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Keep Children Moving: Promoting Physical Activity throughout
the Curriculum
The Importance of Movement and Physical Activity
For children, physical activity and movement enhances fitness,
fosters growth and development, and helps teach them about their
world. As teachers of young children, we know that most children
are innately physically active. They learn as they move throughout
their environment. In observing a group of young children at recess,
we will most likely see them running, jumping, throwing, and kicking
in this unstructured environment. It is what they do naturally…they
enjoy active play! So why should we be concerned with "promoting"
physical activity in children? Here's why.
Children today find themselves more often in "sedentary alternatives"
(Epstein, et al, 1995). For example, children ride in a car or bus
to school, have less physical education, watch more television,
play more sedentary games such as computer games, and do not have
as much freedom to play outside on their own. Consequently, there
is mounting evidence that even our young children are becoming less
physically active and more overweight and obese. Physical inactivity
has contributed to the 100% increase in the prevalence of childhood
obesity in the United States since 1980 (CDC, 2000). Childhood obesity
should be of major concern for a number of reasons.
Obesity in children is a major risk factor for a number of diseases
(e.g. diabetes, hypertension, elevated blood cholesterol).
Childhood obesity tends to lead to adult obesity.
Adults who were obese as children have increased morbidity and
mortality irrespective of adult weight.
Overweight adolescents may suffer long-term social and economic
discrimination (Boreham and Riddoch, 2001).
Besides reducing the risks associated with childhood obesity, physical
activity is important for other reasons. Regular physical activity
helps children build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints;
builds lean muscle and reduce fat; prevents or delays the development
of high blood pressure; reduces feelings of depression and anxiety;
and may, through its effect on mental health, increase students'
capacity for learning. With these facts in mind, it is imperative
that we, as teachers, help reduce the amount of physical inactivity,
by increasing the amount of physical activity opportunities that
children have during the school day. Being physically active not
only provides important health benefits, but also provides children
opportunities to learn through movement.
Integrating Physical Activity throughout the Curriculum
It has often been said, "children learn through movement.".
In addition to the health benefits of physical activity, movement
is an integral part of the young child's life and education, for
it is through movement that children develop social, emotional,
and cognitive skills. For young children, movement is a critical
means of communication, expression, and learning. It is imperative
that classroom teachers give children as many opportunities as possible
to be physically active and to learn through movement.
A major thrust in curriculum development in schools today is the
integration of subject content across the curriculum. Integration
refers to the mutual relationship between subject matter. This suggests
the building of relationships between all areas of study that make
up the school curriculum. Integration of curriculum enhances learning
by (Nichols, 1994):
promoting understanding and reinforcing curriculum content in a
variety of educational settings,
encouraging students to transfer what is learned in one setting
to new settings,
increasing meaning of what has been learned by giving students
the opportunity to see information in new relationships and to apply
it in new situations, and, by
reinforcing curriculum content by more in-depth exposure to the
material.
Teachers have many opportunities to use movement and physical activity
within the regular classroom curriculum. Since children are interested
in movement, these relationships may spark their interest as they
work in math, language arts, science, social studies, health, and
other subjects.
Classroom Integrated Lesson Ideas
One popular technique used to integrate subject areas and include
physical activity is the Thematic Approach. In this approach, teachers
overlap the content across the curriculum over a set period of time,
while focusing on one theme such as the Winter Games. For example,
students in Grade 1 might participate in the following integrated
activities with a 2002 Winter Games theme:
Social Studies: Show children a map of the United
States. Compare the geographical area, in which they live, to Salt
Lake City, Utah, where the Winter Games are being held (distance
from one another, size, weather, etc). Each day add a new fact about
Utah, and a new fact about the Winter Games (e.g., how athletes
get to the Winter Games, Winter Games events, medals, etc.) to the
semantic map constructed on the first day.
Useful links:
Maps
Winter Games
Language Arts: Read the book "The Little
Engine That Could " to the class. Compare the "little
engine" with a Winter Games athlete. Discuss with the children
how the Winter Games athletes have a dream, and how it takes hard
work and determination to achieve a dream. Encourage the children
to draw and then verbalize and act out their dreams, and what they
might do to follow their dreams.
Physical Education: Children practice skills and concepts
of pathways, space awareness, cardiovascular endurance - fitness,
and striking with an implement . They will explore the relationship
of these skills to the Winter Games events of skiing, skating, and
hockey.
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