Fit for Life Quest

Teacher Page

jalicja33@hotmail.com

Introduction | Learners | Standards | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Student Page

Introduction

This lesson was developed as part of the Teaching with the Net course designed by the Teaching Matters, Inc. And sponsored by citigroup.

The objectives of this lesson are:

1. to identify community resources and career possibilities in the field of fitness, recreation, and/or sports, and 
2. to demonstrate the process of creating publication which will include information and evaluation of facilities and programs as well as some form of entertainment. 

Learners

This lesson is anchored in seventh and eight grade physical education and involves skills in desktop publishing. This lesson can easily be extended to language and visual arts.
Before students attempt this lesson, they should acquire basic skills of surfing the net, saving information, and use word processor or desktop publishing program.

Curriculum Standards

New York State Education Department Learning Standards for Physical Education

• "Students will be aware of and able to access opportunities available to them within their community to engage in physical activity. 
• They will be informed consumers and be able to evaluate facilities and programs. 
• Students will also be aware of some career options in the field of physical fitness and sports." (Standard 3 – Resource Management) 

Students will be able to demonstrate the process of creating publications which will include information, evaluation of physical fitness facilities and programs. Such publications will be assessed on its design and attractive elements.

To accomplish the task, students will be working in groups of five students. Class size is usually 25 students and that will make five groups per class.

• First the group will elect the Leader/Editor 
• Then the group will brainstorm and decide on the title, format and size of the publication. 
• Everyone in the group will assume a role: 

• For the final week everybody in the team will work on the publication itself. Researchers may write comments and stories about their adventures in exploring places, making a map of the area, composing rhymes and/or drawing pictures to enhance your final product. 
  Last day of the process teams will examine and evaluate products of their competition and compare to their own. Winning publication will be presented to the Principal and/or the District for printing.

The Physical Education class is taught two periods a week. Students will be working independently in the school Library Media Center. The project may involve students from different classes, even different level (group could mix seven and eight grade students). Students will work on the project for an extra credit and/or to make up for missed classes. As a PE teacher you may organize your students into group according to their ability and temperament. It would be a good idea for the teacher to have some experience in desktop publishing, or have a help for colleague who is a yearbook advisor or school newsletter editor.

Variations

I think that this quest could be also used as a investigative project for integrating many subjects. Students can design publications for environmental sciences, social studies and/or visual arts.
 

Resources Needed

To implement this lesson you will need :

• Phone Books, Yellow Pages/Local Directories 
• Shape, Muscle & Fitness, American Health, Prevention, and similar publications from the library 
• Access to the color printer 
• Access to the outside phone line 
• Buss/subway passes as needed 

The help of School Librarian would be essential for students to schedule their on line sessions. Language Art teachers will be very helpful to proof read texts, and Visual Art teachers may have an input for aesthetics of the project.

Evaluation

I want my students to identify community resources and career possibilities in the field of fitness, recreation, and/or sports.
I also want them to understand the process of creating publication which will include information and evaluation of facilities and programs as well as some form of entertainment.
How will you know that this lesson was successful? Describe what student products or performances you'll be looking at and how they'll be evaluated. This, of course, should be tightly related to the standards and objectives you cited above.
New York State Education Department Learning Standards for Physical Education

"Students will be aware of and able to access opportunities available to them within their community to engage in physical activity. They will be informed consumers and be able to evaluate facilities and programs. Students will also be aware of some career options in the field of physical fitness and sports." (Standard 3 – Resource Management)

I hope that the web will provide information about local resources and services available to teenagers, that it will give them skills to search for desired information.

Conclusion

The Physical Fitness Quest is a project that takes students through exciting adventure of creating their own publication. It involves gathering data and information and transforming it into a well design publication. This experience may encourage them to create different publication in other subjects area.

Credits & References

Last updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page