of Physical Fitness. Kulina and Krause, JOPERD, Vol.72, No. 8,
October 2001.
Authors Kulina and Krause discuss how to implement standard 4
(NASPE, 1995). Standard 4 states that physically educated people
achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness. Both
elementary and secondary students were the focus of the article.
Several suggestions emerged --
1. Maximize physical activity (at least 50% of class time).
2. Equipment for all.
3. Teach fitness concepts.
4. Focus on lifetime activities (strength-training, aerobics, jogging, etc.)
5. Give students outside assignments.
6. Offer a curriculum with limited objectives.
Specific strategies for elementary students include games that revolve
around traditional exercises (calisthenics, running laps), relating unit
activities to fitness concepts and assigning homework that includes
logging daily minutes of walking or number of curl-ups).
COMMENTS
1. Yes, let's have a lot of activity in our classes. But I get nervous when I
hear physical educators focus on the 50% number without adding that
the activity should be developmentally appropriate/relevant. I could bring
in a military drill Sargent and hit the 50% mark but at what price?
2. Hear, hear!!! Yes, lots of equipment. It may even be necessary to
make some homemade equipment. This is great for those on limited
budgets but also serves to send the message that some of these
play/fitness tools can be made by students at home. This further
promotes physical activity.
3. When teaching fitness concepts keep the info at the level appropriate
to the grade level. For many elementary students it is enough to
understand that when 'I' run and play a game my heart beats faster, 'I'
breathe faster and my body temperature rises. There is very little
research to say that teaching the importance of fitness increases future
activity. Teaching how to be active may be of some importance.
4. Focus on lifetime activities. I don't agree. Try focusing on
LIFESTYLE activities. NASPE (1998) lists lifestyle activities as "active
play and games involving the large muscles of the body" (p. 10).
5. Outside assignments -- great idea. How about 'HOME PLAY'.
6. I can't comment fully without understanding the meaning of the
authors. However, let me say that I believe the curriculum should
include the social, emotional, cognitive AND physical growth and
development of each child.
Traditional exercises -- I really believe we can make our classes more
enjoyable and more relevant to the lives of our students when we
carefully created, selected and modified low organized games. I am of
the opinion that decades of traditional exercise (rather disguised with a
deck of playing cards or shrouded with the name 'funercise') has been
responsible for turning off generations of active children to future activity.
