1. WHPE Northeast (CESA 8,9) District Coordinator
Active Classrooms
Jo Bailey
Physical Education
D. C. Everest Senior High
WHPE Northeast (CESA 8,9) District Coordinator

2. Waves!

3. The line you don’t want to see

4. Movement Data! http://www.learningreadinesspe.com/
kansas_Data.pdf
Finland – 15 minutes of activity before every class
Movement Data!

5. Why do our students need classroom physical activity breaks (CPAB)?
It takes just 17 minutes (+/- 2) of sitting down for blood to leave the brain and pool in the hamstrings. Signals the body to release melatonin, reduces release of BDNF (brain fertilizer)
Exercise fuels the brain with oxygen and triggers the release of neurotrophins which enhance growth, impact mood, cement memory, and enhance connections between neurons
Why do our students need classroom physical activity breaks (CPAB)?

6. Why do our students need classroom physical activity breaks (CPAB)?
Standing up creates more attentional arousal, speeds up information processing by 5-20 percent and increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain by percent
Why do our students need classroom physical activity breaks (CPAB)?

7. Brain Activity

8. What are the benefits of CPAB?
Physical activity and cognition are positively related (Sibley & Etnier, 2003)
Physical activity improves cognitive performance and behavior improves following bouts of activity (Tomorowski, 2003)
CPAB temporarily improve attention and behaviour (Pellegrini et al, 1995)
What are the benefits of CPAB?

9. Academic Skills Motor Skills Reading Math Language Written/ Oral
General Knowledge
Associative Thinking
Deductive
Abstract
Inductive
Sequencing
Analysis
Sequence synthesis
Organizing
Visualization
Pattern visual discrimination
Verbal ability
Memory reason
Center Line skills
Eye-foot coordination
Spatial coordination
Eye-hand
Hand-foot tracking
Dynamic Balance
Body Awareness
Uni/Bi/Cross laterality
Locomotor Skills
Motor Skills

10. Managing the Environment
Emphasize that CPAB are a privilege and can be removed
This is NOT PE – only a 2-5 minute break
Needs to be done quietly – Practice!
Outcome is not important
Toe to toe – easy way to get students into groups, work with different students
Lost and found/ Friendship corner
Managing the Environment

11. Cross Lateral Activities: Activating all parts of the brain
Brain Challenges:
1. Hold your nose, reach over or under and grab your nose with the other hand. Switch
and switch
2. Point an index finger out on one hand and a thumb up on the other. Switch and
switch.
3. As you write your signature on an imaginary table, rotate your foot in a clockwise circle.
Cross Lateral Activities: Activating all parts of the brain

12. Pick a color – touch 5 things of that color around the room (can’t be a person!)
Activities: Colors/

13. Activities: Rock Paper Scissors
Stand back to back with partner
Jump 5 times, turn on the 6th jump and show
Variations: use feet for symbols – together= rock, apart side = paper, front back straddle = scissors
Activities: Rock Paper Scissors

14. Activities: Same Different
Walk around room. On command get toe-to- toe with a partner
Designate one person to be “same” and one person to be “different”
Jump 10x. On the 10th jump, both partners put one foot forward
If the feet are the same (both right feet), the “same” person gets a point, if they are different, the “different” person gets a point
Change movement pairs from one session to the next – feet apart or feet together; palms up/ palms down
Activities: Same Different

15. Activities: Sherlock Holmes
Send two people out of the room
Choose one person to initiate and change the movement of the class – quiet, subtle movements
Invite the detectives back in – try to figure out who is the person initiating the change
Add decoys to increase the difficulty
Activities: Sherlock Holmes

16. Activities: Maestro

17. Activities: Maestro O = lunge X = jump
Arrows show which direction to move one step only)
Read the notes like words on a page – L to R, top to bottom and SAY THEM OUT LOUD.
Great activity for decision making, crossing the midline of the body, tracking, rhythm
Activities: Maestro

18. Level 1: move and say the SAME direction as shown on the screen
Level 2: move in the SAME direction as the arrows, but say the OPPOSITE direction
Level 3: move in the OPPOSITE direction, as the arrows but say the SAME direction
Level 4: move in the OPPOSITE direction as the arrows and say the OPPOSITE direction as shown on the screen
Activities: Maestro

19. Activities: Do This, Do That
Chosen leader performs various movements, each preceded by saying “do this” or “do that”
Students copy the movements but only if they are preceded by the phrase “do this”. If the directions are “do that”, no one is to move
Can use points – students try to get the least number of points during the game
Activities: Do This, Do That

20. Activities: Do as I say Leader gives verbal commands
Leader attempts to confuse the class by performing a different movement from what they are saying
E.g. Say “put your hands on your elbows” while placing hands on your waist
Activities: Do as I say

21. Activities: Academic Integration
Quick Math
Face your partner. Pretend to put your water gun in your holsters. For one-hand addition,
on the signal “Draw” each partner shows any number of fingers and thumbs on one
hand. The first partner who adds the fingers and thumbs of both partners wins the draw.
For two-hand addition, add partner #1 and partner #2 fingers and thumbs together for
the sum. For one-hand multiplication, multiply partner #1 times partner #2 for the
product. For two-hand multiplication, multiply the sum of Partner#1’s hands times the sum
of partner #2’s hands for the product.
Activities: Academic Integration

22. Activities: Academic Integration
Evens
Students walk around the room
On command they find a partner, designate one to be “odds” and one to be “evens”
Hit fist into hand 3x and on 3rd time stick out a combination of fingers: 0,1,2,3,4,5
Total number of fingers is added together
If it is even, “evens” player get the point, if it is odd, “odds” player gets the point
Play best of 3 games then find another partner and repeat
Activities: Academic Integration

23. Activities: Academic Integration
Balloons
One per group of students
Keep up – have to review topic/ answer question/ link concepts while keeping balloon from hitting the floor/ table
Activities: Academic Integration

24. Activities: Academic Integration
Rock Paper Scissors, Math
Walk around room. On command get toe to toe with a partner.
Face partner and say R-P-S Math
When you say the word math, you should put between 1-4 fingers out (no thumbs or zero’s)
The person who adds the numbers/ multiples the numbers first wins the round
Play best of 5 rounds
Activities: Academic Integration

25. Academic Integration: Letter Spots
Think of a word involving letters A,B,C,D,E
Right shoulder = A, Right Ear = B, Nose =C, Left ear = D, Left shoulder = E
Without talking, spell out the word using letter spots on body
Partner has to say letters out loud and say the word
Change letters/ body parts/ add body parts
Vocab lists for topic; spell out answer to question using body
Academic Integration: Letter Spots

26. Activities: Academic Integration
Pre-Test Taking Activity
Before starting test have students perform these warm-ups/hook-ups:
1 leg squat touch opposite hand to floor: 20 each side
Spins and turns: 5 spins in each directions
Knee to Elbow: 30 times for each elbow
Stretches
Hands over Heads
Hands behind back
Shoulder shrugs
Head Rolls
Activities: Academic Integration

27. eachingTools/upload/PA-During-School- Day.pdf pages 2 and 3 have a variety of links to different activities
asp?category=55 classroom integrated lessons. Most of them are elementary but you could adapt and tailor them to suit your needs
Resources