Education that is Physical
What are students learning in physical education? One Maryland
Physical Education Standard is exercise physiology. This standard focuses on
students being able to use scientific principles to design and participate in a
regular, moderate to vigorous physical activity program.
At BTES, students in primary grades learn about their heart’s response to
exercise by feeling their heart beat after different types of locomotor movements
and speeds. Students also learn to check their carotid pulse (at the side of the
neck) with their “promise fingers.”
Students in grades 3-5 learn to check their pulse after exercising with
more precision. After each part of “Fitness First” (Cardio, Flexibility, Strength),
they use a stopwatch to count their pulse for 6 seconds. They learn how to
convert this to an Exercise Heart Rate. The aim is to hit their target heart rate
when exercising (approximately 120-180 beats per minute).
Miss Frizzle and her magic school bus will be visiting BTES soon.
Students go on a “field trip” inside the human body as they are transformed into
red blood cells. The blood cells circulate around the body, delivering energy
(oxygen and food) to the muscles and brain. After burning up the energy at the
exercise stations, the blood cells “take out the trash” and return to the heart to
start again. Watch out for the Big, Bad Cholesterol taggers along the way. No
permission slip needed! 
Have your children told you about “brain gym?” We begin each class with “Lazy
8s” and “Criss cross” exercises.
These exercises (see pictures) require “crossing the midline”. This is the ability to
move one hand, foot, or eye into the space of the other hand, foot or eye. We
cross midline when we scratch an elbow, cross our ankles, and read left to right.
Crossing the midline of your body helps build pathways in the brain and is an
important prerequisite skill required for the appropriate development of various
motor and cognitive skills. When performing crossing the midline activities the
brain communicates across the corpus callosum. This thick cable of nerves
allows the two brain hemispheres to communicate! By moving in new ways, we
build and strengthen new pathways in the brain.
Some crossing the midline activities:
a. Draw large figure eights (the infinity sign or an 8 turned on its side) on
paper, on the floor with a finger, in the air with a finger, or drive a
matchbox car around a figure eight pattern.
b. Touch the opposite elbow and knee. Repeat.
c. Cross one foot over the other while walking sideways.
d. Do “grapevine” walks.
e. Knee Slap Walk- Walk around raising each knee while touching/slapping it
with the opposite hand (or elbow). Change it to a skip while touching the
opposite knee as it comes up
f. Write your name in the air while rotating your foot in a circle clockwise
g. Play flashlight tag. In a dimmed room, lie on your backs and have the child
follow your flashlight beam projected on the wall with his own flashlight.
h. Wash the car and make sure the arms cross midline while scrubbing.
Note: Need a dirty car? Call me 
Find out more:
http://www.braingym.org
Pintrest: “crossing the midline activities”