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Fitness
 * Home ::Authentic Task::__Teacher Resources__ ::Teachers Info:: Authentic Task  The students have been approached by a local doctor from a near by hospital and have been asked to spread awareness about obesity. childhood obesity is a recently increasing epidemic, mostly due to a lack of knowledge on how to handle it and prevent it from happening. The students need to keep a journal of all their research into how to make fitness and nutrition fun. their main aim will be to compare and contrast their thoughts and fitness results from the beginning of the task to the end. They will be required to do a presentation, in any format they like and present it to the class. The aim we are trying to achieve is an awareness of obesity and how it is easy to avoid it by making a healthy lifestyle fun for the whole family.  

 Fitness for Children from 10 - 12 years old (Grade 5 - 6) is a very important for their health as their education is important for their brains. This stage of age needs someone to guidance children like parents and teachers. Teachers are playing a big role as parents do as well. Children have many things should be considered by teachers than older people. However it's a sensitive stage should consider at this early age to avoid long-term injuries. Fitness is a complete to their health circle which contains: Nutrition, Fitness, Lifestyle, and BMI. A series of lessons designed to assist classroom and community teachers explain children to enjoy healthy eating, how to get active and esteem body-size differences. Includes lesson plans, printable handouts, assessments, and more! For children, physical activity and movement enhances fitness, fosters growth and development, and helps teach them about their world. As teachers of young children, we know that most children are innately physically active. Children learn as they move throughout their environment. In observing a group of young children at recess, we will most likely see them running, jumping, throwing, and kicking in this unstructured environment. It is what they do naturally...they enjoy active play! So why should we be concerned with "promoting" physical activity in children? Here's why.

Ways used for teaching Children
 * Active Games- Parents and Teachers are often challenged with the task of not only educating their children but also keeping them on task. This is a series of games that you can play with kids that keep them active and excited about learning as they transition from activity to activity.
 * Animal Exercises - Children love to use their imagination when they play. What a wonderful idea to have children stretch and strengthen their bodies as they mimic imaginary animals.
 * Balloon Toss- This activity will give children the opportunity to practice the skills of throwing or tossing a balloon straight up into the air and then catching the balloon.

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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), strength training -- which includes lifting free weights, using weight machines, or doing exercises that use elastic tubing or one's own body weight for resistance -- can be safe, if these rules are followed:

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 * Wait until the child is old enough.
 * Get a check-up first.
 * Don't overdo it.
 * Make sure the child's workouts are supervised by a qualified trainer who emphasizes safety and correct technique.

National Institute of Child health and Human Development contains important facts useful for encouraging students to engage in exercise and physical activity

Fitness References List: Bellstkd (2011, April 7). //Children's Fitness Class//. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from [] Doheny, K. (2012). //Is Weight Training Safe for Kids: Experts say weight training is safe for healthy children -- with some precautions.// Retrieved from WebMD: [] Lannelli, V. (2011). //Keep Kids Healthy: a Pediatrician's guide to your Children's health and safety.// Retrieved from Keep Kids Healthy: []

Nutrition

The Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia(DGCA) recommends that for best health, children should “enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods”. This means eating different food types, as shown by The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) to obtain all the required nutrients without excess energy (kilojoule) intake.

Variety also refers to choosing a range of foods from within each food group, particularly from the plant-based food groups (Fruit, Vegetables and Legumes and Breads and Cereals).

The five main food groups that provide nutrients that are important for the body are referred to as everyday foods such as:


 * 1) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #090000; font-family: arial,verdana,sans; font-size: 12px;">Breads, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles
 * 2) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #090000; font-family: arial,verdana,sans; font-size: 12px;">Vegetables and legumes
 * 3) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #090000; font-family: arial,verdana,sans; font-size: 12px;">Fruit
 * 4) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #090000; font-family: arial,verdana,sans; font-size: 12px;">Milk, yoghurt and cheese
 * 5) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #090000; font-family: arial,verdana,sans; font-size: 12px;">Meat, fish, poultry, eggs and nuts.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #090000; font-family: arial,verdana,sans;">Extra foods that are not mentioned above do not fit into the above group because of there limited nutritional benefits. Oils, margarine, confectionary, soft drinks and hot chips are some of those 'extra foods'. Drink plenty of water to help flush the toxins from your body during the day.

BMI BMI or Body Mass Index is used to estimate the total amount of fat in your body. We must remember that it is just an approximation of the best weight for your height, BMI calculations do not take into account of any muscle, bone or health problems you may be facing. BMI is best suited to be used by people over the age of 18. The reason why we would be showing this to our young cohort of 10-12 years olds is because of the recent rise is childhood obesity, which is only a recent problem due to a lack of knowledge from both children and parents. The BMI is quite an outdated method for measuring excess body fat and is not a good indicator as to when you should/need to loose weight. The reason we are using this with the children is so they understand the difference between muscle, fat, height and weight.

LIFESTYLE Lifestyle is a combination of all the elements stated above, it is about living a healthy balanced life. Lifestyle is something everyone already has and it may or may not be a balanced one. There are really simple ways of changing you r lifestyle for it to become a healthy one. 1- Get active EVERY day for at least 60, this can be anything from a walk to an intense game of sport or a swim at the beach. 2- Choose water as your drink, water is the only substance that actually quenches your thirst and water is the only liquid you body doesn't need to use energy to process as it is needed throughout you body. 3- Eat fruit and vegetables in every meal you need 3 serves of fruit a day and 5 serves of vegetables per day. 4- turn off the TV and get OUTSIDE, this can be anything from standing in the garden to going to the shops, this stimulates your brain and keeps it healthy. 5- Try not to SNACK!!! and if you really need to look at healthy alternatives and making it fun. (recommended by the healthy kids)

In America there is an organistation called the Children's Fitness Foundation, and they work at school with children from year 1-7 about making fitness and nutrition fun. They are a relatively new organistation and are trying to spread what they do because what they do is important. Lifestyle can be really easy to change and make better for you and it helps if the whole family is involved. When we increase the knowledge about how important it is to be healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle, the problem of obesity will decrease. Watch this video to see what the Children's fitness foundation is capable of.