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 We
encourage teachers to consider ways that they can apply the Run/Walk Across
America virtual trek to their classroom curriculums.
.
There are many ways that this
trek can be included in classroom subject areas. Feel free to use any of
the suggestions listed below, or brainstorm some of your own! You may find that
personalizing the ideas/ suggestions to your particular classroom is the
most effective approach. You may also want to visit our
2007-2008 virtual trek on
Route 66!
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We've also established some
General Guidelines for the
Run/Walk Across America P.E. Curriculum and are encouraged by the feedback we've
received by those who are interested in doing a
virtual trek. There are several elementary schools in the
United States who have organized a virtual run/walk across America as
a direct result of our program. We strongly suggest reading the content at
our guidelines page for assistance in planning your own virtual trek.
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If you're a
P.E.
teacher who is looking for ways to improve your school's P.E.
program, you may want to read the
assessment tool/template that was prepared by the
National Association for Sport and Physical Education:
It's Time
for Your School's P.E. Checkup: How Are You Doing?
(in Adobe PDF format).
It urges
principals, teachers and parents to conduct an assessment of their
school's physical education program - evaluating its strengths and
weaknesses and then encouraging the development of a plan for improvement
where needed.
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Are
you a classroom teacher wanting to know how to have a healthier classroom
environment? If so, you'll want to definitely read the article: "Five
Ways To Keep Your Kids Healthy". Also, don't miss
these excellent articles from the National PTA web site:
The State of
Nutrition in Schools Today
Fact Sheet: The Need for
P.E. and Physical Activity Activity in Schools
Childhood Obesity
What Constitutes a Quality
Physical Education Program?
The Decline of Physical Activity: Why Are So Many Kids Out of Shape?
Making Physical Activity a Family Affair
In 2005
Child Magazine had a panel of health, nutrition and fitness experts
analyze data and compile a prioritized list of states that make children's
nutrition and physical education a top priority.
See how your state ranks for kids fitness!
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We invite classroom
teachers to click on any
of the following subjects to read methods that you can use for integrating
the Run/Walk Across America trek into your classroom learning.
Math |
History |
Reading |
Spelling |
English |
Geography |
Science |
Art |
Music |
Special Topics
There are certainly a
lot of mathematical calculations that can be done using numbers relative
to distance, elevations, and more. Here are some of the ideas that we
believe would be fun and challenging to include in your math curriculum.
Have students estimate the distance across each of the 15 states, sticking
to the Run/Walk Across America route. Then,
have the students use an atlas or online map site, such as mapquest.com or
mapblast.com, to figure the total distance across each state on the Run/Walk
Across America route. Have them see who got the closest on estimation for
each state.
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The Run/Walk Across America Route is 3,200 miles in length from Cannon Beach,
Oregon to Lewes, Delaware. Have the students figure out at what location
two runners would meet if each started at the same time on opposite coasts
and one ran 35 miles per day and the other ran 45 miles per day (you can
modify the daily distance of the runners). Then, have them figure out how
many days it would take each runner to complete the entire 3,200 mile trek
across America.
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The world
record for the run across America is 46 days, 8 hours, and 36 minutes.
Have the students figure out how many miles per day Frank Giannino had to
run to achieve his world record in 1980. Then, have the students figure
out his average pace per mile! For assistance, tell the students that he
was on the road an average of 17 hours per day.
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The Run/Walk
goes through 15 states from start to finish. Have the students look at the
route
and then determine which state contains the most miles to complete and
which state contains the least number of miles to complete.
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Have the
students estimate the number of times an average runner's foot would
strike the ground for 3,200 miles. They should take into consideration an
average stride length of three feet, noting that there are 5,280 feet in
one mile. After they've arrived at their number of foot strikes, have them
figure out how much total weight of impact that is on the body's joints
taking into consideration that the force of impact with each foot strike
is three times the person's body weight (you may want to use a weight of
100 pounds for this calculation).
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The
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention report that the direct medical
costs associated with physical inactivity were $29 billion in 1987 and
nearly $76.6 billion in 2000. Have the students figure out the percentage
of increase from 1987 to 2000. Also, the annual cost of obesity in the
United States is currently at about $117 billion. Figuring that there are
about 270 million Americans, have the students figure out the cost of
obesity in the U.S. per person - using the figure of $117 billion.
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The 3,200-mile route
across America is filled with locations of historical significance.
Perhaps some of the ideas below will provide students with knowledge about
a part of U.S. history within the 15 states of the route that they would
not have known.
The run/walk
route encounters portions of Lewis and Clark's route. You may want to
study what portions of the route are on the Lewis and Clark trail and what
experiences Lewis and Clark had in those areas.
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It could
prove interesting to explore the historical significance of the major
rivers that connect with, or parallel, the route. Such rivers include
Columbia, Yellowstone, Missouri, Mississippi, Illinois, Wabash, Ohio, and
Susquehanna.
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Learning
more about the individual states to be crossed can be very educational,
and fun! The 15 states on the
route each
have a rich history. Learn what year they became a state; their major
historical events; famous people from those states; and more.
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Learn
about early settlers in the 15 states of the route and what conditions and
experiences they may have had. Have the students choose one state and then
write a brief essay about how life in the state's early years of existence
differs from life experienced there today. This will require getting an
overview of the state's early years of settlement as well as an
understanding of the state's current population, technology,
manufacturing, and more.
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Reading can open up a
child's imagination in unique and exciting ways. You can challenge
children to read a biography about a famous sports figure, stories that
include themes on fitness and endurance, as well as some of the following
ideas.
There have
been many significant sports figures throughout history. Have the students
find a book in the library about a sports figure of interest and read
about their life. Then, have the students write a book report about that
individual and their contribution to sport and society.
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Reading is
fun, and fitness can be fun too! Select a book to read to the students
that addresses the importance of health and fitness. Take spontaneous
breaks during the reading to stretch, run in place, take their pulse, and
more. Make the reading time interactive.
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Place the
students into groups of three or four and have them select a book about a
sport or competition (like the Olympics). Then, have the students go
through the book together, taking notes on significant items of
interest. Once they have done their reading and note taking, they should
prepare a group report to present to the class. Each student can have a
portion of the report to write and present about. For instance, if the
sport was gymnastics one child could report about training techniques;
another about the type of equipment used; another about competitions,
qualifying, and famous gymnasts; and another about the history of the
sport - how it began.
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The study of word
spelling strengthens a child's memory as well as vocabulary. Just like
running/walking across the U.S., spelling requires practice and
perseverance. The following suggestions may lead to a renewed enthusiasm
for spelling.
Put
together a list of words that have to do with health and fitness for a
spelling list. Tailor the difficulty of the list to the students' level.
For instance, you may want to include such words as endurance,
perseverance, elevation, mileage, route, transcontinental, determination,
pedometer, nutrition, etc.
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Have an
'Around The World' competition in class using words that are related to
health and fitness. See who can be the last student left standing for
spelling such words! When a student misses a word, have them do ten
jumping jacks before sitting down. As a reward for the winner, have a
healthy snack award!
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Put
together a basic crossword puzzle that uses health/fitness words.
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Using a
list of health/fitness words, scramble the letters up on the chalkboard
for each word and see who can unscramble all of the words first. The
winning student must properly and legibly spell each word on paper, and
finish first, to be declared the winner!
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Have a
health/fitness word of the week. You can randomly select a word that your
students must learn the meaning of and try to use the word during
classroom time throughout the week. Each time a student hears the word and
is the first to say "Word of the Week!" they get one point. At the end of
the week add up your tallies on which student caught the word the most and
they win a healthy snack!
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This is a subject that
involves accuracy and attention to detail, two important elements in
properly preparing for a long trek. We've compiled some creative ideas for
you to try in your English curriculum and truly hope that these will be
beneficial.
Have the
students write an essay about their favorite sport, fitness trends in the
U.S., or about an issue that threatens a healthy lifestyle. Set guidelines
on what the essay should include and schedule time in the class to discuss
some of the topics covered.
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Break the
class up into groups of four. Choose a theme that each group will research
(such as the health risks of smoking; how alcohol can hinder alertness; or
some other topic related that impedes individual health). Each group will
prepare a "group" essay where each person in the group is responsible for
a particular element of their topic. The group will then present their
essay to the class to educate the other students on their findings.
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One thing that is
constantly encountered with each footstep across America is geography, and
the 3,200-mile route involves a wide variety of terrain and climatic
elements that can be studied. The following items can put your class on
the map!
Spend time
studying the differences between the various land regions to be
encountered on the 15-state route across America. Those regions include:
the Cascade Mountain Range; the Northern Rocky Mountains; the Great
Plains; the Central Lowlands; and, the Appalachian Mountains. Discuss
climactic differences (temperatures, rainfall, severe weather, etc.);
population differences; landscape differences; and more. Through this the
students should clearly understand the distinct differences between each
region.
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Plot the
elevation of the route each week as the run/walk across America progresses. You
may want to also plot a corresponding chart with average temperatures for
each week. The students will begin to see a pattern of cooler temperatures
with higher elevations and warmer temperatures in valley locations.
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Believe it or not,
there are also ways that you can connect the Run/Walk Across America with your
Science curriculum! From the Northwest to the Northeast you can
explore geology, water sources, and more. Listed below are some
possibilities.
Take time to explore the geological differences between the different
regions of the United States to be crossed during the Run/Walk Across America,
including: the Cascade Mountain Range; the Northern Rocky Mountains; the
Great Plains; the Central Lowlands; and, the Appalachian Mountains.
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Discuss the effect of long distance running on the human body, including
the cardiovascular benefits. Talk about carbohydrates and how they can
enhance long distance running performance. Figure out how many calories
would be burned during each mile of running (assuming a pace of 12 minutes
per mile and a weight of 100 pounds). Study the different body types (ectomorph,
mesomorph, endomorph). And, get an understanding of body fat percentage
and how running can reduce the percentage (being sure to look at average
body fat percentages for different ages and genders).
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Explore running mechanics and how the body reacts to the exertion of
running different speeds and/or distances.
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Talk about the importance of hydration during long distance running/walking and
how the body can deteriorate without proper fluid intake.
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There are so many
unique pieces of art that can be created to reflect the Run/Walk Across America
journey, from running shoe stippling (dot) art to scenic paintings. Try
having the students expand their creative abilities with health related artwork.
Create
something out of paper mache` that is related to running, such as a
running shoe!
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Paint a
watercolor picture of a place that you would like to either run or walk,
and include yourself in the picture. It may be a country lane; an ocean
beach; an open
field; in the mountains; or some other place that is special to you.
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Many students find that
energetic or inspirational music helps with motivation and gets them into
a running/walking rhythm. Learn music that has a beat which parallels
a consistent foot striking pattern, or that builds to a powerful finish.
Students
could learn a song related to their particular state (such as a state
song).
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Have a
discussion about how different types of music invoke different feelings.
Talk about music that can get a person motivated and how music can play a
part in running.
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Special topics can
include curriculum ideas for holidays, special occasions, commemorative
events, and similar. These are suggestions that do not necessarily fit
within the subjects listed above. These can be a fun break from the
routine!
Monday, October 3, 2005, is
National Child Health Day.
Prepare a running/walking fitness activity for that day around your
school's gym, playground, nearby field or park, or local track. Have the
students run/walk for 15 minutes, keeping track of the distance covered.
Then, figure out the total cumulative miles for the class and show them on
a map certain locations that their distance carried them to in the area
(nearby towns and/or attractions). You can also have the students divide
their total class distance into the Run Across America distance (3,200
miles) to see how many times their class would have to cover the same
distance to virtually cross the entire United States.
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Thursday, March 2, 2006, is
Read Across America Day
- held on the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Get a Dr. Seuss book off of the
classroom bookshelf or out of the library and take the kids outside or to the gym.
Read the story to them, enjoying the creative works of the amazing Dr.
Seuss. Then, in commemoration of Dr. Seuss' 102nd birthday, have the students run
or walk for
102 seconds (1 minute, 42 seconds), for 102 yards, or for 10.2 minutes
(notice the inserted decimal point). Make sure the students understand
that the Dr. Seuss reading day is held all across America and that
expanding your imagination through such fun whimsical books is as
important as expanding your level of fitness through regular exercise.
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March, 2006, is
National Nutrition Month.
This is a great opportunity to educate students on the importance of the
types of fuel (nutrients) that they put into their bodies - and how the
proper fuels can enhance your health and energy for physical activities.
Plan a day this month for the students to bring in a healthy snack (or
provide some carrots, apples, or some other nutritious snack). Talk about
what can happen to the body if it tries to perform on bad fuels compared
to good fuels.
After the snack - which shouldn't be too heavy - have the students run or
walk for a predetermined time or distance. Once back at the classroom have
a question/answer session about what fuels to put into your body and how
choices can impact overall fitness, endurance, attention, & energy
levels.
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You may want to receive the excellent physical fitness and health
brochures specifically developed for teachers, parents, and principals
that are being offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click here to order your free
brochures
(page opens in a new browser window).
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