Active Secondary Classrooms Energy Breaks Impact Student Learning

Brain Waves- Have Highs and Lows

Movement Data #1 kansas_Data.pdf Finland – #1 in the world in literacy and numeracy. After each 45 min class students engage in 15 minutes of activity

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)? Standing up creates more attention arousal, speeds up information processing by 5-20 percent, and increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain by percent.

Brain Activity

What are the Academic Benefits? 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).

Academic /Motor Skills Academic Associative Thinking Deductive Reasoning Abstract Thinking Inductive Reasoning Combination Sequencing Analysis Sequence synthesis and Organizing Visualization patterns Visual discrimination Verbal ability Memory and reasoning Motor Center Line skills Eye-foot coordination Spatial coordination Eye-hand coordination Hand-foot tracking

Cross Lateral Activities: Activating All parts of the Brain Part 1 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 Part 2 Brain Challenges cont. Guns and Roses: make a gun with your index finger and thumb on one hand and a circle with your index finger and thumb on the other hand. Switch repeatedly. Slap count: face a partner, hands out with palms facing up. Cross over your body with your right hand and slap your partners right hand while counting 1. Repeat with the left hand and say “2”. Your partner then does the same action, saying 3 and 4 as they slap (lightly) your hands. Variations – count down or up in number intervals (e.g., 3’s, 4’s)

Chair Aerobics and 10-a-day Chair Aerobics 10 squats 10 dips 1 leg squats Calf raises Scissors Leg swings Send 10-a-day NASPE calendars to staff or create your own 10-a-day activities

Activities: Colors/Hyperdash Pick a color – touch 5 things of that color around the room (can’t be a person!) Hyperdash! Post colored spots around classroom. Each spot also has a number on it (you could also add a letter or a symbol to give you more options or use two different color sets). Hand out index cards – student must follow sequence on card. Can be a color, number or mixed sequence.

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

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

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

Maestro Board

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, and rhythm The Maestro Rules

Maestro Levels 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.

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.

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

Academic Integration: Part 1 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.

Academic Integration Part 2 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.

Academic Integration: Part 3 Balloons One per group of students. Keep up – have to review topic/ answer question/ link concepts while keeping balloon from hitting the floor/ table. Great for icebreakers – learning names etc at the start of the year. Languages – give students a theme, verbs to discuss. Social Studies – review key concepts from current topic. Post a word or a question on the board and give students a set time to come up with an answer. Latex allergies? Use a beach ball or yarn/ koosh ball. Set clear ground rules for behavior ahead of time.

Academic Integration: Part 4 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.

Academic Integration: Letter Spots 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. Vocabulary lists for topic; spell out answer to question using body.

Academic Integration: Pre-Test 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

Getting Everybody On Board Ask for time at the start of each staff meeting to go over one or two brain breaks Forward news articles on physical activity/ brain function/ academic achievement. Visit your school board and tell them what you are doing and why (have them try a few!). Have a set time each day for physical activity time e.g., announcements, homeroom. Daily challenges: how many leg raises, scissors can the class do during announcements. Monthly challenges: marathon, ironman, walk to the moon, 1000 minutes.

ResourcesResources upload/PA-During-School-Day.pdf Pages 2 and 3 have a variety of links to different activities This is where you will find video’s and explanations of a number of the activities in this presentation. Great for sending a quick link to colleagues. You can also order the DVD and book from this site. classroom integrated lessons. Most of them are elementary but you could adapt and tailor them to suit your needs document from Jean Blaydes Madigan. Many of the games are elementary level but it contains some suitable for higher grade levels and some background research into brain based learning. Classroom activity success stories