MEDIA REVIEW

Promoting Physical Activity & Health in the Classroom

Target Audience/Purpose:

It is well known, that the elementary classroom teacher plays a vital role in the foundation of education. They are responsible for teaching reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies to their students. However, with the proliferation of sedentary activities, the alarming obese epidemic and the declining healthy that face our children today, classroom teachers play an essential role, more than ever, to educate their students to be physically active and healthy (Pangrazi, Beighle, & Pangrazi, 2009).

Promoting Physical Activity and Health in the Classroom was written especially for classroom teachers as a resource to assist teachers help their students understand the importance of participating in physical activity and making healthy choices.

Content/Summary:

The main portion of this text covers important concepts and knowledge areas that classroom teachers need to know when instructing students in activities and healthy behaviors. The main points of this book are as follows: (a) to offer an overview of the need for active and healthy school environments; (b) to help classroom teachers understand their role in the healthy and active setting; (c) to promote and implement physical activity in the classroom; and (d) and to address healthy and active topics - namely nutrition and eating habits, sun safety, and to promote activity outside the school setting (Pangrazi et al., 2009).

Promoting Physical activity and Health in the Classroom responds to the growing trend of K-6 education, where teachers introduce and implement health concepts and physical activity in the classroom. The layout of the book text is organized, colorful, compact, user-friendly, and engaging. Furthermore, Promoting Physical Activity and Health in the Classroom is accompanied by a supplemental package that includes 268 classroom activity cards and online resources, enabling classroom teachers to implement a wide range of activities.

Strengths/ Limitations:

The success of this book is to provide both justification and suggestions to help classroom teachers orchestrate and promote daily physical activity and healthy behaviors among their students. At the elementary school level, no individual spends more time influencing children than the classroom teacher (Pangrazi et al., 2009). Promoting Physical Activity and Health in the classroom describes a wide variety of simple physical activity games, and healthy and active content, to engage children in physical activity and healthy behaviors. The limitation of this book would be if the teacher purchased this book without the supplemental package, which would limit the teacher's effectiveness to educate, promote, and integrate physical activity and health in the classroom.

Recommendation:

I fully endorse this book for all educators, especially present and future elementary school teachers, as this book will help them educate, promote, and integrate physical activity and health in the classroom.

Jay Harrison, M. Ed., Arizona State University, Mary Lou Fulton Teacher's College (2012). Jay Harrison grew up in Northern New Mexico where he participated in physical education courses throughout high school. During his time at Brigham Young University, ID and Utah State University he matriculated in physical education courses to stay active as well as to reduce the stress from his heavy business courses.

In 2002, Jay Harrison received a BA in Marketing from Utah State University. After brief stint in business and freelance consulting, Jay embarked on to the education setting where he substitute taught in the Phoenix Metro area. At this time, Jay discovered that he loved teaching physical education, more than any other subject. In 2010, Jay entered Arizona State University’s Master Degree/Teacher Certification Program in Physical Education. Jay Harrison graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University May 2012.

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