Posts Tagged ‘content standards’

Physical Education Power to the Grid

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

An innovative school is having their students exercise on spinning bikes that add electricity to the power grid.

Not only can the students convert their energy into electricity, Nemec said, but this effort also reinforces first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign to combat obesity.

Read the article here.

The students study energy sources, like wind power and clean versus dirty power, and the muscles used to exercise. They use math to graph their miles and the watts they’re generating.

The above quote from the article is very interesting.  If the students are using math to graph their miles and watts, it seems that this is also an excellent opportunity to teach the principle of progressive overload.  Since physical education is often taught outdoors, it is difficult to measure exercise intensity.  Since these bikes measure the students’ power output, teaching students how to provide a stimulus through progressive overload is key.  The mathematics, while stressed in this article, is really only the vehicle to allow students to access this important concept.

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Using Microsoft Word to Make Handouts

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

By Matthew Bassett

Developing Microsoft Word Handouts

Handouts are things that have become very important in my class. My goal is to eventually have at least one handout for every standard that I teach. This is a very slow process but the quality of my teaching increases with each standard that I focus on. Here are some tips for making those handouts a little more stylish.

#1: Make a Title
There are two ways to make a title for your handout. First, change the font size and the font style. Word comes with a variety of choices but you can also purchase font programs that give you extra fonts. The second way to make a title is through word art. From the insert menu, click on picture, and then click on word art. Here a box will open that shows the word art gallery. Find one of the word art styles that you like.  Just click on it and then click OK. Type in the text for the title. At this location, you can change the font style and also the font size. When you’re done you click OK.  This is when the word art box opens in the word document. You can click on the corner of the box and drag to resize the box.

Wordartgallery

#2: Insert a picture
Placing a picture into your handout makes it more visually appealing. What better way to talk about a motor skill than to have a picture of those motor skills? You can get a picture into the text from a digital picture you’ve taken on your camera, a scanned picture, or from the internet (by downloading the picture). All of these can be created by going to the insert menu and clicking on picture. If you have a picture on your computer already (digital picture of internet download) you can click on find file.  Then you will be asked to locate the file you are looking for. If you want to look for a piece of clip art you would simply click on clip art from the picture menu.

insertingpictures

After you insert the picture you can make lots of changes to the pictures. First, double click on the picture to highlight the picture. I find that the layout is one of the most important menu items. This is where I can tell the document how I want the picture to be used. Do I want the picture in front of the text? Do I want it in line with the text? Personally, I usually pick the tight function and it allows me to move the picture wherever I want. The picture menu allows me to change the color content of the picture. Since I typically print my handouts in black and white I change the color of the picture to either black and white or grayscale. I always check to see which way looks a little nicer.

After moving the picture to its intended location I can resize the picture. By clicking on the picture one time I will see little circles around the picture. I can click on any circle and resize the picture. The circles in the corner allow me to resize both height and width in proportion to each other. This is usually my top option. The green circle at the top allows me to rotate the picture on the page so that it isn’t vertical or horizontal but diagonal.

resizepictureIf you right click on the picture and click on the show picture toolbar you will find a lot of new tools to work on your pictures. Here you will find buttons to change the colors, change the contrast, change the brightness of the picturepicturetoolbar, crop the picture, rotate the picture and place lines around the picture. The key is to keep making changes until the picture looks like you want it to.

#3: Create a table
inserttablemenuCreating a table can be a great way to organize a lot of information for your students. Instead of writing in a paragraph format, you can divide the information into cells. From the table menu, click insert, and then click table. The table menu pops up for you to develop the table. Change the number of columns that you need by typing in the new number of columns. Remember, columns are the part of the table that goes up and down. Then change the number or rows, the part of the table that goes side to side. Click OK when you have finished inserting the correct number of rows and columns. The new table should appear in your word document.

To change the column (up and down) width, click on one of the vertical lines in the document. When your cursor changes from the arrow to a line with two different arrows (pointing away from each other), then you can click and drag the line to the desired location. You can make the table bigger or smaller or make one column bigger or smaller. If you have two columns that you want to make the same size, just highlight the columns by clicking your mouse and dragging the mouse across the affected columns. Then right click on the highlighted area before clicking on distribute columns evenly. If you find that you’ve forgotten a column or need to add a row, you can highlight either a row or column and right click. You will find the add column or add row button in the menu.

With a little work and practice you can be making some wonderful handouts for your students. I’ve used handouts for general information about motor skills, fitness skills, fitness concepts and peer evaluation forms. Adding in some style can help take a boring handout into a visually appealing handout. Be creative while working with your handouts. You can always sketch one out on a blank piece of paper before starting your word version. Remember, when you get into trouble and you’re not sure what you just did, control-V (undelete) is your friend! Until next time!

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Book Review–Bonnie Mohnsen’s Teaching Middle School Physical Education

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

By John Kruse

Using state content standards to teach physical education can be a daunting task. As a middle school physical education teacher, I often see teachers of sixth, seventh and eighth grade teach the same lesson all day long. They teach the same lesson regardless of the students’ needs, skills or developmental level. I’m not sure if this is due to laziness or if its because these teachers haven’t looked at the standards closely enough to realize there is a developmental progression that builds on previous years.

Bonnie Mohnsen’s third edition of Teaching Middle School Physical Education, A Standards Based Approach for Grades 5-8 presents an excellent model of how these grades should differ in their curriculum. This book presents sample units for grades five through eight and the reader will clearly see how these grades should differ in both content and focus.

Mohnsen is probably best know in physical education circles for technology. She is the CEO and president of Bonnie’s Fitware. Her previous experience as a middle school physical education teacher shows in her writing. In other words, this text provides practicle applications that are not coming form an “ivory tower” approach. The book is very well researched and uses these professional resources as support for the suggested practices found in each chapter. Mohnsen presents a good foundation up front on such issues as grading, assessment, teaching environment, choosing equipment and teaching styles. The book is particulary useful for someone who is new to the profession or someone who is looking for some new ideas.

Teaching Middle School Physical Education uses national physical education standards as a guide. As a result, a teacher needs to realize that the book is only an example and is not meant to be a cookie cutter approach to teaching. Teachers will need to use the examples to creat their own lessons based on their own states physical education content standards.

Teaching Middle School Physical Education is 584 pages in length. The book is comes in a soft cover and the third addition also includes a CD-ROM with examples of task cards and detailed lesson plans that can be purchased to accompany the text. The ISBN# is 13:987-0-7360-6849-9.

Click here for Bonnie Mohnsen’s blog.

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Privacy, Google Docs and BMI

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

By John Kruse

Previously, I have written about Google Docs and its use in assessment. Recently, a health teacher and I decided to teach a lesson on Body Mass Index (BMI). Specifically, we were addressing a California health content standard for 7th/8th grade that states that students should be able to “explain how to use a BMI score as a tool for measuring good health.” As part of this lesson, we first wanted students to experience the use of BMI as a measure of good health by having them calculate their own BMI score.

We discussed the issue of privacy and BMI and we were both concerned about possible stigmatization occurring in class.  BMI is a touchy subject and I can only imagine where the adolescent mind will go with a peer’s BMI score.  My colleague recommended that we use Google Docs, specifically a Google Form, so students could turn in their assignment confidentially. This works really well since students are not required to turn in an assignment by handing in a piece of paper in class. Instead, students are directed to the school Web-page to input the assignment online using a Google form that we had embedded into the site.  Their information goes straight into an Google spreadsheet that only myself and my colleague can access. In addition to the Google Form, we also embedded a Google Gadget BMI calculator so students could privately calculate their own BMI at home.

Want to learn more about Google Docs and its use in education? Check out this blog post by EduTechi.com.

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Small Group Balance Stunts

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

By Matthew Basset

Fifth Grade California Content Standard 1.1
“Perform simple small-group balance stunts by distributing weight and base of support.”

Developing this standard has been difficult since it can be very dangerous and a difficult concept for students to understand.   One way I approach this standard is to have a group of students perform a pyramid by distributing weight and base of support.  Minimally, you can have your students set up a pyramid and check to see if they have good balance and move on quite quickly.  This, however,  does not help students understand the concepts of base of support or distributing weight.

This year I tried to get  students more involved.  First, we have to discuss the importance of  base of support.  A wider base typically has the better balance.  We also talk about distributing weight so that one (or two) people don’t have to take the brunt of the weight.  I use a basic combative game to help make the connection.  I have the students face a partner and place their hands together out in front.  Their feet are next to each other and they would challenge each other to push their hands (only) to a point where one person had to take a step (lose the challenge).  Then I direct them to place their feet shoulder width apart and take the same challenge.  I ask, “which is easier to keep your balance?”  Then I direct them to take one foot and place it a little in front of the other.  I ask, “which, of the three, is easiest to keep your balance?”  The goal is to get students to see that the base of support can affect the balance of the activity.

After students understand the importance of their base of support we talk about the distribution of weight.  We discuss how placing weight on two locations makes it easier to support than just one location.  Three locations are better than two locations, and so on.

Finally, when the class is ready to start their own small group balance stunts, I organize students into groups of seven or eight.  Each group is handed a worksheet where they place their names (for tracking purposes).  The class is directed to come up with five different group balances that share the weight distribution differently each time and also show different bases of support. My goal is to see different types of pyramids other than a typical three or four level pyramid.  Students are required to make a diagram of the base of support and where each student in the group is going to stand.  This process moves into a second class period where the students are given extra time to practice the balancing skills.  After a few scary falls, I’ve decided to tell my students that they cannot go above two levels in a pyramid.  This has made them work a little harder to come up with different ideas.  I also talk about how they can make a pyramid that isn’t in a straight line.

During their assessments, students in each group perform at the same time. This allows me to see how well the groups have prepared but it don’t allow a group extra time to practice while another group is performing.  The groups who work together are definitely better prepared for this approach at the assessment.

Other Connections:
This is lesson/unit that allows connections to overarching standard 5.  I constantly have to reinforce the importance of working together (5.5.3) and that it is important to stay safe (5.5.4).  You will have a few students who do all of the planning don’t listen to others.  I also have to reinforce the importance of allowing everyone to contribute their ideas (5.5.5) and to work with each other to accomplish their goals (5.5.7).  The groups who struggle start to work closer together when I discuss the importance of everyone sharing ideas in the group.  With a little work next year, my goal is to get students to understand social concepts while participating in this standard (5.1.1).  This way they reinforce the social skills that I’m looking for in class while they are working on a motor skill.

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Say Goodbye to Boring Student Created Games

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

By Jennifer Mettler

Introduction
When I was a student teacher, I taught my first “Create-a-Game” unit.  After three weeks my students created games that were so basic and uninventive that I swore I would never teach that unit again.  After some years of experience, I have learned that it is hardly my students’ fault, but mine for not preparing them properly.  When I reflected on why they did not succeed, I realized that the students lacked the content knowledge and experiences in game concepts and strategies to be able to create a game of their own.
California Model Content Standards
6.2.12 Develop a cooperative movement game that uses locomotor skills, object manipulation, and an offensive strategy and teach the game to another person.
7.2.6 Diagram and demonstrate basic offensive and defensive strategies for individual and dual physical activities.
7.2.7 Develop an individual or dual game that uses a manipulative skill, two different offensive strategies, and a scoring system and teach it to another person.
8.2.5 Diagram, explain, and justify offensive and defensive strategies in modified and team sports, games, and activities.
8.2.6 Develop and teach a team game that uses elements of spin or rebound, designated offensive and defensive space, a penalty system, and a scoring system.

Why link game strategies and game concepts with “Create-A-Game”?
It has been my experience that the more students understand and are able to apply strategies to a game setting, the more complex and better designed game they create.  Not to mention, the content standards already link these two things together.  Games that are “boring” tend to lack a design that involves complex strategies.  In addition, students need a wide variety of experiences to learn and apply many different types of strategies.  The more exposure to different types of games, the better their knowledge base to draw upon to create their own.
Types of Games
Net/Wall Games
Team: Takraw, Ringo, Volleyball
Individual/Dual: Table tennis, Tennis, Squash, Pickleball, Badminton
Invasion Games
Team: Capture the flag, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Team Handball, Speedball
Combative
Individual/Dual: Fencing, Wrestling, Martial Arts
Striking/Fielding Games
Team: Over the Line, Baseball, Softball, Cricket, Rounders
Target
Individual/Dual: Bowling, Horse Shoes, Bocce Ball, Croquet, Golf

Teaching Strategies
The best way I have found to teach strategies is develop games and activities that forces students to use very specific strategies.  Students start by playing a simple game that requires them to “apply” a few specific strategies.  As the games get more difficult, they will need to apply the strategies they already practiced in a simplified way to the more complex game.  A possible progression for the “know” is to start with defining offensive and defensive strategy.  Next, identify whether a strategy is offensive or defensive.  Then list offensive and defensive strategies.  Next, explain what the benefit is of a particular strategy.  Continue with identifying a diagram.  Then, have the students finally diagram a strategy themselves.

Parts of the Game
In order for students to understand the components necessary to play a game, students are taught the critical parts of the game throughout the different units that lead up to the Create-A-Game unit.  The depth of this content will depend on the grade level and prior knowledge of the students.
1. Object of the Game:  The object of the game is to (how you know you won) and you do this by (how to score or what you do to win.)
2. Rules & Scoring System
3. Penalty & Consequence System
4. Equipment, Field/Court & Players
5. Skills
6. Strategies & Set Plays

Create-A-Game
In prior units the students should be introduced to all three types of games depending on their grade level (8th grade: invasion, net/wall, and striking/field; 7th grade: net/wall, combative, and target;  6th grade:  mix of modified games).  During each unit activity the parts of the game should be introduced.  In-class worksheets and handouts should be given to the students for each component of the parts of the game.  Strategies need to be integrally taught by listing, identifying, diagramming, and applying throughout the units.  Once the students have the basic understandings of different types of games, parts of the game, and strategies used in each type of game then the students can be guided through the create-a-game process.

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Line Dancing on Teacher Tube

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

By John Kruse

I’ve discussed the value of TeacherTube on this blog previously.  In fact, I even went so far as to suggest that my readers post something on the site.

Recently, my sixth graders helped me create an instructional video on the Electric Slide line dance.  We also collaborated with some 8th grade students at the school who are in a small learning community with a focus in technology.  While the quality of the video isn’t necessarily that of a professionals, I am impressed at what these tech savey students came up with. They filmed the video footage, did the editing and added some snazzy transitions.

After watching the video, I’ve had some time to reflect on the lesson.  Consequently, I’ve decided that I need to spend more time with the students on following the beat of the music.

I’ve posted this video on TeacherTube and also embedded it on my school Web page.  I envision using it in the future when I teach line dancing again.  Students will be able watch the video for homework to reinforce what they have learned in class.  I’m also thinking of asking one of my classes to watch it ahead of the lesson to see if it makes my job easier.

If you attempt something like this with your students, be sure to get parent permission before filming and posting on the Internet.

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Symmetrical and Asymmetrical

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

By Matthew Bassett

First Grade Standard 1.6

“Balance oneself, demonstrating momentary stillness, in symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes using body parts other than both feet as a base of support.”

Have you ever looked at a California content standard and realized how difficult it will be to teach it? I have! The above standard is certainly one of them.  It’s very difficult to teach a first grader the concepts of symmetrical and asymmetrical.

First, I start by explaining that a symmetrical object looks the same on both sides.  If you place a mirror in the middle of your body you can see the exact same shape on one side as it is reflected in the mirror.  I usually have the students repeat the word symmetrical a few times before moving forward. Since the idea might be really difficult to understand, I use something the students do understand–letters!  I explain that symmetrical letters (such as A, O, o, T, V, v, Y, M) are the same on both sides. I have the students use their knowledge of letters to demonstrate different forms of symmetrical letters.  I call out a specific letter and have the students show me their symmetrical version of the letter.

I do the same thing for asymmetrical.  I explain that asymmetrical is when the left and right sides do not look the same. I have them repeat the word asymmetrical before having them demonstrate asymmetrical letters (B, b, D, d, C, c, Z, S, F).

This standard actually asks students to use a base of support other than both feet. This is where I start to make modifications so that students are able to accomplish the standard.  First, I ask the students to find ways to balance without using their feet.  When I see a good example, I ask all of the students to give it a try or at least verbally express my appreciation for their demonstration.  After helping students understand the concepts of symmetrical and asymmetrical using letters they are ready to make their own shapes.  Encourage students to be creative and have the whole class try a really creative shape.

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Mile Run/Walk Compared to Health Standard

Monday, February 16th, 2009

By John Kruse

Sixth grade standard 3.1:

Compare individual physical fitness results with research-based standards for good health.

The last time I discussed this California content standard, I suggested the use of a Google Gadget on the Internet to calculate Body Mass Index.   This time, I’ll discuss some strategies for having students compare their mile run/walk time with standards for good health.

I’ve found that keeping track of mile run/walk times with a spreadsheet can be very useful. This allows me to print a form letter in Microsoft Word in order to provide the students with their times. The form letter directs the student to my school web-page and also serves as a worksheet for homework.

On the web-page, they find information about the mile run/walk, its use for measuring cardiovascular fitness, a brief explanation of why cardiovascular fitness is important and standards for good health. The rest of the form letter is used to provide students with a number of questions. They are asked to identify if their time is within, above or in need of improvement when compared to the FITNESSGRAM criterion for the “Healthy Fitness Zone.”

A few other questions on the worksheet include the following:

  • How do you feel about your score?
  • Did you do your best, or did you talk to friends, explain your answer?
  • What can you do to either maintain or improve your score?
  • Why is cardiovascular fitness important?

This assignment has proven to be quite effective. It gets student to meet the content standard in relation to cardiovascular fitness since they compare their time to a standard for good health. In addition, I’ve found their answers are usually pretty thoughtful. Like the Body Mass Index assignment, it incorporates technology by forcing the students to use the Internet. It is my hope that the students gain an appreciation for using the Internet as a source of information for health and fitness. Occasionally students try to tell me they do not have access to the Internet at home. I tell them they can use the school library as a source for the Internet. I explain that if they were assigned a report on Abraham Lincoln, they would probably find their way to the library since they are not likely to have enough books on the subject at home. Consequently, using the library as a resource for the Internet, is not an unreasonable expectation.

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