Time

Concept

Activity

5-7 minutes

5-10 minutes

15-17 minutes

2 minutes

Motivational Opener:

The importance of this opener is to allow the students to think about their personal lives and how physical activity factors into their schedules.  This introduction will help the students identify some of the barriers to physical activity that affect their own lives.  By brainstorming these ideas, the students should be able to relate their personal barriers to people around them and come up with a universal list of why certain barriers to physical activity exist.

Lesson Body:  Part 1

After the students have identified some of the barriers to physical activity, they should be able to identify how to overcome these barriers.  By individually searching for reasons to overcome physical activity barriers, the students should realize that opportunities for physical activity are everywhere.  There are also many factors for each barrier that help to overcome the obstacles that many people endure when faced with the choice of exercise.  Once identifying and overcoming the barriers, individuals can create strategies to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.

*Reference:

“How Can I Overcome Barriers to Physical Activity?”  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Last updated October 25, 2004.

www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/life/overcome.htm

Part 2:

This part of the lesson will introduce the students’ unit project.  The students will be working in small groups as “members of a large company’s wellness team.”  As a team, the students will have to take their knowledge of health and physical activity and research the benefits of starting a fitness program for the employees of the company.  After a week and a half, the students will have to present their information to the CEO’s (fellow students and teacher) and advocate for the initiation of a company fitness program.  This project will allow the students to take their knowledge of health and physical activity and combine outside sources to come up with the best way to support fitness in their company.  This project is also intended to strengthen the students’ communication skills with each other as well as their public speaking abilities.

*Reference:

Health Teacher.  “Advocating for Physical Activity.”  Copyright 2004.  www.healthteacher.com

Lesson Conclusion:

To help the groups with their presentations, the students should be reminded of the varying types of activities and exercises that people may or may not enjoy doing.  Many times, people think that sports are the main type of activity that all people should be accustomed to; however, this is not always the case.  The students should be familiar with this concept and take it into consideration when developing their company fitness programs.

1.  On a blank sheet of paper, the students will make three columns; the first column should list 3 to 4 physical activities the student enjoys doing or would like to try someday.

2.  The second column should describe how often the student performs the physical activity or would like to perform the activity. (Example:  Daily, 5 times per week, 3 times per week, Rarely, etc.)

3.  The third column should describe reasons why the students’ physical activities are not performed daily or as often as they would like. (If the students do perform their activities daily, have them describe factors that help them perform their activities daily. (Example:  Designate a set schedule and time, always exercise with a friend, try not to crunch the activity in all at once, etc.)

4.  After about 2-3 minutes, the teacher should bring the class together as a whole to discuss some of the activities and barriers the students thought of.  The teacher should write the barriers on the marker board.

5.  Once a list has been produced, the teacher should convey to the students that physical activity barriers are shared by many people.

Questions to ask the students:

a.  Do you think some of these barriers are excuses? Why or why not?

b.  Are physical activity barriers personal problems brought on by the individual or can the individual’s barriers be affected by other people and/or their environment?  Why or why not?

1.  While working individually, the students will use their computers to research different ways to overcome physical activity barriers. 

2.  On the opposite side of their papers, the students will create two columns – the first column should list physical activity barriers.  The second should list at least one way to overcome each barrier.  Each student should produce 6-10 barriers and ways to overcome those barriers.  The students are allowed to list more than one way to overcome one barrier.

3.  To help the students, the teacher should provide the following websites:

www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa

www.healthyalberta.com/al_chg_ob.asp

The students are also allowed to use a search engine to help them with their research.  The teacher should inform the students to make a note of where they got their information.

4.  After about 7 minutes, the teacher should bring the class back together to discuss some of the ways they have come up with to overcome physical activity barriers.  When the students provide their information, the teacher should ask where the information was from to clarify the validity of their information.

5.  The teacher should greatly emphasize that physical activity should be an important part of everyone’s life.  Getting started is usually the hardest barrier to overcome, however, the lists that each student has created can help individuals and themselves begin their paths to active lifestyles.

1.  The students should count off by 4’s to form 4 groups with 4 people in each group.  Once the groups have been assigned, the teacher should designate an area in the computer lab where each group can begin working.  Each student should have their own computer.

2.  This project is explained in full as a WebQuest on the c:drive.  The teacher should inform the students of how to locate the WebQuest:

a.  Click on My Computer

b.  Click on c:drive

c.  Click Student Files

d.  Click 10th Grade Health

e.  Click Physical Activity

f.  Click Company WebQuest

3.  The teacher should briefly run through how to navigate through the WebQuest.  Each heading should be addressed by the teacher and students in order from top to bottom.  The teacher should also ask the students what the word “advocate” means.  (It means to support, defend, promote, argue for, push for, champion.) 

4.  The students should be reminded that this project is a group presentation and that everyone needs to participate.  The groups may present their information in any suitable form (ex.:  posters, PowerPoint, demonstration, surveys, etc.)

5.  Before the groups begin the WebQuest, the teacher should direct the students to look at the rubric showing how the students will be graded.  They should follow this rubric in order to develop a well-rounded presentation.

6.  The students will have a week and a half to complete the assignment.  They will have class time to work on their presentations.  If they want to, the students are allowed to email themselves the WebQuest to access it from their own homes.

1.  The teacher should ask the students the following question:

“Can sports be a physical activity barrier to people?  Why or why not?”

2.  The teacher should emphasize that sports are one reason why some people shy away from physical activity.  These people may not be very skillful when it comes to specific sport skills.  When creating your group fitness programs, remember to include activities to accommodate most preferences and skill levels.   

Critical Element

Poor

Fair

Good

Excellent

Students identified personal reasons as to why physical activity may not be a part of their daily lifestyles.

Students researched valid websites to produce ways to overcome the barriers to physical activity.

Students worked cooperatively in their presentation groups discussing their project and ways to present their program.

Students expressed their feelings about how an individual struggling with physical activity is affected by their environment and the people around them.