PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
The Pathways physical education
(PE) curriculum, recess, classroom and exercise breaks are designed to
help students develop a physically active lifestyle. You can help most
by encouraging regular participation in physical activity in PE class
and recess.
The primary objective of the physical activity component is to increase
caloric expenditure in children participating in Pathways in order to
reduce the gain of excess body weight and prevent or reduce obesity. Individuals
who are physically fit and who engage in physical activity on a regular
basis generally enjoy better health, have more energy to devote to activities
in daily life, and learn physical skills easier and are more successful
at them. All of the activities of the Pathways physical activity component
should be used to increase daily physical activity. In addition, these
activities should be integrated with the classroom curriculum, family,
and food service programs to get the greatest benefits from Pathways.
Download procedures manuals for the Pathways physical activity component. Each part of the physical activity component are described in more detail below.
3rd Grade PA Procedures Manual . pdf (139kb)
4th Grade PA Procedures Manual . pdf (355kb)5th Grade PA Procedures Manual . pdf (357kb)
SPARK PE
The PE units taught in Pathways PE are from a very successful program
called SPARK (Sport, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) that was developed
to increase physical activity during PE class in ways that are creative
and fun for both students and teachers. SPARK has been shown to dramatically
increase 50% of more time engaged in "moderate to vigorous"
physical activity per class. SPARK achieved this goal and is one of the
most thoroughly evaluated PE programs ever. This curriculum has received
many honors, including being designated as an "Exemplary Program"
from the Program Effectiveness Panel, National Diffusion Network, U.S.
Department of Education. We suggest you schedule PE 3 to 5 days per week
for a miniumum of 30 minutes each session.
To receive training, materials,
and information about SPARK PE,
contact Paul Rosengard at 1-800-SPARK-PE (1-800-772-7573) or check out
their website (link
to SPARK web site).
EXERCISE BREAKS
Materials for this component include an Exercise Break box (include photo
of box). We suggest you implement classroom exercise breaks at least once
daily for 3 to 5 minutes.
Exercise Break box includes:
Color-coded cards with description of activities.
Clear instructions that can be used by teachers and students.
Ideal for use in rooms with limited space.
Helpful Suggestions for Using the Exercise Break box:
Perform one to two exercise breaks each day to improve fitness and health.
Exercise break activities should last 3 to 5 minutes to benefit the students.
Download the Pathways Exercise Break Box materials
Exercise Breaks . pdf (745kb)
(Purchase a 9"X5"
file card box in which to store the activity cards)
AMERICAN INDIAN GAMES
- Includes games in lesson plan format that were developed from traditional American Indian games and activities.
- Includes a binder with easy-to-follow diagrams and instructions for each game.
- Includes information about the tribal origin and history of games.
Benefits of American Indian Games include:
- Increases physical activity.
- Increases knowledge about activities of various tribal cultures.
- Increases social interaction between students.
- Makes physical activity
fun.
Download the instructional materials for American Indian Games
Modified American Indian Games . pdf (319kb)
These materials can be kept
in a binder for use by teachers.
RECESS
One primary goal of the Pathways physical activity component is to increase free play time for all students. Here are some suggestions for increasing recess at your school:
- Work with school administrators to increase opportunities for free play time, or recess.
- Educate students and school staff about the importance of daily play for children’s health and fitness.
Tips to Increase Physical Activity During Recess:
- Provide access to equipment and games.
- Educate school staff supervising recess about encouraging students to actively play during recess.
- Incorporate American Indian games and activities from the Exercise Break box into recess time.
- Provide a supportive environment for children to enjoy active play.