Archive for April, 2009

Super Size Lesson Ideas

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

By Matthew Bassett

Part 2 of 2

I like having an activity for the students to complete while watching the movie Super Size Me. This is why it takes me a few extra days to get through the video. It also allows me to actually get the students thinking about their eating choices instead of tuning out the video.

I usually have the students watch the first part of the video and stop the video when Morgan is starting his first meal at McDonalds. This gives the students the background to the experiment and also allows them to see the three visits to the doctors. I ask the students to predict what they think will happen to Morgan during the next thirty days as their first assignment.

Another activity is to have the students make a menu of some of the meals that Morgan is eating. During Morgan’s first meal, I have the students write down the items he has chosen to eat.  I then pass out a nutritional guide for McDonalds and ask the students to write down the number of calories for each item. This gives me time to discuss what a calorie is and how many calories an average person should eat in a given day. I do the same assignment during the rest of the video and also focus on other nutritional information such as sodium or fat content.

Another extension activity can follow the menus. Have students write a list of physical activities that equal the amount of calories that are consumed in the meal. This allows the students to integrate some math skills into physical education. They will also get an understanding that it takes a while to burn 100 calories and not just five minutes of work.

An activity to complete at the end of the video is for the students to write down five different things that happened to Morgan’s body while eating at McDonalds. The video lists 11 things that happened to Morgan as a result of eating out for the 30 days. These items range from medical information to personal feelings that Morgan was having. It allows students to understand that the type of food that you eat can have a negative impact on your health and also with your mood and behavior. I always ask the students their thoughts on eating McDonalds after watching the video.

I usually ask the students if they were to choose another fast food restaurant if the results would be any different than eating at McDonalds. I was amazed that a lot of my students actually thought it would make a difference. I had more than one student point out the Jared commercials for Subway and said that the food was always healthy. It got me thinking about how I could make a connection that any fast food is really not that good for you, even Subway.  I started by downloading nutritional information directly from the Web sites of some of our local restaurants and fast food restaurants. The students were asked to make different meal choices as if they were going to eat at a specific location that night. The students were then asked to find some of the nutritional information for those choices. The goal is for the students to see that the choices at these places are not always healthy.

Another continuation with this lesson is to replace one of the menu items on the menu with something healthier. Maybe it means changing the salad dressing, changing the size of the item or finding a healthier option on the menu. The goal is to help students make better choices and to look for healthier options while eating out. These concepts can be added to the Dairy Council of California’s curriculum for middle school students. They strive for students to understand correct proportions and to try and avoid over eating. The nice part about the Diary Council’s curriculum is that it is free!

Another addition that I have made this year is to purchase the regular DVD of “Super Size Me.” This video comes with some bonus features that are appropriate for the students. The regular version of the DVD is not appropriate for our students since it does have inappropriate language and it also has some scenes that are inappropriate for our students. The bonus feature called “The Smoking Fry” is on the regular DVD and can also be found on YouTube. This bonus feature shows Morgan placing different McDonald’s foods into glass jars. They show how the food decomposes every few days.  It’s amazing how long it takes for some of the food to finally start to break down. This is a great time to discuss with the students about the added things that are placed in fast foods to keep them fresh. These additives may not be very good for you in the long run.

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Seven Elementary Ways to Reward Behavior

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

By Matthew Bassett

As a physical educator in elementary school, I’ve discovered that sometimes the best way to detour negative behavior is to reward positive behavior.  There are many things that you can do to brighten a student’s day. Most require little to no time to prepare.  Let’s take a look at a few of the rewards.

  1. Use verbal praise. Constantly telling students what they are doing wrong doesn’t help.  It’s easy to focus on the negative behavior and get stuck pointing out negative things all the time.  Sometimes it is really beneficial to verbally praise the students who are doing the correct things.  If I say “I like how _____ is walking straight in a line” it’s amazing how many of the students start walking in a straight line. With a little effort, verbal praise becomes second nature and can make the biggest difference in how your class behaves.
  2. Create a points system.  Point systems are something that I use with my younger kids.  The idea came from watching the TV show Whose Line is it Anyways.  The points don’t really matter, but it’s something that we do to make it fun.  I give out random points for specific things.  The group of students who do a better job stretching will get 50 bonus points.  If both groups do a good job then I will give 100 points to everyone.  I break down the class into activities and give points randomly.  I try to give points to the group of students doing the best on specific tasks, but to keep it even I will keep a group in the game by giving them points they haven’t earned.  I do the same with individual students.  For example, I give them 25 points if they step with their opposite foot while throwing.  At the end of the class period I announce a winner, without having to give out an actual reward.
  3. Award stickers. Stickers can be a great reward for students.  Most of my elementary students and even a few of my middle school students will work harder if they get a sticker.  The stickers can be small or large.  Handing them out at the end of class shows how hard they worked.  You can have a discussion with the students who did not do so well and encourage them to make better choices in the future.
  4. A prize box. Allowing one or two students to pick out something out of a prize box at the end of the day or at the end of the week can encourage students to stay on task.  You can pick up some simple toys and games from a party supply store or you can stop by the dollar bin at the local Target or Walmart.  I’ve even included some items that were sent to me as a sample that the students really enjoyed.  A small prize box can go a long way when they see a couple of cool items inside.
  5. Send notes home. A positive note home can be a great way to help a student who is struggling.  I use this as an opportunity to reach those students who are constantly a challenge.  When they finally have a good day I make sure to write a note home.  After the student reads the note to their parent, their whole demeanor changes.  I have had classroom teachers call me after school to tell me how hard the student worked for the whole day after getting a note from me.  I usually follow-up a note home during the next class period by reminding the student I will write another note if they have another good day.
  6. Choose a “Student of the Day” or “Student of the Week.” Recognizing a student for a whole day or even a whole week can give you an opportunity to show your appreciation for the student.  You can find a student of the day/week card at a local teacher store in small packs.  Just fill out one of the cards quickly at the end of a class or the end of the week and give to the student.  Be sure to talk about the student in front of the class.  Discuss the positive choices they have been making and the hard work they are doing.
  7. Invent class rewards.  You can also set up a reward system for your entire class.  Set a goal that students can achieve.  Create a goal for something like no time outs given for 10 days.  Then give the class a chance to reward themselves.  The rewards can be choosing their fitness activity, choosing the music they play (remember you have veto power for inappropriate music), choosing a game to play at the end of class or choosing an activity to do during class time.

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