Teacher's Guide...Exercise: The Motion Potion

LESSON 2 ACTIVITY: Fitness Trail

*Introduction:*	Early adolescents often don't see the need for physical activity in their lives. This lesson is designed to help these students see that not only is fitness necessary for a healthy life, but it can also be fun when designed to meet individual needs.
*National Science Education Standards:*	Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Personal Health
*Concepts & Principles:*	Personal exercise is the key to physical fitness. Maintaining a state of physical fitness helps overcome environmental risk factors by building the body's immune system. Moderate exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of infection.
*Objectives:*	Design and implement a fitness trail which incorporates all components of physical fitness. Develop a fitness plan that meets individual needs.
*Cross-Curricular Connections:*	Math: • Measuring distances on fitness trail • Calculating heart rate • Graphing of individual progress Language Arts: • Writing fitness plans • Keeping exercise logs • Writing directions for each station on trail Art: • Planning a fitness trail • Designing signs for each station on trail
*Process Skills:*	Communicating Measuring Collecting & Interpreting Data Inferring Modeling Graphing
*Lesson Description:*	Working in teams, students will design a fitness trail which incorporates warm-up, aerobic, and cool-down phases. Each student will develop an individualized fitness plan and monitor his or her progress through the use of an exercise log.
*Materials:*	In quantities appropriate for class size: tape measure markers or paint stop watches jump ropes aerobic steps balls wooden stakes and boards for signs to mark trail
*Suggested Time Frame:*	Several 45 minute class periods.
*Procedure:*	Using a playground, open field, or other area, students will work in teams to design a fitness trail which includes stations for warm-up, aerobic, and cool-down activities. The trail should also include activities which develop each of the three components of physical fitness. Separate trails can also be designed for each component. Each team will be given a section of the trail to design, with one team member serving as a liaison to coordinate activities with the other sections. Cla Students will develop their own personal fitness plans which will include the three components of physical fitness. Begin by listing the physical activities each student enjoys, then discuss frequency of exercise, length of exercise time, and intensity of exercise. Students can then keep a log for one week to analyze their current level of physical activity, and analyze it to make adjustments as necessary. Students will describe their own personal health environments and list ways that they can be improved. Once a month, students should refer back to this description to monitor their progress toward maintaining a healthy balance in their lives.
*Suggested Discussion Questions:*	Why are warm-up and cool-down exercises important? Why do some people choose not to participate in physical activities even though they know the health benefits? How can you encourage these individuals to be more active? Why is it important to develop all three fitness components? How does exercise affect your heart rate? How can being physically fit reduce your risk from environmental hazards? What changes do you need to make to your personal health environment?
*Further Investigations:*	Continue to monitor your personal fitness level through use of an exercise log. Make periodic changes to activities on the fitness trail to maintain high level of interest. Beautify the trail by planting flowers, shrubs, or trees along the path if possible. Visit other fitness trails from schools around the country by way of the website. .
*Career Opportunities:*	Aerobics Instructor Physical Therapist Exercise Physiologist Kinesiologist Athletic Trainer Sports Coach
*Assessment Procedures:*	Exercise log Group evaluation of project effort Self-evaluation of "before" and "after" fitness levels Performance Assessment: Design missing sections of a hypothetical fitness trail based on the three components of physical fitness.

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