Feature Story

Message to Teens: Snooze or Lose

What risk factor for teens has been linked to everything from poor grades to car crashes and even emotional problems? The answer is probably obvious to anyone who spends time with teens: It is lack of sleep.
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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 students settle down to focus on new material more easily.

Group Juggling-Sit-up Style

With a group of six to eight students in bent-knee positions, perform the following:

• In a circle, with feet touching in the middle, everyone sits up at the same time, and the person with the ball tosses the ball/beanbag to another player across the circle.
• The group continues until each person has received and tossed the ball, and then the ball goes back to the first person.
• After completing one pattern, the group continues with the same pattern, seeing if they can go faster without dropping the ball.

You can find more energy boosters like these in FitnessZone.

Professional Development

Wake-up Call

Many teachers have stood before a classroom of students watching a few stare tiredly back at them, or worse yet, watch as students begin to doze off. While teens may have trouble winding down at night because of their changing biology, distractions, or even in order to complete tomorrow's homework, addressing the importance of getting a good night's sleep is an important part of a health curriculum.
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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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