PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BREAK 1

PPE 310: Health Literacy in Schools

Physical Activity Break 1
Krysta Jenkins
Course #26093
Dr. Miller

NAME OF ACTIVITY: Hit the Deck

GRADE LEVEL: 2-5
SUBJECT AREA:
NC STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY OBJECTIVE NUMBER:

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BREAK 1

FORMATION: Standing at desks

EQUIPMENT: 1 deck of cards

RULES/DIRECTIONS:
1. Teacher place a small stack of cards (3 or 4) on each students desk.
2. Have one student select a card and students will do the corresponding activity for each suit.
3. Would be helpful to write corresponding activities on the board for each suit:
Student will choose card, and then walk to open area at the side of the room to stay away from
desks and have safe area to do quick activity.
Teacher will demonstrate each movement correctly before cards are drawn.
Students who have trouble remembering the movements will have a card with pictures of the steps
to do the activities.
Heart: touch elbow to knee or crunches for 30 seconds
Student will bend to touch toes or will touch knees with hands.
Diamond: jog in place or march in place for 30 seconds
Student can wheel themselves around back and forth in place
Club: modified push up or plank (a small matt will be laid out to protect students elbows from
carpet) for 30 seconds
Modified wall push ups.
Spade: jumping jacks or scissors for 30 seconds
Clap hands above head.
4. Provide other students opportunity to pick a card from the deck and repeat activity.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BREAK 1

VARIATIONS:

1. Place activities on chart paper so that activity can be done outside.

2. Choose 3 or 4 cards of each suit instead of using entire deck to save time.
3. This activity is easy for a substitute teacher to follow.

Reflection
The energizing break did really well for the first tries. At first, students went to the clear area
to do their exercise and followed them safely. Each student was able to draw a card, look to see what

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BREAK 1

4
activity to do, and then preform the activity in the safe area. It worked well to have a demonstration
of each activity before the students went to perform the activity.
After the first few cards, the activities became a distraction for the rest of the class. The
students began to watch the students doing the activity and not paying attention to the lesson. Some
students started getting competitive and saying I can do them faster: or You are not going fast
enough. Positive praise was helpful to pull the students back to the lesson. I called on students who
were still participating in the lesson and doing their work. A few students understood this praise and
got back to the lesson. Two to three students needed more than positive praise to get them back track.
I had to address the students individually about paying attention to their own work,
Managing student behavior started out easy, but got more difficult as the students became
more comfortable with the activities and began becoming competitive. Students were shy and slower
while they tried the first few activities. Students had more confidence at each new attempt, and when
they sped up with their activities, the rest of the class become distracted. I had to continuously pull
the students attention back to the lesson, and remind students that it was not their turn to participate
in the activity. My mentor teacher suggested that all the students should draw a card at the same
time, so that all the students perform the activity at the same time and then come back to the lesson.
She liked that the activities gave a quick break to the lesson, and could be designed to take place
randomly during the lesson when needed.
After practicing the lesson with the class I would like to keep this energizing activity in my
future lessons, but try it with all the students doing the activity based on the card at once. The
students will stay together and work when it is time to work.
Modification
of Sample
Physical
Activity
Break

Instructional plans include:

Instructional plans include:

Instructional plans include:

All modifications are

grade/subject appropriate.
Safety issues for physical
activity break are well
thought out and described
in detail and highlighted

Most modifications are

grade/subject appropriate.
Safety issues for physical
activity break are
somewhat well thought out
and described in detail and

Few modifications are

grade/subject appropria
Plan activities include v
or no descriptions for sa
concerns for performing
physical activity break

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BREAK 1

SCORE:
x2

SelfReflection

SCORE:
x2

appropriately.
Classroom management
techniques for a physical
activity break are clearly
defined and highlighted
appropriately.
There is evidence that the
plan provides regular
opportunities to
accommodate students
with physical and
cognitive disabilities in
the physical activity break
and are highlighted
appropriately.
Self-reflection was well
thought out and included
at least 5 specific
examples from the
teaching experience on:
managing classroom
behavior, teacher
movement, response
latency, using student
names, and providing
positive praise.
Self-reflection was the
appropriate length for the
assignment (1-2 pages).
Document was saved with
last name, course # and
assignment number.
Rubric was attached at the
end of the assignment.
Assignment was written
in third person, APA,
including title page.

not highlighted
appropriately.
Classroom management
techniques for a physical
activity break are
somewhat defined
There is evidence that the
plan provides some
opportunities to
accommodate students
with physical and cognitive
disabilities in the physical
activity break, or only
address one type of
disability

Self-reflection was
somewhat thought out and
included 3 specific
examples from the
teaching experience on:
managing classroom
behavior, teacher
movement, response
latency, using student
names, and providing
positive praise.
Self-reflection was the
appropriate length for the
assignment (1-2 pages).
Document was saved with
only 1 or 2 of the following
criteria last name, course
# and assignment number.
Rubric was attached but
not at the end of the
assignment.
Assignment was in a
question and answer
format, in APA and
included a title page.

Classroom managemen
techniques for a physica
activity break are vague
There is little evidence
the plan provides some
opportunities to
accommodate individua
student needs in the phy
activity break
The aforementioned
information was not
highlighted appropriate

Self-reflection was not

thought out and did not
include less than 3 spec
examples from the teach
experience on: managin
classroom behavior, tea
movement, response
latency, using student
names, and providing
positive praise.
Self-reflection was too
for the
Assignment (not 1-2 pa
Document was not save
with last name, course #
assignment number.
Rubric was not attached
the end of the assignme
Assignment was in a
question and answer for
was not in correct APA
didnt include a title pag