Announcements

Online Lessons Plans Coming In September

Glencoe's leading health programs for middle school and high school will soon offer online lesson plans available through glencoe.com. Each week, a new lesson plan will be added to the Web site, helping you engage your students in health education. Send your ideas for online lesson plans to Glencoe and urge your colleagues to sign up for the Health eNewsletter to receive more information.

Feature Story

Get Moving During May Fitness Month

With childhood obesity rates on the rise, it has become increasingly important for parents, students, and educators to join together to help students get active. According to the most recent data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the prevalence of overweight youth is 12.4 percent for two to five-year-olds, 17 percent for six to 11-year-olds, and 17.6 percent for 12 to19-year-olds. The month of May, designated as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, provides an opportunity to help students get active, reducing the chance of acquiring chronic health problems associated with obesity.
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NBC Learn

The NBC News Archives on Demand Health and Wellness video collection provides 3–5 minute video clips that focus on positive lifestyle choices and the latest research in health science. Explore body systems, health and hygiene, exercise and fitness, food and nutrition, and advances in medicine, along with mental health resources addressing self-image, relationships, stress management, conflict resolution, and mental health disorders.
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Fitness Zone

Fitness Zone activities provide a good way to integrate fitness into your classroom. You can use them to give students a quick break between subjects, so they settle down to focus on new material more easily.

Four Corners

This activity deals with personal opinions, e.g., the penalties for drinking and driving should be harsher; candy sales should be prohibited as school fundraisers. Place a sign in each corner of the room: strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree, along with a movement to be done (e.g., skip in place, jumping jacks, jump in a circle, jog in place). Once the question is asked, students move to the corner they feel best represents their opinion and perform the high energy activity.

Since there may be some discussion after each question, the activity will be somewhat like interval training (high intensity, then rest).

You can find more energy boosters like these in FitnessZone.

Professional Development

Physical Fitness Essentials

In recent years, with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, many schools have shifted resources away from physical education in order to focus on high academic achievement. However, with the rise of child obesity and type 2 diabetes, health and fitness remain important topics of instruction for educators. In order to help students become active, achieve physical fitness, and minimize their risk of lifestyle disease, the benefits of exercise, as well as proper exercise technique must be taught to students nationwide.
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Teacher Tips—What Works!

Teacher tips are tried and true teaching strategies developed by health education teachers around the country. Take a look at some classroom activities that really work.
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Swine Flu Outbreak: Protecting Your Students

The H1N1 virus commonly known as swine flu is making its way across the nation. As of May 1, it has closed over 300 schools. On May 4, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 286 cases of the flu across 36 U.S. states, while the World Health Organization confirmed 331 cases worldwide. As the threat of an imminent pandemic becomes a reality, everyday preventative measures must be taken to ensure your health and the health of your students.
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