Chapter 1: What is Physical Education?

Physical Education DEFINED

Physical education provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform a variety of physical
activities, to maintain physical fitness, and to value as well as enjoy physical activity as an ongoing part of a healthy
lifestyle.
Physical education includes curriculum, instruction and assessment that is sequential from kindergarten through high
school and meets the standards outlined in the California PE Model Content Standards K-12
Why PE?
With over seventeen million children living in food insecure households and one out of every three children in
America now considered overweight or obese, schools often are on the front lines of our national challenge to
combat childhood obesity and improve childrens overall health.
Physical Education Today: Develops a Physically Educated Person

HAS learned skills necessary to perform a variety of physical activities

IS physically fit
DOES participate regularly in physical activity
KNOWS the implications of and benefits from involvement in physical education
VALUES physical activity and its contribution to a healthful lifestyle

PE should be fun!

HELP Acronym:
Health and Health Related (leads to reduced health risks)
Everyone- regardless of age, gender, ability
Lifetime long term goal is to improve the quality of life
Personal individual needs, likes, abilities

Addressing the needs of the WHOLE CHILD

LEARNING DOMAINS:

Cognitive-mind
Psychomotor-body
Affective- social-emotional (spirit)

Why Do We Need Physical Education Programs in Elementary Schools?

To improve the academic & physical skill levels of children

Because recess cannot substitute for P.E. (focus and goals of recess and P.E. are different)
Because children are more active outside of school time on days when P.E. time is increased
To fight the sharp decline in regular participation in physical activity as children get older
As a primary means of intervention before inactivity becomes a students lifestyle!
To encourage all students to regularly participate in physical activity
To address the affective needs of children self & others

The Case for Physical Activity

Support for physical activity in the school curricula is coming from:

Parents
Educators
School board members
National health/physical education agencies
Federal government

Physical Education Today: Consists of Quality Programming

Develops and refines childrens motor skills through participation in a wide range of basic movement forms
Improves heart-lung functioning
Enhances childrens interest in being physically active
Increases childrens movement knowledge base
Promotes cooperative, problem solving skill development
Promotes an active lifestyle

TWO MAJOR HEALTH CONCERNS FOR KIDS:

OBESITY

TYPE II DIABETES

Experts say this may be the first generation of children who will have a shorter lifespan than their parents!!

The lifespan of an obese child is predicted to be approximately 46 years!

Sedentary lifestyle and poor nutritional habits are major contributors

Benefits of Lifetime Physical Activity

Addresses and helps reduce the Six Primary Health Risks:

Diabetes
Obesity
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
High Cholesterol
Smoking
Sedentary Lifestyle

Helps reduce the risk of:

Stress
Insomnia
Coronary heart disease
Certain cancers

Benefits of Being Physically Active (for Children):

Improved movement skills

Improved cognitive function
Improved physical fitness
Healthier mental states
Improved cooperation skills
Feelings of success
Reduction of stress

Federal Programs

Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (formerly the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act) allocates more money to subsidize free meals and requires schools to abide by health guidelines
drafted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Lets Move - campaign to combat child obesity in the United States.

Choose My Plate - USDA guidelines for healthful lifestyles (replaces My Pyramid)

CALIF STATE PE Requirements

There are 5 Content Standards for grades K-8 and 3 Content Standards for grades 9-12 which cover the following:

Motor & Movement Skills/Knowledge

Fitness Skills/Knowledge
Sociological & Psychological Skills/Concepts

Physical Fitness Assessment (Fitness Gram): Grades 5th, 7th, 9th

The California Education Code requires a minimum of:

200 minutes every 10 days (about 20 minutes a day at school) for K-6
400 minutes every 10 days (about 40 minutes a day at school) for grades 7-12

Physical Education Today: Connects to the Classroom

Integrates content in the classroom and gymnasium
Educates the whole child

Multiple intelligence theory (1983 Howard Gardiner)

Brain-based education (the brain changes physiologically and emotions/cognitions cannot be separated)

Benefits of Recess
(Psychomotor, Cognitive, Affective Domains):

Your Role as Movement Educator (regardless of the situation):

Advocating and providing daily physical activity for your students
Forming partnerships with the physical education teacher
Enhancing your physical education teaching skills
Knowing and using national and state standards
Supporting the value of lifelong physical activity
Valuing and modeling an active lifestyle!
Role of Classroom Teacher as a Movement Educator

Three possible situations:

Totally responsible for physical education for your students (just like being responsible for reading and
mathematics)
Totally responsible for physical education, but school district provides a physical education teacher who
serves as a resource for the classroom teacher
No responsibility for physical education as your school has a physical education teacher hired to teach
physical education to your students

Helpful Hints for the Recess Supervisor

Provide appropriate equipment and play spaces

Provide sufficient equipment and spaces for many groups to play simultaneously
Challenge students to find a new game appropriate to play during recess
Ask students if they would like to
Play a new game (then teach a new game)
Select and use a piece of equipment from the playground cart
Walk with you around the perimeter of the play area
Join a game already in progress (then teach how to ask if they can join)

INCLUSION ACTIVITY
Group Juggling

Toss underhand

Form pattern (not to person next to you)

Say your name (repeat pattern)

Say name of person youre tossing to (repeat pattern)

Add more items (repeat pattern & say name of receiving person)

Physical Education Today: Calif. Content Standards K-8

Standard 1 - psychomotor
Students demonstrate the motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities
Standard 2 - cognitive
Students demonstrate knowledge of movement concepts, principles and strategies that apply to the learning and
performance of physical activities
Standard 3 - psychomotor
Students assess and maintain a level of physical fitness to improve health and performance
Standard 4 - cognitive
Students demonstrate knowledge of physical fitness concepts, principles and strategies to improve health and
performance
Standard 5 - affective
Students demonstrate and utilize knowledge of psychological and sociological concepts, principles and strategies
that apply to the learning and performance of physical activities
Physical Education Today: Calif. Content Standards 9-12
Standard 1- psychomotor & cognitive:

Students demonstrate knowledge of and competency in motor skills, movement patterns and strategies needed to
perform a variety of physical activities
Standard 2 psychomotor & cognitive:
Students achieve a level of physical fitness for health and performance while demonstrating knowledge of fitness
concepts, principles and strategies
Standard 3 - affective
Students demonstrate knowledge of psychological and sociological concepts, principles and strategies that apply
to the learning and performance of physical activity.
FITT PRINCIPLE: Monitoring Physical Activity

Frequency: How often?

Intensity: How much effort (determined by heart rate/appearance)
Time: How long?
Type: What kind of activity is the person engaged in?

HEART RATE

MVPA = Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity

RHR = resting heart rate
THR = target heart rate
MHR = maximum heart rate

MVPA and Heart Rate

MVPA-Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity = Continuum of Activity (50 -85% of MHR)
Determine your MVPA:
1.

Count pulse for 6 seconds

2.

Add a zero (beats per minute / 60 seconds)

3.

Calculate: 220 - age

4.

Multiply by .50, then .60 (warm up/cool down) then .70, and .85 (target heart rate zone)

Determine resting heart rate this week!

Heart rate

Karvonen Formula includes Resting Heart Rate (RHR ) count pulse upon awakening prior to any activity)
220-age = MHR
(MHR RHR) X .85, (repeat for .70, .60, .50)
add RHR = THR (low, mid, and high)

MVPA Continuum for activity