are not going to Mt. SAC. We worked on six stations throughout the class period. Students were given a Track & Field worksheet that they needed to answer questions about each station. Each station was equipped with a task card listing some important information about each event, types of events, safety issues for that station and a task to complete for that station. The stations included sprints, relays, hurdles, jumps, modified javelin and shot put. Wednesday & Thursday we spent our time running the mile. We are working on the FitnessGram tests for cardiovascular endurance. Our goal is to get the students to get their scores into the healthy fitness zones.

Sixth Grade:
This week we worked on Track & Field. In anticipation for Mt. SAC, we started working on the events that students can participate in during the relays. We like for all of the students to learn about the events for a track meet even if they are not going to Mt. SAC. We worked on six stations throughout the class period. Students were given a Track & Field worksheet that they needed to answer questions about each station. Each station was equipped with a task card listing some important information about each event, types of events, safety issues for that station and a task to complete for that station. The stations included sprints, relays, hurdles, jumps, modified javelin and shot put. The sixth graders were given the additional activity of a pedometer assessment. Students were required to take 2,000 steps during class to receive all 5 participation points for the day. A rubric was created to grade the students based on how many steps that they had taken during the class period. Wednesday & Thursday we spent our time running the mile. We are working on the FitnessGram tests for cardiovascular endurance. Our goal is to get the students to get their scores into the healthy fitness zones.

NEXT WEEK'S GOALS:
First: Paddles
Third: Track & Field
Fifth: Track & Field
Sixth: Track & Field

March 10-14

2008-03-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not posting in the last few weeks. Life has gotten in the way of reporting what my classes have been doing.

First Grade:
This week the first graders worked on soccer skills. We continue to work on the instep pass and trapping the ball. For game time, we worked on a passing accuracy game where students received points for the accuracy of their kicks. We also had an activity where students developed their own soccer golf course. Students used our equipment to design a tee, hole and obstacles.

Third Grade:
This week the third graders continued to work on their soccer skills. We continue to work on the instep pass and trapping the ball. We had an activity where students developed their own soccer golf course. Students used our equipment to design a tee, hole and obstacles. We also spent a couple of days working on team building activities. During my recent absence I was able to attend my state conference for physical education teachers. The Health & Fitness department chipped in to purchase some new equipment. We used the equipment to work with a partner on cooperative skills and then used the same skills while working in a group.

Fifth Grade:
This week the fifth graders worked on their soccer skills. We developed a soccer golf course for our activity time. We worked on the creativity to make each hole challenging. Students also spent time working on their fitness development during an activity called four corners. The students were to move from one of the stations to the next with little downtime. We discussed that the four corners activity was a time to work on cardiovascular development. Cardiovascular endurance works on developing the heart as a muscle. The stronger the heart is the better the students can perform tasks like running and bike riding for long periods. We also spent a couple of days working on team building activities. During my recent absence I was able to attend my state conference for physical education teachers. The Health & Fitness department chipped in to purchase some new equipment. We used the equipment to work with a partner on cooperative skills and then used the same skills while working in a group.

Sixth Grade:
The first goal for the week was to finish our gymnastics assessments. We've been working on our gymnastics routine for a few weeks in between other activities and bad weather. Students who have not finished their assessments need to make arrangements with Mr. Bassett to complete the assignment before or after school. We also spent a couple of days working on team building activities. During my recent absence I was able to attend my state conference for physical education teachers. The Health & Fitness department chipped in to purchase some new equipment. We used the equipment to work with a partner on cooperative skills and then used the same skills while working in a group.

Next Week's Goals:
First:
Third: Track & Field, Half-Mile Run (Wednesday and Thursday)
Fifth: Track & Field, Mile Run (Wednesday and Thursday)
Sixth: Track & Field, Mile Run (Wednesday and Thursday)

Week 24 (February 25-29)

2008-02-27T18:59:00.001-08:00

First Grade:
This week the first graders worked on rhythms. We were able to work on animal walks. Animals walks have the students work on different rhythm skills for moving. We spent much of the week working on animal walks for elephants, snakes, frogs, penguins, birds, bears, dogs, cheetahs and chickens.

Third Grade:
This week has been spent working on the new pedometers. The students reviewed the procedures for using the pedometers and practices putting on the pedometers throughout the week. We spent our time working on fitness development on upper body and cardiovascular endurance. We also worked on gymnastics skills for the third grade levels. We worked on forward rolls and straddle rolls during our lesson focus. On Thursday and Friday the students participated in a half mile-timed run. This is the third time that the students have been timed. We are focusing on improving their times for the half mile and trying to run as much of the half mile as possible.

Fifth Grade:
Our focus for this week has also been on the pedometers. We spent part of the week working on the introductory lesson on the pedometers. We worked on a worksheet to fill in the answers for the buttons, different modes, uses and student responsibilities while wearing the pedometers. After the introductory lesson was completed we worked on a lesson for pedometer placement. Students were asked to participate in five trials. Each trail asked the students to reset their pedometers to zero and taking 100 steps while counting. At the end of the 100 steps (counting) they looked at the pedometer and wrote down what the pedometer said. They moved the location of the pedometer on their waistband and completed a new trail. When all five trails were finished the students were asked to find the most accurate location to place their pedometers. The location that had the number at 100 steps or as close to 100 steps was the most accurate. On Thursday and Friday we spent class time running a timed mile. This is to help with the FitnessGram test for cardiovascular endurance.

Sixth Grade
Our focus for this week was for a lesson for pedometer placement. Students were asked to participate in five trials. Each trail asked the students to reset their pedometers to zero and taking 100 steps while counting. At the end of the 100 steps (counting) they looked at the pedometer and wrote down what the pedometer said. They moved the location of the pedometer on their waistband and completed a new trail. When all five trails were finished the students were asked to find the most accurate location to place their pedometers. The location that had the number at 100 steps or as close to 100 steps was the most accurate. On Thursday and Friday we spent class time running a timed mile. This is to help with the FitnessGram test for cardiovascular endurance.

Week 23 (February 19-22)

2008-02-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

First Grade:
We spent this week working on some health lessons. We spent two days working on classifying activities as being physically active so that it helps your heart. We spent time reviewing that activities that help the heart gets the heart pumping faster. Things that make us move really slowly or not moving at all will not help our hearts to stay healthy. We also worked on an activity about baseball. This activity encouraged students to work on their critical thinking skills by placing the players into a lineup based on the directions.

Third Grade:
We spent this week working on some health lessons. We spent two days working on the skeletal system. We learned that the bones have more than one name for themselves. We have names that are technical in nature and would be used by a medical doctor. We also have names that are common names that we would use in every day life while talking with other people. We also spent a few days working on the respiratory system. We learned how we breath in and out depends on the diaphragm and how it moves. This connects to one of our physical education standards that talks about breathing in physical activity.

Fifth Grade:
We spent this week working on some health lessons. We spent two days working on the muscles. We learned about the different types of muscles and their uses in the human body. We learned about the function of muscles is to move and also a little about the muscle anatomy (Origin, Insertion).

Sixth Grade:
We spent this week working on some health lessons. We spent most of the week working on the Super Size Me DVD. We wanted to finish the video by the end of the week. We also worked on a worksheet that asked students three questions about their experience watching the video. We may get an opportunity to watch a DVD extra (from SuperSize Me) on another day but we are finished with the video. It was the hope that this video will force the students to reflect on the choices of food that they make. I hope that they will make better choices while eating and avoid eating out frequently.

Exciting things happening in H&F

2008-02-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

The beginning of this year (2008) has given us some excitement in Health & Fitness.

First, thanks to Ms. Mosqueda, the school has been participating in the California Governor's Challenge. We have received an award for one of the regional schools in Los Angeles. We will be receiving a $1,000 grant for our efforts and have been moved to the next round. If we continue to show that the students are active a minimum of 4 days a week for at least 30 minutes a day we can still win more money for our Health & Fitness program.

Check out the Governor's Fitness Challenge for more information

Second, we have received funds from a FEDCO grant (from Cal Poly Pomona) to purchase pedometers for our classes. We now have two brand new class sets to use in Health & Fitness. We will be completing some lessons and projects to fulfill the grant funding.

Check out the Walk 4 Life web site for information about the new pedometers.

Third, we have an upcoming event on April 19, 2008. If we are able to have 65 people from SJEA attend this event the Health & Fitness department will receive a grant for equipment. Any student, teacher, staff, faculty, parent and other community members are able to participate and count towards our 65 people. The more people we get to sign up for school the more money we can win.

Check out the Fitness Challenge Web Site for the California Speedway Challenge.
You can register here if you'd like to attend and register online. The cost is FREE!!!

Lastly, we've submitted our school for a grant from Hamburger Helper. They have a community grant that is designed to help hometowns. The grant proposal is for $15,000 to purchase heart rate monitors for students. This funding will allow us to purchase one class set, fitness testing center, pocket PC for downloading information, training and maintenance for the heart rate monitors.

To show your support for the school, please visit here. Don't forget to leave a comment!

Week 22 (February 11-15)

2008-02-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the week I was absent from school. All of my classes combined with one of the other health & Fitness teachers and worked on lessons with their classes.

First Grade:
This week we worked on the food pyramid guide the the classes. We actually finished working on the food pyramid with a couple of the first grade classes after completing the same lesson with other classes a few weeks ago. The key was working on classifying foods into the new food pyramid guide.

Third Grade:
This week we worked on the food pyramid guide the the classes. We actually finished working on the food pyramid with a couple of the third grade classes after completing the same lesson with other classes a few weeks ago. The key was working on classifying foods into the new food pyramid guide.

Fifth Grade:
This week we worked on lessons on the heart. We reviewed heart anatomy and function that were taught earlier this year in Health & Fitness and also in the fifth grade science classes. We used a worksheet where we read all of the information about the heart and then completed a worksheet that had the students answer questions about the heart and also labeling the parts of the heart. Heart anatomy is a science standard for the fifth grade and we use heart anatomy to explain the importance of oxygen being moved to the muscles through breathing and the heart pumping the blood.

Sixth Grade:
We worked inside of the computer lab this week. We used the web site mypyramid.gov to work on developing a healthy daily diet for students. The web site allows students to put in their age and their activity levels and will produce information about a healthy diet for each student. The students used this information to fill out a worksheet. Some of the students were able to print out their information and take them home. Some of the computers would not allow the students to print out their information so they will receive the worksheet when they have been corrected.

Goals for next week:
First: Gymnastics/Tumbling Skills
Third: Soccer skills
Fifth: Soccer Skills and pedometer skills
Sixth: Gymnastics, developing a routine for their assessment & practicing for the assessment.

NOTE: We will be trying to run the mile for the fifth & sixth graders on Thursday and Friday of next week (weather permitting). We will also have the third graders run the half mile.

Week 21 (February 4-8)

2008-02-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

First:
This week the first graders worked with the yarn balls. The goal was to continue to work on throwing and catching skills. The yarn balls also can be used for cooperative activities where the students work together to perform a task.

Third:
This week had the students working on gymnastics skills. We have reviewed the process of the tripod (balance activity). We reviewed not only the technique of the tripod but the spotting (helping) procedures for the tripod so that the students will stay safe.

The students then were taught the correct procedures for the forward roll. Students should place their hands down on the mat about shoulder width apart. They want to bend their neck into their chest, round their backs and make contact with the mat using the back of their head (this makes it easier to perform a forward roll). The last goal is to kick their legs up and tuck them into their body as they roll. The spotting technique is a little more complicated for the forward roll. The spotting student should be kneeling at the side of the gymnastics mat. The closest hand to the performer should cradle the neck and the far hand should reach round to grab the performers legs. This will allow two different safety habits to occur. First, the close hand will force the performer to tuck their neck into their chest and will also aid in the rounding of the back. Second, the far hand will help a performer develop enough speed to go through the full range of motion. Without enough speed a performer would, in essence, fall on themselves because of the lack of forward momentum.

Fifth:
This week we had the students working on gymnastics skills. We have taught the tripod to the fifth graders. This is a review from previous physical education lessons during an earlier grade. We taught the students to place their hands on the mat a little more than shoulder width apart and to make a large triangle using their head. The head must make contact with the mat on their hairline. If the head contacts the mat on the top of their head the student will want to roll over (not the correct skill) or if the contact is made on their forehead the students may strain their neck. The goal is then to lift each leg up off of the ground so that it rests on the back of the arm. A good tripod shows a balanced stance for at least five seconds.

Sixth:
This week had the students also working on gymnastics skills. We have reviewed the procedures for the tripod and also the spotting technique for the tripod. The goal is to keep the students safe while showing proper spotting techniques.

The students then were taught the correct procedures for the forward roll. Students should place their hands down on the mat about shoulder width apart. They want to bend their neck into their chest, round their backs and make contact with the mat using the back of their head (this makes it easier to perform a forward roll). The last goal is to kick their legs up and tuck them into their body as they roll. The spotting technique is a little more complicated for the forward roll. The spotting student should be kneeling at the side of the gymnastics mat. The closest hand to the performer should cradle the neck and the far hand should reach round to grab the performers legs. This will allow two different safety habits to occur. First, the close hand will force the performer to tuck their neck into their chest and will also aid in the rounding of the back. Second, the far hand will help a performer develop enough speed to go through the full range of motion. Without enough speed a performer would, in essence, fall on themselves because of the lack of forward momentum.

At the end of the week the sixth graders were taught how to perform a cartwheel. We taught the students how to place their hands to lock their elbows. Without locking the elbows the students would have to support the full weight using only their upper body strength (not easy to do). They should also keep their eyes focused on the ground between their hands to help with their balance. They should also kick their legs up directly over their hands and land with their feet one in front of the other while facing the direction they traveled from. Spotting a cartwheel is difficult. First thing you have to do is find out which way the perform is going to do a cartwheel (start with the left or right hand). Without finding out which way the performer will go it can cause the performer to kick the spotter across the face. Always stand on the side of than first hand that will make contact with the floor. Then the spotter will take the closest hand to grab the performers waist and the opposite hand will grab the opposite hip. The goal of the spotter is to, first, keep the legs and hips over the hands for balance. Second, the goal is to help the performer get enough speed to complete the cartwheel. Without enough speed the performer will fall on their hands.

Week 20 (January 28-February 1)

2008-01-28T07:53:00.000-08:00

First:
This week we had to change our plans. With the recent rain the field does not have a lot of area without water or mud being present. We ended up changing to work on jumping rope. The kids are working on learning to jump forwards and backwards.

Third:
This week we had to change our plans. With the recent rain the field does not have a lot of area without water or mud being present. We ended up changing to work on jumping rope. The goal is to have the kids get their heart rates up. We also made connections to our standards that talk about moderate to vigorous physical activities. We had the students check their heart rates multiple times and had them figure out of they were at least at a moderate level (60% of Maximum Heart Rate).

Fifth:
This week we had to change our plans. With the recent rain the field does not have a lot of area without water or mud being present. We ended up changing to work on jumping rope. The goal is to have the kids get their heart rates up. We also made connections to our standards that talk about moderate to vigorous physical activities. We had the students check their heart rates multiple times and had them figure out of they were at least at a moderate level (60% of Maximum Heart Rate).

The fifth graders also continued to work on their fitness testing. The window to begin the fitness tests are just about a month away. We continue to focus on the mile run (cardiovascular endurance test), push up test (upper body strength & endurance test) and the curl up test (abdominal strength and endurance test).

Sixth:
This week we had to change our plans. With the recent rain the field does not have a lot of area without water or mud being present. We ended up changing to work on jumping rope. The goal is to have the kids get their heart rates up. We also made connections to our standards that talk about moderate to vigorous physical activities. We had the students check their heart rates multiple times and had them figure out of they were at least at a moderate level (60% of Maximum Heart Rate).

The sixth graders also continued to work on their fitness testing. The window to begin the fitness tests are just about a month away. We continue to focus on the mile run (cardiovascular endurance test), push up test (upper body strength & endurance test) and the curl up test (abdominal strength and endurance test).

Week 19 (January 21-25) End of Quarter 2

2008-01-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

First Grade:
This week the first graders spent most of the week working on their musical performance.

Third Grade:
This week was difficult to schedule due to the weather. We spent a few days this week signing up for the Governor's Fitness Challenge. Students went onto the web site (www.calgovcouncil.org) and signed up to enter their own personal data. The students used an email address (their school one if they didn't have another one) to sign up. The students were then instructed to start logging their fitness times (30+ minutes of activity a day) on their own. The students will use their email address and password to access the web site.

Fifth Grade:
This week was difficult to schedule due to the weather. We spent a few days this week signing up for the Governor's Fitness Challenge. Students went onto the web site (www.calgovcouncil.org) and signed up to enter their own personal data. The students used an email address (their school one if they didn't have another one) to sign up. The students were then instructed to start logging their fitness times (30+ minutes of activity a day) on their own. The students will use their email address and password to access the web site.

Sixth Grade:
This week was difficult to schedule due to the weather. We ended up starting our lessons on the Super Size Me DVD. The students watched part one where they were asked to take a pre-test. They will take the same test (on the DVD) at the end to determine if they learned anything. The students watched the first part of the DVD where Morgan Spurlock goes to the doctor and explains why he wants to participate in this experiment. We also spent part of class making predictions for what will happen to Morgan by the end of the 30 days that he only eats at McDonalds.

NEXT WEEK:
Our goal is to start quarter three by heading outside and working on gymnastics and tumbling skills but the forecast predicts more rain.

Week 18 (January 15-18)

2008-01-15T09:41:00.001-08:00

First Grade
This week we continued to work on hula hoops. The focus was to work on balancing activities. We worked on balancing on different body parts, some inside the hula hoop and some outside. We also spent time working on a hula hoop horse shoe game where points were scored for a yarn ball being thrown underhand into the hula hoops. This worked on our underhand throwing standards as well as personal space standards with the hula hoops. We also incorporated using locomotor skills into our class by having the students perform different locomotor skills while avoiding the hula hoops that were resting on the floor.

Third Grade
On Tuesday, we had the third graders work on hula hoop skills. We worked on hula hooping around different body parts (neck, waist and feet). We also worked on some balance skills with them. We spent a lot of time working on manipulative skills with the hula hoops. We worked on throwing the hula hoop under control, spinning the hula hoop, walking the hula hoop and also worked with jumping rope with the hula hoop.

On Wednesday and Thursday the students ran their second half mile. The students are working at their running tests that are required when they get older. We kept the distance at a half mile and they will build up to running the mile by their fifth grade year. After finishing the mile the students learned to report their scores to a teacher and started to walk for a cool down exercise. This way their muscles can recover and the students will not be sore or hurting afterwards as much.

Fifth Grade
We started on Tuesday by working on a team building activity. The students were given a movement problem that they were asked to solve. The students had to come up with an answer and try to see if their solution worked. If they were unsuccessful, they were required to start over and either revise their solution or come up with a new solution. We also spent time working on fitness development. We are trying to concentrate on developing upper body strength. The fitness scores from last year for SJEA had our fifth graders not doing as well in their push up tests as other schools so it is something we would like to work on for our test this year. We also continued to work on curl ups and working on developing cardiovascular endurance through running.

On Wednesday and Thursday we spent class time running our mile for January. We are trying to improve upon our times from our last mile.

Sixth Grade
We started on Tuesday by working on a team building activity. The students were given a movement problem that they were asked to solve. The students had to come up with an answer and try to see if their solution worked. If they were unsuccessful, they were required to start over and either revise their solution or come up with a new solution. We also spent time working on fitness development. We are trying to concentrate on developing upper body strength. The fitness scores from last year for SJEA had our fifth graders not doing as well in their push up tests as other schools so it is something we would like to work on for our test this year. We also continued to work on curl ups and working on developing cardiovascular endurance through running.

On Wednesday and Thursday we spent class time running our mile for January. We are trying to improve upon our times from our last mile.

NEXT WEEKS GOALS:
First Grade: Gymnastics and Tumbling Skills
Third Grade: Gymnastics and Tumbling Skills
Fifth Grade: Gymnastics and Tumbling Skills
Sixth Grade: Gymnastics and Tumbling Skills

FITNESS CHALLENGE

2008-01-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that San Jose Edison Academy has been entered into a fitness challenge that is hosted by the state of California. Our kindergarten to fifth grade students have been entered as a school into the elementary challenge and the sixth graders through eighth graders have been entered into the middle school challenge.

The challenge is to get kids moving in physical activities. The challenge requires the students to track their fitness and physical activities for the month of January. If our school is able to have the highest percentage of participants of the schools entered in the challenge we will be in the running to receive a $100,000 award for a fitness lab.

So, please grab the kids and head outside. Practice any physical activity and it will help SJEAs chances at winning a fitness lab. Don't forget to track and record that type of activities and the amount of time you are participating in each activity.

GOOD LUCK AND GET MOVING!

Week 17 (January 7-11)

2008-01-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome back from Winter Break!

First Grade
The first two days were spent working on understanding more about the body and healthy food choices. The first thing we worked on was learning the definitions for terms on the body. We learned that muscles either contract (tighten up) or are in a state of rest. We also learned that the body has two different types of muscles. Voluntary muscles are those muscles that help you move and you choose to move them for physical activities. Involuntary muscles are those muscles that move without us having to think about moving them. The heart is the biggest involuntary muscle in the body. We also spent time picking three healthy food choices out of a list of five foods. We worked at finding the healthiest option in the lists provided.

The rest of the week had us working on hula hoop skills. We spent time reviewing personal space and that we don't want to be close enough to another person to hit them with the hula hoops. We worked on using the hula hoop on different body parts like the neck, waist, arms and legs. We also spent time working on balance skills and levels. With balance we had the students balance on different body parts. We asked the students to balance on 3, 4 and 5 body parts and enjoyed the creativity that the students performed this task. We also worked on the different levels of low, medium and high. We finished the class by working on locomotor skills as we traveled in the area without crashing into others or going into the hula hoops.

Third Grade
The first two days were spent working on an important standard for third grade. This standard asks students to learn and understand the five components of physical fitness. The five components are cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition and flexibility. The students were given a definition for each of the five components. We also worked on a crossword puzzle that asked about the heart.

The rest of the week was designated for team building activities and fitness. We spent some time working on the push up fitness test. We are working at technique at this point while doing push ups against the fence. We increased our repetitions and worked at two sets instead of one. We will work at making the push up progression harder as the weeks go on until we take our fitness tests. We also worked on team building activities. We spent time working on communication skills and following directions in two different activities. First, we worked on the game of knots where students are to untangle themselves. The second activity involved students working together to reorder themselves without talking. We reordered ourselves from the smallest to the tallest and also by birthdays. The key was learning that communication comes in more than one form and without proper communication it is difficult to follow directions.

Fifth Grade
The first two days were spent working on a team challenge. The students were placed into teams and asked questions. Students were required to write down their group answer for each question and would receive points for correct answers. When finished the students were given a self reflection worksheet that asked them about how the did with the activity, working with their groups and how well they followed the directions.

The rest of the week was designated for team building activities and fitness. We spent some time working on the push up fitness test. We are working at technique at this point while doing push ups against the fence. We increased our repetitions and worked at two sets instead of one. We will work at making the push up progression harder as the weeks go on until we take our fitness tests. We also worked on team building activities. We spent time working on communication skills and following directions in two different activities. First, we worked on the game of knots where students are to untangle themselves. The second activity involved students working together to reorder themselves without talking. We reordered ourselves from the smallest to the tallest and also by birthdays. The key was learning that communication comes in more than one form and without proper communication it is difficult to follow directions.

Sixth Grade
The first two days were spent working on a team challenge. The students were placed into teams and asked questions. Students were required to write down their group answer for each question and would receive points for correct answers. When finished the students were given a self reflection worksheet that asked them about how the did with the activity, working with their groups and how well they followed the directions. Students were also given information about the Super Size Me video that we will be watching in the coming weeks during Health & Fitness.

The rest of the week was designated for team building activities and fitness. We spent some time working on the push up fitness test. We are working at technique at this point while doing push ups against the fence. We increased our repetitions and worked at two sets instead of one. We will work at making the push up progression harder as the weeks go on until we take our fitness tests. We also worked on team building activities. We spent time working on communication skills and following directions in two different activities. First, we worked on the game of knots where students are to untangle themselves. The second activity involved students working together to reorder themselves without talking. We reordered ourselves from the smallest to the tallest and also by birthdays. The key was learning that communication comes in more than one form and without proper communication it is difficult to follow directions.

NEW STATE LAW: Back at the end of November a new law was passed in the state of California. Until recently, high schools were able to exempt students from taking physical education in the 11th and 12th grades. Most of the students were given the exemption unless they had not completed 9th or 10th grade physical education. The new state law has changed the law so that students must pass 5 of the 6 physical fitness tests in order to earn the exemption from physical education. The physical fitness tests are for cardiovascular endurance (mile run, PACER test or walk test for students 15 years old and older), upper body strength test (push ups, flexed arm hang or modified pull ups), abdominal test (curl ups), flexibility test #1 (shoulder stretch or sit & reach test), flexibility test #2 (trunk lift test) and body composition test (Height & Weight to record BMI, skinfold test or bioelectrical impedance test).

Please work with you child to help them achieve a passing score on their 9th grade physical fitness test. These are the same tests that students are required to test in fifth and seventh grade. We also work with the fourth graders, sixth graders and eighth graders so that they can continue taking practicing their fitness tests.

Parent & Guardian Permission

2008-01-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome back from our Winter Break!

Below you will find a copy of a letter that will be sent home with the sixth grade students. If you have any questions/comments about this, please contact me at school.

Dear Parents & Guardians,

During the 2007-2008 school year, the Health & Fitness classes have spent time teaching the students about the Food Pyramid Guide and the benefits of proper nutrition for physical activity. We would like to continue teaching about nutrition through a video that was released in 2004.

Super Size Me was produced by Morgan Spurlock who set out to spend a full month eating fast food items from McDonalds. The video shows how this lifestyle can have a negative effect on the body. After the video’s release, Morgan re-edited the video to remove inappropriate language and inappropriate scenes from the movie. He has also added some educational segments and added lessons that are linked to national education standards.

Since the movie is rated PG and because of the nature of the video I wanted to send home this notice to the parents and guardians. If you have any concerns about the video that you would like to discuss with a Health & Fitness teacher, please contact your child’s Health & Fitness teacher.

If you would prefer that your child not watch the video, please notify the Health & Fitness teacher stating that you would like for your child to be excluded from the video.

Video information can be found online at:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521/

Thank you,
Mr. Bassett
Health & Fitness Teacher

Physical Activities during Winter Break

2007-12-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

We have three weeks off this winter break. During that time many people can forget to exercise. Below you will find some things that you can do to get yourself moving and to exercise. Find someone to go with you or make it a family outing.

Current research is encouraging people to exercise at least 60 minutes a day. People should participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes but they do not have to participate in 60 continuous minutes.

Exercises you can try:

Play basketball
Play soccer
Play football
Ride a bike
Go to a park
Walk around a park or the neighborhood
Play tag
Jump Rope
Hula Hoop
Go on a hike
Swimming (make sure its a heated pool first)
Fitness Exercises (Curl Ups, Push Ups, plank position, etc.)
Try a new sport that you want to learn

Week 16 (December 10-14)

2007-12-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

Friday (last week) and Monday: Third, Fifth and Sixth Grades
The students stayed in on Friday of last week and Monday of this week. We worked on a health lesson and adapted the lesson to meet the standards for each grade level. First, we worked on breaking down the vocabulary to the standard so that we all understood the language behind the standard. We broke down the vocabulary for moderate, vigorous and physical activity. We then worked on learning the six responses that the body has for moderate to vigorous physical activity. The six responses include: increase in body temperature, increase in heart rate, sweating, harder to talk, feeling just past the comfortable stage, and increase in breathing. We discussed what each of these responses included and made connections to each response inside of physical education. We also spent time learning about the maximum heart rate (220-your age) and the intensity levels for moderate exercise (50-70% of your maximum heart rate) and vigorous exercise (71-85% of your maximum heart rate).

First Grade
We started the week off by working on a new fitness activity. Students played rock-paper-scissors but with a twist. When a student won a round of rock-paper-scissors they would run to one end of the court and the non-winners ran to the opposite end of the court. Then they would challenge a new person and continue the process. Next, we worked on group cooperation skills. We divide up the students into a group and had them work on giving high fives to make a pattern in their group. Next, we added a playground ball into each group and had them pass the ball around (using the same pattern). We worked on chest passes and bounce passes. Finally, we played a game of Pin with each group. One person would roll the ball toward a pin (cone). If you touched the pin with the ball your team received 1 point. If you knocked over the pin you would receive 3 points. Taking turns was the focus of the activity.

Third Grade
This week we worked on basketball skills. First, we learned how to dribble (with our hands). We learned that you use the pads of your hands to dribble (not the fingertips or the palm) and that you want the ball to bounce up to the waist. We also learned to keep our head up to see what is going on around us. We worked at dribbling while stationary and while moving. Second, we worked on passing skills. We learned how to perform both a chest pass and a bounce pass. In the chest pass we hold the back side of the ball, take a step, snap our wrist and the ball should travel to your partner's chest. On a bounce pass we hold the back side of the ball, take a step, push the ball into the ground and the ball should bounce up to our partner's chest after hitting the ground. We spent time practicing these skills.

Fifth Grade
This week we worked on basketball skills. First, we learned how to dribble (with our hands). We learned that you use the pads of your hands to dribble (not the fingertips or the palm) and that you want the ball to bounce up to the waist. We also learned to keep our head up to see what is going on around us. We worked at dribbling while stationary and while moving. Second, we worked on passing skills. We learned how to perform both a chest pass and a bounce pass. In the chest pass we hold the back side of the ball, take a step, snap our wrist and the ball should travel to your partner's chest. On a bounce pass we hold the back side of the ball, take a step, push the ball into the ground and the ball should bounce up to our partner's chest after hitting the ground. We spent time practicing these skills.

Sixth Grade
This week the sixth graders worked on paddle tennis skills. We first reviewed the safety rules so that we would stay safe in our activity. We learned that we use the handshake grip to work on the forehand pass. We worked in stations while practicing ball control skills and hitting the ball against the ball wall. We worked at the sixth grade standard 1.2 by hitting a ball against a wall with a partner. We also worked at standard 1.4 that has us hitting a ball (using a paddle) so it travels in the intended direction.

Friday (Third, Fifth and Sixth Grades)
On Friday we had a shortened period because of the minimum day schedule. We played two "winter" holiday games that were found on pecentral.com. This web site is designed to give lesson ideas for physical education teachers. We played a tag game called Freeze and Thaw tag. We also played How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Week 15 (December 3-7)

2007-12-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

First Grade
This week we worked on basketball skills. We spent time learning how to dribble a basketball (head up, use the pads of your hands, push ball into ground and the ball should never go above your waist) before spending time practicing dribbling. We also worked on ball handling skills and passing to their partner.

Third Grade
This week started with us working on an extension activity to our visitiation from Katy Sullivan. We worked on a thank you card for Katy that will be given to her at a later date. We also connected the SJEA core values to the talk that Katy gave us.

Wednesday and Thursday allowed us the opportunity to run a half mile. Our goal is to introduce running to the students. We are practicing the running procedures that are required for the mile and we are also working on recording the half mile times. We spent the rest of the day walking around the track to cool down and to help remove the lactic acid from our system. The students learned that lactic acid is a build up of colorless liquid that the muscles produce when they are tired. The lactic acid build up causes us to feel sore and tired. By walking after the run it allows our cardiovascular system to remove the lactic acid from our muscles and to filter them out of the body.

Fifth Grade
This week started with us working on an extension activity to our visitiation from Katy Sullivan. We worked on a thank you card for Katy that will be given to her at a later date. We also connected the SJEA core values to the talk that Katy gave us.

On Wednesday and Thursday we worked on running the mile. When finished the students completed a new version of the mile wrap up worksheet. The students were asked a self reflection question on if they have been able to improve on the mile and why/why have they not improved.

Sixth Grade
We started the week off by writing a thank you letter to Katy Sullivan for coming to visit with us last week. We incorporated the core values into the letter by expressing the core value that we learned from Katy. Afterwards, we worked on our fitness levels and reviewed the process for the mile.

On Wednesday and Thursday we worked on running the mile. When finished the students completed a new version of the mile wrap up worksheet. The students were asked a self reflection question on if they have been able to improve on the mile and why/why have they not improved.

Week 14 (November 26-30)

2007-11-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

First Grade
This week started with learning about the food pyramid guide. We spent time going over each category in the food pyramid (Grains/Vegetables/Fruits/Others/Milk & Milk Products/Meats, Beans & Nuts). We also discussed that the food pyramid uses colors to represent each category. We completed a worksheet on coloring in the food pyramid guide.

We also worked on learning about the heart. We worked on a worksheet where the students were required to color in the right side of the heart (blue) to represent the de-oxygenated blood. They also colored in the left side of the heart (red) to represent the oxygenated blood.

The rest of the week we worked on tempos during class time. While working on our locomotor skills (skipping, hopping, jumping, galloping, etc.) the students were asked to listen to the tempo (tambourine) and move accordingly. First, students were asked to change direction when they heard the tambourine. Second, the students were asked to move at the appropriate speed (fast or slow) while listening to the tambourine.

Third Grade
This week started with learning about the food pyramid guide. We spent time going over each category in the food pyramid (Grains/Vegetables/Fruits/Others/Milk & Milk Products/Meats, Beans & Nuts). We also discussed that the food pyramid uses colors to represent each category. We completed a worksheet on coloring in the food pyramid guide.

We also worked on learning about the heart. We worked on a worksheet where the students were required to color in the right side of the heart (blue) to represent the de-oxygenated blood. They also colored in the left side of the heart (red) to represent the oxygenated blood. We also labeled the four parts of the heart (Left Atrium/Right Atrium/Left Ventricle/Right Ventricle) while using a word bank.

Outside this week we reviewed our throwing and catching skills with the yarn balls. We then played a game called Bokwele. Students were asked to find supplies from the other "camps" and return them to their own camp. Bokwele is a cultural game from Africa.

Fifth Grade
This week started with the students taking a practice curl up and push up Fitness test. We also spent some time reviewing how to throw a Frisbee. We also taught the students a game called Bokwele (from Africa).

Sixth Grade
This week was a difficult week to schedule. The students were required to attend a special class during the week so H&F time was impacted. On Monday and Thursday the students worked on taking a practice curl up and push up test before working on throwing a Frisbee (Review). We also had the students complete the shoulder stretch fitness test that checks the flexibility of the shoulder joints for both the left and right shoulders.

Outside this week we played a game called Bokwele. Students were asked to find supplies from the other "camps" and return them to their own camp. Bokwele is a cultural game from Africa.

Friday (Second through Sixth Graders)
On Friday, SJEA welcomed Katy Sullivan and she came and talked with our classes during their specials time. She is training to attend the 2008 Beijing Para-Olympics. Another post has already been created with information on Katy and also links to for two different videos that you can watch online about Katy.

Next Week:
First: Basketball Skills
Third: Basketball Skills
Fifth: Paddle Tennis
Sixth: Paddle Tennis

Guest Visitor-Katy Sullivan

2007-11-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

On Friday, November 30 the Specialist are welcoming a guest speaker. Katy Sullivan is a paralympic athlete that was born without legs. She is currently training for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

A video about Katy Sullivan can be found here.

A new video from channel 11 about Katy aired on Wednesday.

NOTE: This video cannot be viewed at school since youtube has been blocked.

Katy will be visiting with the sixth graders during their specialist time. She will also spend time with the second, third, fourth and fifth graders during their specials classes.

Week 13 (November 13-16)

2007-11-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

First Grade:
This week we started working on soccer skills. We worked on how to kick a soccer ball to a partner. We taught the students that you need to plant the non-kicking foot next to the ball, keep your eyes on the ball at all times and kick the ball with either your shoelaces or inside of your foot. We never kick the ball with our toe because it can hurt the toe. We also practiced dribbling the soccer ball and taking turns with our partner.

Third Grade:
This week we started working on soccer skills. We've reviewed kicking skills and the proper way to kick a soccer ball. We've worked on the instep pass where we have asked the students to work on three things. First, students are asked to watch the ball while kicking. It is really hard to kick a soccer ball that you cannot see. Second, we've asked for the students to plant their non-kicking foot next to the soccer ball. Third, we are asking the students to work on kicking the soccer ball with the inner part of their shoe. We've reminded students that kicking a soccer ball with their toe is dangerous and could result in an injury.

Later in the week we continued to work on our soccer skills. We had the students fill out a peer assessment form while watching another student perform an instep pass.

Fifth Grade:
This week we started working on soccer skills. We reviewed how to kick a soccer ball to a partner/teammate. Our goal was to work on how to trap (stop) a soccer ball that is coming to you. First, you must keep your eyes on the ball the whole time. You cannot stop a ball that you cannot see. Second, you must make contact with the ball to your foot out in front of you. Third, you must give with the ball (cushioning) to make sure that the ball slowly stops. Fourth, we need to stop the ball at our feet to keep it under control.

Sixth Grade:
This week we started working on soccer skills. We reviewed how to kick a soccer ball to a partner/teammate. Our goal was to work on how to trap (stop) a soccer ball that is coming to you. First, you must keep your eyes on the ball the whole time. You cannot stop a ball that you cannot see. Second, you must make contact with the ball to your foot out in front of you. Third, you must give with the ball (cushioning) to make sure that the ball slowly stops. Fourth, we need to stop the ball at our feet to keep it under control.

Week 12 (November 5-9)

2007-11-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

First Grade
This week was designed to work in stations. We spent time working on our jump rope skills while jumping forward. Since we didn't have enough jump ropes for everyone at one time we worked on hula hoop skills and scarf skills while waiting for our turn at jump rope.

Later in the week we had a health lesson on the importance of the whole "team" working together while running. Running isn't about how strong you are but how well you breath air in and how quickly you can get the air to the muscles. The muscles need oxygen to move, without it they would stop working.

Third Grade
This week was designed to work in stations. We spent time working on our jump rope skills while jumping forward and backwards (third grade standard). Since we didn't have enough jump ropes for everyone at one time we worked on hula hoop skills and scarf skills while waiting for our turn at jump rope.

Later in the week we had a health lesson on the importance of the whole "team" working together while running. Running isn't about how strong you are but how well you breath air in and how quickly you can get the air to the muscles. The muscles need oxygen to move, without it they would stop working.

Fifth Grade
The start of the week had the fifth graders working on learning how to use pedometers. Pedometers are devices used to track the number of steps you've taken while participating in a physical activity. We talked about how to use them, how to wear them and how to track your results. Since the pedometers are $30 each and we cannot afford to replace them we talked to the students about being personally responsible for using the pedometers and to make sure they don't fall off during class time. We spent the first part of class working on learning our stride length. This will allow us to eventually figure out how far we've been able to walk during our class time. The last part of class helped us to learn how to write down the information from our pedometers (steps taken and activity time). We will learn about how to calculate distance and steps per minute in the future.

Thursday and Friday had the students working on the mile run. This is our second run of the year and the students were encouraged to try and improve upon their scores, many were encouraged to improve by 30 seconds. When finished, the students were asked to complete a self reflection on how well they ran. Students were graded on how well they completed the worksheet and not on how fast they ran the mile.

Sixth Grade
The start of the week had the fifth graders working on learning how to use pedometers. Pedometers are devices used to track the number of steps you've taken while participating in a physical activity. We talked about how to use them, how to wear them and how to track your results. Since the pedometers are $30 each and we cannot afford to replace them we talked to the students about being personally responsible for using the pedometers and to make sure they don't fall off during class time. We spent the first part of class working on learning our stride length. This will allow us to eventually figure out how far we've been able to walk during our class time. The last part of class helped us to learn how to write down the information from our pedometers (steps taken and activity time). We will learn about how to calculate distance and steps per minute in the future.

Thursday and Friday had the students working on the mile run. This is our second run of the year and the students were encouraged to try and improve upon their scores, many were encouraged to improve by 30 seconds. When finished, the students were asked to complete a self reflection on how well they ran. Students were graded on how well they completed the worksheet and not on how fast they ran the mile.

Next Week's Goals:
First: Work on passing, receiving and dribbling a soccer ball.
Third: Work on instep pass and dribbling a soccer ball.
Fifth: Work on trapping, passing and fitness tests.
Sixth: Work on trapping, passing and fitness tests.

Circulatory System Quiz

2007-10-31T22:08:00.001-07:00

A little help for the circulatory system (take home) quiz. Follow the link below to help with labeling the heart. If you need some extra help please ask me!

Children's Heart Institute Web Site

Week 11 (October 29 to November 2)

2007-10-29T12:56:00.001-07:00

This week has been the return to the great outdoors! The air quality has improved enough in Los Angeles county to allow us to return outside. Since our class time was limited (SLC schedule) we didn't have to stay outside too long for any serious health risks.

All of the classes started this week by working on the circulatory system. Each grade went through a lesson designed to have the students move through a complete circulatory system using a scooter board. Each grade was required to pick up an oxygen ball in the lungs and move through the left side of the heart to the body and dropping off the oxygen in the muscles. The muscles need oxygen to move. Without oxygen, the muscles would be unable to complete our activities in Health & Fitness.

First
During the circulatory system lesson we spent our time learning about the heart. We specifically worked on learning that the heart has four chambers. We also learned how the blood moves throughout the body from the lungs to the muscles. We spent the later part of the week working on scooter boards. We worked on partner activities and working on sharing and taking turns.

Third
During the circulatory system lesson we spent our time learning about the heart. We specifically worked on learning that the heart has four chambers. We also learned how the blood moves throughout the body from the lungs to the muscles. We spent the later part of the work working on the parachute again. We spent some time to review the skills that we've previously learned.

Fifth
During the circulatory system we spent our time learning about the anatomy of the heart. We spent time going through the heart and learning where certain items are located. We learned about the vena cava, right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, lungs, left atrium, left ventricle and the aorta. These are also fifth grade science standards for the state of California. We spent the later part of the week working our cardiovascular endurance through games. We learned a new game from Halloween.

Sixth
During the circulatory system we spent our time learning about the anatomy of the heart. We spent time going through the heart and learning where certain items are located. We learned about the vena cava, right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, lungs, left atrium, left ventricle and the aorta. We also spent time talking about the importance of the heart to pump the oxygen to the muscles. Without enough oxygen we would be unable to move our muscles. We spent the later part of the week working on Frisbee skills. We learned the proper grip and throwing technique for the cross over throw. Students were given a checklist on how to complete the cross over throw and were asked to monitor their partner and give them feedback on their accomplishment of the throws.

NOTE: Sixth grade was given a homework assignment over the Cardiovascular system. The answers were taught during class time but the students were given a take home assignment to complete. For help answering the questions the students can look at the previous posts that gives a link to a web page that will help answer the questions.

NEXT WEEK GOALS:
First: Jump Rope Skills
Third: Jump Rope Skills
Fifth: Frisbee throw & Mile Run
Sixth: Frisbee throw & Mile Run

Week 10 (October 23-26)

2007-10-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

The second quarter is upon us! We've had a change of plans this week. Due to excessive heat and excessive smoke in the air we have changed our Health & Fitness plans for the week. We've decided to keep students inside (for at least the start of the week) until the air quality and heat improve.

First Grade
This week we started working on a project to help the students review body parts. Students were given a worksheet to color and cut out before pasting onto a piece of card stock. The students were taught about the different body parts, different senses and the importance that bones and muscles are to the human body.

Third Grade
This week we started by working on a project about the circulatory system. Students were given two papers to color in and cut out. They were then asked to use a brad to attach them together. The students were then taught about how the heart circulates blood throughout the body and other facts about the circulatory system. The students were taught about the importance of the circulatory system and how the circulatory system relates to movement.

Fifth Grade
We spent time working on the long term and short term benefits of exercise. We learned about the short term effects of exercise being immediate and we can feel the impact the same day that we exercise. We learned that the long term effect of exercise is through exercising regularly over a long period. We learned that the long term benefits include decreasing the chances of heart problems, maintaining body weight, decreasing the chance of developing certain types of cancers, becoming sick less often (30% less), living longer, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis and arthritis. We also spent time this week watching a video about the importance of the skeleton to the body. We learned that the body needs support and structure that the skeleton provides. We also learned some interesting facts about the different types of skeletons that are found in humans and animals.

Sixth Grade
We spent time working on the long term and short term benefits of exercise. We learned about the short term effects of exercise being immediate and we can feel the impact the same day that we exercise. We learned that the long term effect of exercise is through exercising regularly over a long period. We learned that the long term benefits include decreasing the chances of heart problems, maintaining body weight, decreasing the chance of developing certain types of cancers, becoming sick less often (30% less), living longer, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis and arthritis. We also spent time this week watching a video about the importance of the skeleton to the body. We learned that the body needs support and structure that the skeleton provides. We also learned some interesting facts about the different types of skeletons that are found in humans and animals.

Week 9 (October 15-19)

2007-10-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Final Week of Quarter 1!

First Grade
This week had the first graders working on the gymnastics mats. We spent time working on animal walks like frog hops, bear walks and alligator crawls. We also spent time working on log rolls. The whole time we have concentrated on safety while using the mats. We also continued to work on locomotor skills and throwing and catching skills when we were not using the gymnastics mats.

Third Grade
This week had the third graders working on the gymnastics mats. We spent time learning safety for tumbling skills and divided up into groups. We worked on learning the steps to a tripod (hands are shoulder width apart, head touches on the hairline, elbows are away from the body, holding a big triangle with hands and head, lifting one leg up at a time and holding the position for at least five seconds. We also worked on teaching the students the proper spotting technique (helping our partners to stay safe). The students were taught to spot from the side (not in front or in back of the partner), use one hand on the partners back and to push the partner back to their feet to help them avoid rolling over. We also spent time working on our throwing and catching skills.

Fifth Grade
This week had us working on the push up fitness test. Students were shown the FitnessGram DVD for push ups. Students were taught about the proper form (straight back and legs) and that they needed to bend their elbows to a 90 degree angle. We also had the students use little cones so that they understood how far down that they need to go to complete one push up.

The rest of the time we worked on throwing and catching skills and group balancing skills. The groups were divided up and students were asked to perform a balancing activity for two people, three people, four people and the whole group. This allowed students to make pyramids and other shapes that relied on balancing.

Sixth Grade
This week had us working on the push up fitness test. Students were shown the FitnessGram DVD for push ups. Students were taught about the proper form (straight back and legs) and that they needed to bend their elbows to a 90 degree angle. We also had the students use little cones so that they understood how far down that they need to go to complete one push up.

For the rest of the time we worked on tumbling. We spent time learning safety for tumbling skills and divided up into groups. We worked on learning the steps to a tripod (hands are shoulder width apart, head touches on the hairline, elbows are away from the body, holding a big triangle with hands and head, lifting one leg up at a time and holding the position for at least five seconds. We also worked on teaching the students the proper spotting technique (helping our partners to stay safe). The students were taught to spot from the side (not in front or in back of the partner), use one hand on the partners back and to push the partner back to their feet to help them avoid rolling over. We also spent time working on our throwing and catching skills. Students were given a peer assessment paper for the tripod. They spent two days making sure that they had the paper filled out. The assessment asked for questions on how well a student was performing the tripod and also on how the third parter was spotting.

NEXT WEEK GOALS:
First Grade: Scooter Boards and the Circulatory System
Third Grade: Scooter Boards and the Circulatory System
Fifth Grade: Frisbee Throw and the Circulatory System
Sixth Grade: Frisbee Throw and the Circulatory System

Week 8 (October 8-12)

2007-10-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

First Grade
This week the first graders are working on paddles. They are working on manipulation skills using the paddles and also for striking skills for the equipment. Students were taught about the basic safety while using the paddles (no hitting people, no hitting rocks/poles/trees/etc., stay in our area and personal space is necessary). The students have been given tasks in hitting the ball up, hitting the ball to the ground and also some balancing activities. For fitness time we worked on Shadow tag and the students got their heart rates up (cardiovascular endurance). We also spent some time working on leg lifts to help develop abdominal (stomach) strength.

Third Grade
This week the first graders are working on paddles. They are working on manipulation skills using the paddles and also for striking skills for the equipment. Students were taught about the basic safety while using the paddles (no hitting people, no hitting rocks/poles/trees/etc., stay in our area and personal space is necessary). The students have been given tasks in hitting the ball up, hitting the ball to the ground and also some balancing activities. For fitness time we worked on Shadow tag and the students got their heart rates up (cardiovascular endurance). We also spent some time working on leg lifts to help develop abdominal (stomach) strength.

We also have continued to spend time working on the major muscle groups of the human body. We spend time every class period learning the muscles. We have worked on learning biceps, triceps, deltoids, pectoralis major, rectus abdominus, obliques, latissimus dorsi, quadriceps, hamstrings, gleuteus maximus, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius and the soleus.

Fifth Grade
This week started with the students learning a new fitness test for the FitnessGram. We showed the students the FitnessGram DVD and specifically showed them the video for the curl up test. We taught the students the proper form (knees bent at 140 degrees, head on the ground, heals have to be touching the ground and the hands are straight and at the side). The DVD allowed the students the opportunity to see the test being performed. Afterwards, some of the students took the test whereas the rest will take the test later in the week.

The lesson objective was to teach the students about the forearm pass for volleyball. Students were given safety instructions about staying in their personal space, not using the equipment to hit other people with and to stay inside of our boundaries. The were then taught the basic form of the forearm pass (feet shoulder width apart/knees bent, platform flat-forearms together, eyes always focused on the ball, make contact on your forearm as opposed to wrists/elbow/hands, and do not swing from the shoulders). Students were given practice time to work on mastering the skill of the forearm pass. We also had the students start peer assessing the students. The fifth graders were given the task of watching a partner/peer hit a forearm pass and see if the person was hitting with their hands, forearm, or the elbow. The goal is to give feedback to a person who is not hitting the volleyball on the forearms.

Sixth Grade
This week started with the students learning a new fitness test for the FitnessGram. We showed the students the FitnessGram DVD and specifically showed them the video for the curl up test and also reviewed the information for the mile run test. The video reminded us that we should run at a specific pace and that it is better to walk fast than to stroll. The video taught the students the proper form for the curl ups(knees bent at 140 degrees, head on the ground, heals have to be touching the ground and the hands are straight and at the side). The DVD allowed the students the opportunity to see the test being performed. Afterwards, some of the students took the test whereas the rest will take the test later in the week. The lesson objective was to teach the students about the forearm pass for volleyball. Students were given safety instructions about staying in their personal space, not using the equipment to hit other people with and to stay inside of our boundaries. The were then taught the basic form of the forearm pass (feet shoulder width apart/knees bent, platform flat-forearms together, eyes always focused on the ball, make contact on your forearm as opposed to wrists/elbow/hands, and do not swing from the shoulders). Students were given practice time to work on mastering the skill of the forearm pass. The sixth graders were given the task of watching a partner/peer hit a forearm pass and see if the person was hitting with their hands, forearm, or the elbow. The goal is to give feedback to a person who is not hitting the volleyball on the forearms.

Next Week's Goals:
First: Animal Walks and Tumbling Skills
Third: Animal Walks, Tumbling Skills and the Tripod
Fifth: Group Stunts, Gymnastics Skills and Push Up Test
Sixth: Gymnastics Skills and Push Up Test

Week 7 (October 1-4)

2007-10-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

First Grade
This week started with us using the parachute for the first time this year. We spent time working together in numerous cooperative activities. We spent time working on making domes, making waves, making igloos and playing pop. The goal of the parachute time is to have students work together to achieve a goal. The culmination is to play a game called pop. During this game we use a "parachute" buddy that we place on the parachute. When students work togehter to make a dome it allows the parachute buddy to pop into the air and "fly." The better that the students work together as a group the higher that the parachute buddy goes into the air.

We also continue to work on fitness skills. We are working on getting into the plank position to help the first graders start to develop their upper body strength. If the first graders are capable of achieving this elementary position then the chances of them being able to perform a quality push up in the next few years becomes higher. We have also worked on a fitness standard for first grade that asks us the students to be able to sit on the ground and get up without using their hands. This standard asks for students to have abdominal strength (rectus abdominus and oblique muscles).

Third Grade
This week was designed to work on participating in different games/activities where students are playing games from different cultures around the world. We played a game called Indian Wrestling that comes from the Native Americans in the United States region. This game allows students to challenge another student to a "battle" of strength. Students who can keep their balance longer than their opponents will win.

We finished off the week working on the parachute. We spent time working on domes, igloos, pop and we also played a game called Lifeguard. In Lifeguard, a few students are chosen to be the lifeguard and a few are chosen to be the sharks. The sharks are sent under the parachute for the game. The rest of the students sit on the ground with their legs hanging under the parachute. When a shark tries to "attack" a person the lifeguards are supposed to run over and save the people. If a shark gets a person completely under the parachute they become sharks.

The fitness goal for this week was to work on running (cardiovascular endurance). We had the students run 2 laps during each class period to help them develop their cardiovascular system. In the future we will be timing the students for a half mile time and will also build up to a full mile time. The goal for running the mile will be for a third grade student to finish the mile in the allotted time.

Fifth Grade
This week's focus was to work on the new food pyramid guide. First, students were taught about the new categories for the food pyramid (grains, vegitables, fruits, others, milk and milk products, and meats, beans and nuts categories). The students were taught that the new pyramid uses colors to represent the categories. The new pyramid also has a physical activity section. This is new for the pyramid and promotes the importance of having good eating habits but also the importance of regular physical activity. After the students were taught about these items they were divided into groups to participate in a food pyramid relay. Each team was to collect small cards that represented the foods inside of the six categories. After the relay was over the students were given a quiz covering the six categories and the foods inside of the categories.

On Monday and Tuesday, the students were given a Mile Preparation Worksheet that was meant to go home and be read with the parents. The key of the worksheet is to prepare the students for the mile and to try and prevent students feeling sick to their stomach. The biggest factors are for the students to eat a good meal the night before, get up and get a quality breakfast the day of the mile and to eat a proper lunch. The other big factor is to make sure to have the students hydrate themselves.

On Wednesday and Thursday the fifth graders were given the task of running the mile. The mile run is apart of the cardiovascular endurance test for the California FitnessGram tests. Our goal is to have ten running tests throughout the year. The students were asked to keep an even pace and to make sure to run behind the tress (on our field). When the students finished they recorded their times, checked their heart rate and then completed a worksheet about their mile run. The students were asked to answer questions about their mile times, their heart rate, how they felt running, how they felt afterwards and to list a goal for the next mile run.

Sixth Grade
This week's focus was to work on the new food pyramid guide. First, students were taught about the new categories for the food pyramid (grains, vegitables, fruits, others, milk and milk products, and meats, beans and nuts categories). The students were taught that the new pyramid uses colors to represent the categories. The new pyramid also has a physical activity section. This is new for the pyramid and promotes the importance of having good eating habits but also the importance of regular physical activity. After the students were taught about these items they were divided into groups to participate in a food pyramid relay. Each team was to collect small cards that represented the foods inside of the six categories. After the relay was over the students were given a quiz covering the six categories and the foods inside of the categories.

On Monday and Tuesday, the students were given a Mile Preparation Worksheet that was meant to go home and be read with the parents. The key of the worksheet is to prepare the students for the mile and to try and prevent students feeling sick to their stomach. The biggest factors are for the students to eat a good meal the night before, get up and get a quality breakfast the day of the mile and to eat a proper lunch. The other big factor is to make sure to have the students hydrate themselves.

On Wednesday and Thursday the sixth graders were given the task of running the mile. The mile run is apart of the cardiovascular endurance test for the California FitnessGram tests. Our goal is to have ten running tests throughout the year. The students were asked to keep an even pace and to make sure to run behind the tress (on our field). When the students finished they recorded their times, checked their heart rate and then completed a worksheet about their mile run. The students were asked to answer questions about their mile times, their heart rate, how they felt running, how they felt afterwards and to list a goal for the next mile run.

Next Week's Goals:
First Grade- Paddle Skills
Third Grade- Paddle Skills
Fifth Grade- Volley Skills & Curl Up Test
Sixth Grade- Volley Skills & Curl Up Test

Week 6 (September 24-28)

2007-09-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

First Grade
This week was designed to work on locomotor skills by working on relays. Students were taught to take turns for the relays, to run around a cone (turn around point) and when they return they are to give a low five to the next player (for safety). During our relays we worked on locomotor skills. We worked on running, skipping, hopping, jumping and sliding. Students who needed extra work were given the opportunity to move to the side of the class and use foot prints (poly spots) to help them learn the footwork for each of the skills.

Knowing how to perform the locomotor skills (running, walking, hopping, jumping, galloping and sliding) is a standard that the first grade must meet. Knowing how to explain the differences between two different locomotor skills (Running vs. Walking, Hopping vs. Jumping and Galloping vs. Sliding) is a second standard that we will be working on throughout the year.

Third Grade
We also worked on relays this week. Our goal was to work on locomotor skills of running, skipping, hopping, jumping, galloping and sliding. We also took some time to perform fun relay races like cone heads, hula hoop relays and walking the dog relays.

We also spent time talking about the importance of warming up our muscles before exercise. We used a frozen tootsie roll and asked the students to try and bend the tootsie roll. They determined that it was possible to bend it but that it was not necessarily easy. Then students were given a task to run one lap to warm up. When they returned the students were asked to try and bend the candy again. They found that the candy was easier to bend and the candy had melted. We made the connection that the candy represents the student's muscles. When the muscles are cold it is harder to bend and move the muscles. After warming up the muscles it is easier to bend (stretch) and will help to avoid injury.

Fifth Grade
This week continued our efforts to work on our heart rate. Students were given the opportunity to choose three activities (Hula Hoop, Jump Rope, Relay Races or Wall Ball). The students were given approximately five minutes to participate in the activity of their chose. When time was finished they were asked to take their heart rate and record that information on a worksheet. Students were also taught that their goal is to get their heart rate from 60%-80% of their Maximum Heart Rate. The students used the folders with a graph that has already calculated their heart rate. This task was to help students see if they could get their hearts into their own "Healthy Fitness Zone" based upon their age. Due to time constraints, we were only able to get to two activities.

We also spent time talking about the importance of warming up our muscles before exercise. We used a frozen tootsie roll and asked the students to try and bend the tootsie roll. They determined that it was possible to bend it but that it was not necessarily easy. Then students were given a task to run one lap to warm up. When they returned the students were asked to try and bend the candy again. They found that the candy was easier to bend and the candy had melted. We made the connection that the candy represents the student's muscles. When the muscles are cold it is harder to bend and move the muscles. After warming up the muscles it is easier to bend (stretch) and will help to avoid injury.

Sixth Grade
This week continued with working in groups. This time the students were given their first opportunity to choose their own groups. The goal while working together was to work on cooperation skills while participating in relay activities. We worked on two different relay activities. First, the groups participated in traditional relays where the students run to a turn around point (cone) and then return to their group. We worked on running, skipping, sliding and galloping (locomotor skills). Second, we worked on group relays that are non-traditional. Students worked together to move a playground ball from the first player to the last player. Then the last player would run to the front and become the new first player. The teams participated in two of these relays while the ball stayed on the ground and then the ball went over the first person and under the second person.

We made connections to our heart rate to these activities. We discussed that a person's heart rate would be the highest while doing the traditional relay races but the non-traditional relay races would allow our heart rate to have a higher average during the entire time.

We also spent time talking about the importance of warming up our muscles before exercise. We used a frozen tootsie roll and asked the students to try and bend the tootsie roll. They determined that it was possible to bend it but that it was not necessarily easy. Then students were given a task to run one lap to warm up. When they returned the students were asked to try and bend the candy again. They found that the candy was easier to bend and the candy had melted. We made the connection that the candy represents the student's muscles. When the muscles are cold it is harder to bend and move the muscles. After warming up the muscles it is easier to bend (stretch) and will help to avoid injury.

Next Week's Goal: First Grade will be working on cooperative activities while using the parachute. Third, Fifth and Sixth will be working on the Food Pyramid Guide. Third will try running just over a half mile (3 laps) and the Fifth and Sixth graders will run a full mile (just under 5 laps).

A Mile preparation letter will be sent home with all of the Fifth & Sixth Graders on either Monday or Tuesday. The goal is to have the parents read over the letter with the students and for the students to know what they should do to prepare for the mile (Eating, dressing, drinking water, etc.)

Week 5 (September 17-21)

2007-09-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

First Grade:
This week we worked on yarn ball skills. We are working on personal manipulation skills of throwing and catching to yourself with both one hand and two. We are also working with a partner with partner activities. Finally, we worked on an overhand throw while throwing to a target (Hula Hoop). We also spent time working on fitness stations this week and giving the students an opportunity to learn about upper body strength (plank position) and abdominal endurance (curl ups). The students were also instructed on to find their pulse and asked to find their pulse during our fitness stations. To find the pulse we asked students to use two fingers to find their carpal artery (wrist). We asked students if they could tell if their pulse was faster or slower when comparing them to other stations.

Third Grade:
This week we worked on yarn ball skills. We are working on personal manipulation skills of throwing and catching to yourself with both one hand and two. We are also working with a partner with partner activities. Finally, we worked on an overhand throw while throwing to a target (Hula Hoop). We worked on a standard that talks about throwing to a target with increasing accuracy. At first we simply threw the yarn ball into the fence but then we asked the students to try and throw the ball into a hula hoop.

We also spent time working on fitness stations this week and giving the students an opportunity to learn about upper body strength (plank position) and abdominal endurance (curl ups). The students were also instructed on to find their pulse and asked to find their pulse during our fitness stations. To find the pulse we asked students to use two fingers to find their carpal artery (wrist). We asked students if they could tell if their pulse was faster or slower when comparing them to other stations.

Third grade also spent time reviewing the major muscles of the body. A challenge was given by Mr. Bassett to the students. The first person in third grade to accurately remember the major muscles by memory will be given a prize. The prize will be determined later!

Fifth Grade:
Our goal for this week was to teach about the heart rate and about perceived exertion. We taught the two locations that are best for taking your heart rate. Those locations are the carpal (wrist) and the carotid (neck). We explained that younger students should only take their heart rate on their wrist for safety reasons. We taught the students to take their pulse for six seconds when instructed and to multiply the answer by ten to receive the beats per minute for the station/activity. Students were then given worksheets to write down their numbers at each station.

The students were also taught about their perceived exertion. This chart is a numbering system from 1-10. Number ten is the highest and it tells the students that they feel "dead" when completing the station. Number one is the lowest and it compares the activity to watching TV. To see a copy of this chart please use the links section on the right side of the blog and look for the Perceived Exertion Chart. After a student was asked to get their heart rate they used the perceived exertion chart to find the number that relates to the station they were exercising at. This allows students to start to make the connection about how fast their heart is working and compare it to how they physically feel at a specific station.

During our activities we worked in six different stations this week. We had a throwing and catching station that work on standards that are related to the fifth grade. We also had a cardiovascular station that we worked on their heart while using the jump rope. We had an abdominal station were we worked on the abdominal muscles (Rectus Abdominus and Obliques). The fourth station was a walking station were students were simply asked to walk around a small area of the field. The fifth station was a stretching station where the students worked through a series of stretches. The last station was an upper body station where students worked on their upper body strength. The abdominal station and upper body station used activities that are required as apart of the FitnessGram test that students will be taking in the spring (push ups and curl ups).

Sixth Grade:
Our goal for this week was to teach about the heart rate and about perceived exertion. We taught the two locations that are best for taking your heart rate. Those locations are the carpal (wrist) and the carotid (neck). We explained that younger students should only take their heart rate on their wrist for safety reasons. We taught the students to take their pulse for six seconds when instructed and to multiply the answer by ten to receive the beats per minute for the station/activity. Students were then given worksheets to write down their numbers at each station.

The students were also taught about their perceived exertion. This chart is a numbering system from 1-10. Number ten is the highest and it tells the students that they feel "dead" when completing the station. Number one is the lowest and it compares the activity to watching TV. To see a copy of this chart please use the links section on the right side of the blog and look for the Perceived Exertion Chart. After a student was asked to get their heart rate they used the perceived exertion chart to find the number that relates to the station they were exercising at. This allows students to start to make the connection about how fast their heart is working and compare it to how they physically feel at a specific station.

During our activities we worked in six different stations this week. We had a throwing and catching station that work on standards that are related to the sixth grade. We also had a cardiovascular station that we worked on their heart while using the jump rope. We had an abdominal station were we worked on the abdominal muscles (Rectus Abdominus and Obliques). The fourth station was a walking station were students were simply asked to walk around a small area of the field. The fifth station was a stretching station where the students worked through a series of stretches. The last station was an upper body station where students worked on their upper body strength. The abdominal station and upper body station used activities that are required as apart of the FitnessGram test that students will be taking in the spring (push ups and curl ups).

The sixth graders were given a small quiz at the end of the week that covered the concepts that were taught throughout the week. Students were asked questions about the two locations to find their heart rate, time we spent counting (six seconds), how much to multiply the count (multiply by 10) to receive the beats per minute (bpm). The students were also asked how the stations matched up with the perceived rating chart and their heart rate. They were able to use their worksheets that we used outside to complete these questions. The last question asked the students why it is important to have a perceived exertion chart. The importance of this chart is to allow the students to understand what the body feels like when working at a certain level.

NEXT WEEK'S GOAL: We will have a review on the importance of warming up the muscles prior to exercise and athletic competitions.

Week 4 (September 10-14)

2007-09-12T13:33:00.001-07:00

First Grade
This weeks focus was on hula hoops. We spent the week working on personal space and making sure we did not hit other students with their own hula hoop. We worked on hula hooping around our waist, ankles, neck and arms. We also worked on our dog tricks and taught the students how to walk their dogs to walk, to play catch and to play fetch. We spent time on hula hoop jump rope and flying saucers while making sure to avoid a traffic accident.

Third Grade
This weeks focus was also on hula hoops. We spent the week working on personal space and making sure we did not hit other students with their own hula hoop. We worked on hula hooping around our waist, ankles, neck and arms. We also worked on using the hula hoop as a jump rope. We also had time to work on a game called Bridge Tag. The object of the game is to help free people who have been trapped by climbing under the "bridge."

Fifth Grade
This week started our first week working in our fitness stations. We spent time in class working in small groups (3-4 people) while completing each of the 10 fitness tasks. We spent time working on stretching, jumping jacks, push ups, curl ups/sit ups, leg lifts and jump rope. We also worked on moving around our fitness area while using the locomotor skills of skipping, hoping, jumping, galloping and sliding.

For our activity time we worked on team building activities. We spent time working on "Crossing the River" which is a group activity where you find a solution to crossing the river using our poly spots. Groups who were unable to complete the task had to start over.

We also worked on puzzle pieces. The students were placed into groups and given a puzzle to complete. They did not know what the puzzle said or how it looked so it took some teamwork to complete the puzzle. The trick was that the only person that could touch the puzzle pieces was blindfolded. This caused us to work on our communication skills to get the puzzle completed.

Later in the week we learned the reasons for a proper warm up before exercise. Without a proper warm up a student-athlete can become injured. The students worked on warming up while learning the ten different effects that a warm up has on the human body.

The effects of warming up are:
1) Decrease the risk of connective tissue or muscle tissue damage (warming up will prevent injury)
2) Increase blood flow (Increase blood going throughout the body-need for extra oxygen)
3) Increase breathing (increased oxygen consumption)
4) Increase circulation (with help with heart rate and moving blood)
5) Increase blood sent to the working muscles (working muscles will need more oxygen to move)
6) Increase the heart rate (will help with circulation and moving blood)
7) Increase the body temperature (warm muscles work better and do not get injured as easily)
8) Decrease the reaction time (decrease time standing around)
9) Increase metabolic rate (rate that the body processes food for energy)
10) Decrease chance of being sore afterwards (helps with pooling of lactic acid)

Sixth Grade
This week started our first week working in our fitness stations. We spent time in class working in small groups (3-4 people) while completing each of the 10 fitness tasks. We spent time working on stretching, jumping jacks, push ups, curl ups/sit ups, leg lifts and jump rope. We also worked on moving around our fitness area while using the locomotor skills of skipping, hoping, jumping, galloping and sliding.

For our activity time we worked on team building activities. We spent time working on "Crossing the River" which is a group activity where you find a solution to crossing the river using our poly spots. Groups who were unable to complete the task had to start over.

We also worked on puzzle pieces. The students were placed into groups and given a puzzle to complete. They did not know what the puzzle said or how it looked so it took some teamwork to complete the puzzle. The trick was that the only person that could touch the puzzle pieces was blindfolded. This caused us to work on our communication skills to get the puzzle completed.

Later in the week we learned the reasons for a proper warm up before exercise. Without a proper warm up a student-athlete can become injured. The students worked on warming up while learning the ten different effects that a warm up has on the human body.

The effects of warming up are:
1) Decrease the risk of connective tissue or muscle tissue damage (warming up will prevent injury)
2) Increase blood flow (Increase blood going throughout the body-need for extra oxygen)
3) Increase breathing (increased oxygen consumption)
4) Increase circulation (with help with heart rate and moving blood)
5) Increase blood sent to the working muscles (working muscles will need more oxygen to move)
6) Increase the heart rate (will help with circulation and moving blood)
7) Increase the body temperature (warm muscles work better and do not get injured as easily)
8) Decrease the reaction time (decrease time standing around)
9) Increase metabolic rate (rate that the body processes food for energy)
10) Decrease chance of being sore afterwards (helps with pooling of lactic acid)

NEXT WEEK: Our goal is to learn about the heart and how to take your pulse!

Week 3 (September 4-7)

2007-09-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

This week had the classes staying inside due to my absence and also with the extreme heat.

First Grade
The first grade students were given a worksheet to match body parts with the bones that are underneath. The students also worked on finding physical activities that they find both enjoyable and challenging.

Third Grade
The students were given time to create their own muscles. Using a handout, they cut out the forarm, arm and muscle. Then they spent time to construct the muscle. The muscle allows students to see how the muscles shorten when being used. In our model, the bicep muscle shortens and will allow the forarm to bend upwards.

Fifth Grade
The students were given a lesson on the importance of drinking water. They were also given information about dehydration and the effects of dehydration on the body. Students also filled out a KWL chart on water consumption and dehydration.

Sixth Grade
The students were given a lesson on the importance of drinking water. They were also given information about dehydration and the effects of dehydration on the body. Students also filled out a KWL chart on water consumption and dehydration.

Week 2 (August 27-31)

2007-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

This week started off as planned but the hot weather at the end of the week caused us to change plans.

First Grade:
The week started with our procedures outside. We started out class time with our stretching procedures. We learned that we should not bounce when stretching, we should count slow (20-30 seconds) and we should never feel a sharp pain. We also worked on learning the names of the muscles that we were stretching. So far we have learned how to stretch the hamstrings, triceps, deltoids, quadriceps and also warmed up our Tarsals (ankles) and Carpals (wrist).

We worked on our freeze signal (hands on knees, eyes on me, mouths closed) and also how to walk to and from class. We also spent time working on circle games for duck-duck-goose and cut the cake. Afterwards we worked on procedures for water and also jobs for water time (counters, tappers, officers).

The end of the week we watched a video about the human body and how the body works. The three concepts that we really worked on was that the body uses bones for support and structure, the joints to help with movement and muscles to give the energy to move.

Third Grade:
The week started with our procedures outside. We started out class time with our stretching procedures. We learned that we should not bounce when stretching, we should count slow (20-30 seconds) and we should never feel a sharp pain. We also worked on learning the names of the muscles that we were stretching. So far we have learned how to stretch the hamstrings, triceps, deltoids, quadriceps and also warmed up our Tarsals (ankles) and Carpals (wrist).

After we finished stretching we started with an activity called Group Juggling. We worked on the procedures for creating an order to group juggling and also worked on practicing the order that each group created. We then added a yarn ball and continued with the group order and eventually added a second yarn ball to the group. We will be using Group Juggling throughout the year and change the tasks that the students are to perform for group juggling.

Later in the week we spent time inside. First, we worked on the expectations handout. We didn't have enough time last week to finish our paper. We wrote down the five expectations for class (listen to the teacher, follow directions, participation is required, show the core values and stay in class) and we also wrote down the grading procedure (60% for participation and 40% for classwork). After reviewing our expectations we started labeling the muscles of the body on a piece of paper. We started by labeling the front side (anterior) muscles (deltoid, biceps, obliques, quadriceps, tibialis anterior, pectoralis major and rectus abdominus). We will finish the back side of the paper on another day.

Fifth Grade:
The week started with our procedures outside. We started out class time with our stretching procedures. We learned that we should not bounce when stretching, we should count slow (20-30 seconds) and we should never feel a sharp pain. We also worked on learning the names of the muscles that we were stretching. So far we have learned how to stretch the hamstrings, triceps, deltoids, quadriceps, groin and also warmed up our lower back, Tarsals (ankles) and Carpals (wrist).

After we finished stretching we started with an activity called Group Juggling. We worked on the procedures for creating an order to group juggling and also worked on practicing the order that each group created. We then added a yarn ball and continued with the group order and eventually added a second yarn ball to the group. We will be using Group Juggling throughout the year and change the tasks that the students are to perform for group juggling.

Later in the week we spent time inside. First, we worked on the expectations handout. We didn't have enough time last week to finish our paper. We wrote down the five expectations for class (listen to the teacher, follow directions, participation is required, show the core values and stay in class) and we also wrote down the grading procedure (60% for participation and 40% for classwork).

After reviewing our expectations we started to learn about the five components of physical fitness (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition and flexibility). These five components deal with the fitness testing that are required as part of the FitnessGram tests that should be completed in the spring of every year. Each student was given one of the components to research and given a research page to read over. They were asked to know how to define their component, learn which tests to use for their component and to know what activities that a student could perform to improve on their component. After they learned about their component they started making a poster promoting their component. These posters will be completed in class on another day.

Sixth Grade:
The week started with our procedures outside. We started out class time with our stretching procedures. We learned that we should not bounce when stretching, we should count slow (20-30 seconds) and we should never feel a sharp pain. We also worked on learning the names of the muscles that we were stretching. So far we have learned how to stretch the hamstrings, triceps, deltoids, quadriceps, groin and also warmed up our lower back, Tarsals (ankles) and Carpals (wrist).

After we finished stretching we started with an activity called Group Juggling. We worked on the procedures for creating an order to group juggling and also worked on practicing the order that each group created. We then added a yarn ball and continued with the group order and eventually added a second yarn ball to the group. We will be using Group Juggling throughout the year and change the tasks that the students are to perform for group juggling.

Later in the week we started by learning the five components of physical fitness (cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition and flexibility). These five components deal with the fitness testing that are required as part of the FitnessGram tests that should be completed in the spring of every year. Each student was given one of the components to research and given a research page to read over. They were asked to know how to define their component, learn which tests to use for their component and to know what activities that a student could perform to improve on their component. After they learned about their component they started making a poster promoting their component. These posters will be completed in class on another day.

Week One! (August 21-24)

2007-08-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

First Grade:
During the first part of the week, the first graders worked on three things that they did over the summer. We also were able to read the book "David goes to school" (David Shannon). We made connections as to how David should have made better choices during school. The rest of the week was designed to have the students learn the four expectations for Health & Fitness. They drew a picture for each of the four rules (listen, follow directions, try your best and show the core values).

Third Grade:
We started the week with a classroom connection assignment. We wrote down answers to basic questions like your favorite color and how many sisters do you have. We then introduced ourselves to other people and asked them the questions we had already answered. If we made a match we traded papers and signed the other person's paper. Later in the week we started with a H&F hieroglyphics. We went searching for the cyphers (code) and used the information to translate a worksheet.

Fifth Grade:
We also completed the classroom connection assignment during the start of the week. We also participated in the H&F hieroglyphics during the later part of the week. On Thursday and Friday we took the last twenty minutes of class to go over to the first grade classrooms and we introduced ourselves to our "little buddy." These buddies were able to go out and spend about ten minutes talking with each other and playing with each other at the end of the day. The goal is to have the fifth graders meet up with their little buddies every month for a little while.

Sixth Grade:
The start of the week started with the classroom connection. We spent the day working on introducing ourselves to each other and getting signatures from our classmates. Afterwards, we spent some time working on doing a self assessment from the activities. We had the students write 3-4 sentences on how well they followed directions in the activity. On Thursday and Friday, we spent our time working on the H&F hieroglyphics. Afterwards, we filled out our expectations handout that was to be taken home and signed by their parents or guardians.

Basic Information about Health & Fitness

2007-08-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a few facts about Health & Fitness.

Activities in Health & Fitness:
We will be working on a variety of activities during Health & Fitness. Each activity is created using the California Physical Education Standards. If you would like to see the state physical education standards please visit: http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/fd/documents/pestandards.pdf

Junior Academy Grading (Sixth to Eighth grade)
60% for participation
25% for assessments (Quizzes, Tests and other Assessments)
15% for classwork

Elementary Academy Grading (First grade to Fifth Grade)
60% for participation
40% for classwork

Attire:
Please dress for movement for Health & Fitness. This included wearing both proper shoes for movement and proper clothes for movement.

Excused Notes:
Parents notes are good for one day (and only one day) if a student cannot participate in class.
Doctors notes are needed for periods longer than one day. If a doctor's note is necessary, we would like to know if the doctor will allow us to modify the activity so the student can participate at least a little.

Bad Weather Days:
From time to time we do experience bad weather days. The Health & Fitness teachers are constantly checking the weather channels and also for any air quality issues that might cause a change in our activities. Bad weather can cause us to either change our activity for the day or may cause us to go inside to complete a lesson. If you have any questions, please ask.

Welcome & Introduction

2007-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Mr. Bassett's blog.

This year I will be updating the blog with current events happening in my Health & Fitness Classes. Please keep checking back to see what we've been up to.

A little about myself:
My name is Mr. Bassett and I have been teaching at San Jose Edison Academy for six years, this year will be my seventh. I received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Kinesiology (study of human movement) from Cal Poly Pomona in 2000. I also completed my single subject teaching credential in physical education in 2001.

If you have any questions, please email me via the school web site (www.sanjose-edison.com) or give me a call.