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Back to School 2010
Activities
PHYSICAL EDUCATION In PE, play a
variety of fall sports this week. Ask your teacher to
provide information on a variety of fall recreational
leagues available in your community.
ART/WRITING Create a few advertisements
encouraging people at your school to participate in
a sport. Draw or use pictures from magazines, and
include information from the article that you think
is important. With your teacher’s permission, pass
out your advertisements to the students in another
class.
MATH Liz likes to play basketball with her
friends on the weekends. Liz’s team is winning the
game by 6 points. If the other team has 21 points,
how many points does Liz’s team have?
READING Have your teacher read or recom-
mend a book on your reading level about someone
who plays a sport. What sport was your book
about? Did you like the story?
HOME CONNECTION With your parents,
research the sports opportunities available for kids
in your community. Are there any sports you are
currently playing or would be interested in trying?
Bring your information to class to share.
Discussion Quest ions
Would you rather play on a sports team or
participate in an individual sport?
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Youth Sports
Being physically active every day
is an important part of staying
healthy, and sports are a fun and
exciting way to get moving.
Whether you play a team sport or enjoy
a sport you do on your own, getting involved in
an organized sport will be something
you can enjoy for the rest of your
life. The physical, mental, and social
benefits of playing any sport are
great for anyone who participates.
Benefits of playing a sport
include:
u Improves level of fitness
u Increases strength and endurance
u Increases coordination
and agility
u Helps a person maintain
a healthy weight
u Reduces feelings of stress
u Makes it easier to fall
asleep at night
u Enhances self-esteem
Teamwork
Playing sports is also a great
way to make new friends!
Learning to work with a team
is a big part of any sports program. Teammates get to know
one another well through practices, games, and social events. Everyone on a team
must work together to score points during a game.
Being part of a team will help you meet new people
and learn to cooperate with others. Even in individual sports, friendships are formed as you meet
people that are working toward similar goals.
Finding the Right Sport for You
Now is a great time to discover which sports you
enjoy. If you don’t know much about a particular sport, ask your parents
to help you research
the skills needed, rules
of the game, etc. You
may have to try more
than one before you find
a sport that you really love
playing. Some sports to consider this fall are soccer, youth
football, basketball, and volleyball.
Individual sports like gymnastics, dance, and martial arts can be done at any time of the year.
Are there any sports you currently play?
Classroom Teachers, After-School Teachers, Parents, and Students
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Back to School 2010
Activities
WRITING/MATH Create an exercise
calendar for the week. Plan physical activities at
school, home, and other places you will be during the week. Each day, calculate the time spent
exercising and record it on your calendar. At
the end of the week, determine how much time
you spent exercising or were involved in physical
activities.
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Feeling Fit?
The Importance of
Regular Exercise
READING/RESEARCH With your parents,
find an article related to exercise in a magazine,
newspaper, or on the Internet. Read it together
or have your parents read and explain it to you.
Then, summarize the article for your classmates.
ART/READING Illustrate or elaborate (add
details) on one or two of the physical activities that you listed or drew as examples in the
article.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION Lead your class
in an exercise or physical activity. Take turns
playing different games or sports. Make up a new
exercise or game and teach it to the class.
CRITICAL THINKING How could you
motivate a person to exercise? Develop a strategy
and try it out on a couch potato. Share your
ideas with your classmates.
HOME CONNECTION This month, make
it a priority to get the entire family more active.
Starting this week, plan to take a bike ride or
brisk walk in your neighborhood at least three
evenings. Report back to your class on which
family members went on the walk and approximately how long you walked.
Regular exercise is important for kids and adults.
Lack of exercise can cause
a person to gain weight and
develop other health conditions, such as heart disease
or type 2 diabetes. Hopefully your school is taking
steps to ensure that you are
getting adequate opportunities to participate in
regular exercise or physical
activities throughout the school week. However, it
is important that you are physically active at home
as well. Exercise doesn’t have to be work. Playing sports, dancing, or playing a game of tag can
provide exercise and fun.
Sometimes it is hard for adults to find time to
exercise. Working a full time job and taking care
of a family takes up most of a person’s day, but
finding ways to be physically active doesn’t have
to be a challenge. Take a daily walk or bike ride,
play a sport, or put on some music and dance.
Take the stairs when possible and don’t forget to
stretch your muscles before and after participating
in physical activities.
Regular Exercise Provides Many Health Benefits
2.__________________________________________
• Improves sleep
• Increases energy levels
• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves lung function
• Prevents heart disease
• Prevents type 2 diabetes
List or draw three activities that provide fun and
exercise.
1. _________________________________________
Discussion Quest ions
2. _________________________________________
How often do you exercise?
Is your family physically active
on a regular basis?
3. _________________________________________
List or draw three physical activities that you and
your family can do together.
1.__________________________________________
3.__________________________________________
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Update on the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans
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Activities
Every five years the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes science-based dietary
guidelines to help Americans make healthy food and physical activity choices based on their recommended calorie intake pattern. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of
Health and Human Services are revising the current Dietary Guidelines and will unveil the new guidelines sometime this year.
MyPyramid.gov
MyPyramid.gov is the food guidance system that
provides a personalized food intake and physical
activity plan for individuals. In addition, MyPyramid provides a variety of tools and resources for
adults, adolescents, and children to help them
monitor and maintain their recommended calorie
intake and physical activity levels. You will learn
more about MyPyramid.gov on page 4.
The Current Dietary
Guidelines for Americans
Based on a 2,000 Calorie
Intake Pattern
Engage in at least 30–60 minutes of physical
activity on most days of the week.
• Children and adolescents should be physically
active for at least 60 minutes every day.
• Balance your calorie intake and physical activity.
Consume a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.
• Eat 2½ cups of vegetables each day.
• Eat 2 cups of fruit each day.
• Go easy on fruit juice.
Consume 6 ounce equivalents of grain products
every day.
• Aim for at least 3 ounces of whole grains each
day.
Consume 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk or milk
equivalent products each day.
• Select calcium rich or fortified foods if you are
unable to tolerate dairy products.
Consume 5½ ounce equivalents of lean meats,
poultry, fish, beans, nuts, or seeds each day.
• Vary your protein, choosing more fish, beans,
peas, nuts, and seeds.
Consume no more than 24 grams or 6 teaspoons
of oils each day.
• Avoid solid fats (saturated and trans fats).
• Select healthier fats from fish, nuts, or vegetable
oils, such as olive or canola oil.
Extras – Consume no more than 265 calories per
day from foods containing an abundance of sugar
or fat (sweets, pastries, candy, sodas, etc.).
The above recommendations are for individuals
that need approximately 2,000 calories per day
to maintain a healthy weight. For individuals that
need to consume fewer calories, the recommendations are a little lower, and for individuals that
need to consume more calories, the recommendations are a little higher.
READING/TECHNOLOGY Visit
www.MyPyramid.gov and request a personalized MyPyramid plan. How many servings of
each food group are recommended daily? How
much physical activity is recommended?
ART Create a picture or poster that encour-
ages the students at your school to eat a healthy,
balanced diet.
MATH Using the dietary recommendations in
the article, use real foods to measure and show
the recommended daily intake of grains and extras. Do the same activity for other food groups
if you have time.
CAFETERIA CONNECTION Ask your
teacher to read tomorrow’s school lunch menu.
Are there items on the menu that support
the dietary guidelines? Are there items that
shouldn’t be offered? What will you choose to
eat?
HOME CONNECTION As a family,
request a personalized MyPyramid plan for each
family member.
Discussion Quest ions
Which daily dietary recommendation do you
feel you can easily meet each day?
Which daily recommendations
are difficult for you to meet?
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Quick Facts on MyPyramid.gov - Steps to a Healthier You
MyPyramid.gov can help you choose the foods and
portions that are right for you. For a quick estimate
of what and how much you need to eat, go to
www.mypyramid.gov and click on MyPyramid Plan.
Enter your age, sex, and physical activity level in
the MyPyramid Plan box.
Variety
The colored bands represent the 5 food groups
of the Pyramid and oils.
All food groups are needed each day for good
health.
For a detailed assessment of your food intake and
physical activity level, click on MyPyramid Tracker.
• Find your balance between food and physical
activity
Use the advice “Inside MyPyramid” to help you...
• Get the most nutrition out of your calories
• Make smart choices from every food group
Activity
Proportionality
Get 30-60 minutes of daily physical activity.
Children and adolescents should be physically
active for at least 60 minutes every day.
Balance your calorie intake and
physical activity.
*Extras - No more than 265
calories a day.
Limit solid fats and sugars.
The widths of the bands suggest how much food a
person should choose from each group. This is a
general guide, not exact proportions.
The narrower area stands for foods with more added sugars and
solid fats. Limit these foods.
Oils
Fruits
*6 teaspoons a day
Sources should come from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
Avoid solid fats (saturated and trans fats).
*2 cups a day
Eat a variety of colorful
fruit. Go easy on fruit juice.
Vegetables
Meat & Beans
*2 1/2 cups a day
Eat a variety of colorful vegetables. Include
green, orange, yellow,
red, purple,
and white.
Include dry
beans and peas.
*5 1/2 ounces a day
Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry.
Choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and
seeds.
Milk
*3 cups a day
Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or cheese (1 1/2 to 2 ounces).
Choose non-dairy, calcium rich, or
fortified foods, if necessary.
Grains
*6 ounces a day
Make at least half of
your grains whole.
Whole should be the
first word in the ingredient list.
GRAINS
VEGETABLES
FRUITS
OIL
The wider base stands
for healthier foods
with little or no solid
fats or added sugars.
Eat more of these
foods.
MILK
MEAT & BEANS
*Recommendations are based on a 2,000 daily calorie pattern. Those who may need about 2,000 calories per day include some moderately active
and active girls aged 9-13; moderately active girls aged 14-18; sedentary and some moderately active women aged 19-30; moderately active women
aged 31-50; some active boys aged 4-8 and 9-13; some moderately active boys aged 9-13; and sedentary men over 50.
For a personalized MyPyramid plan based on your age, sex, and
physical activity level, visit www.MyPyramid.gov.
Use MyPyramid.gov to help you stay Healthy and Wise!
Back to School 2010
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Water and Health
Did you know that over half the
weight of your body is made up
of water? Water is necessary for all
living things. All of the cells in your
body depend on water to help
them function and do their jobs.
Without water, each cell starts
to work slower, until it finally
stops. Not having enough water in your body is called dehydration, and it can make you
very sick. An important part of
being healthy is drinking plenty
of water.
Activities
READING With your teacher leading this
activity, use a T-chart to compare the benefits of
drinking water to the benefits of drinking sodas
or sports drinks. Which do you think is better
for your body? Should you start drinking fewer
sodas and sports drinks, or are you drinking
plenty of water along with other drinks?
Water is the healthiest choice
when it comes to choosing a
drink because it contains no
calories, no sodium, and no
sugar. It is important to choose
water over sodas, sports drinks, and energy
drinks because water doesn’t contain a lot of
empty calories that can cause you to gain weight.
Also, many sodas and energy drinks contain caffeine, which can cause your body to lose water,
increasing the risk of dehydration. Too much caffeine can also have negative effects on the heart
and body.
While it is important to drink between 6-8 glasses
of water every day to keep your body healthy,
it is just as important to remember that your
environment and your physical activity can affect
how much water you need. When you’ve been
outside playing in the heat, your body will need
extra water to replace the water you lost through
sweating. Your body is more likely to become
dehydrated during hot and humid weather, so
always remember to replace lost fluids by drinking extra water.
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WRITING Write or explain orally your cur-
rent water intake schedule. Describe when and
where you typically drink water throughout the
day.
MATH If Samantha drinks four glasses of
water every day, how many glasses of water does
she drink in a week? If Adam drinks six glasses
of water every day, how many glasses of water
does he drink in a week?
Tips for Drinking More
Water
• At restaurants, order
water with your meal,
instead of a soda or tea
. It is better for you, an
d
it is usually free!
• Have a water fountain
routine at school. At
certain times during the
day, stop at dif ferent
water fountains and ge
t a drink, especially aft
er
PE and recess when yo
u will have lost some
water from sweating.
• Have a glass of water
with your breakfast.
• Keep a bottle of water
with you during the da
y.
ART Create a poster that encourages students
in your school to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Hang the posters over water fountains, in the cafeteria, or in the halls at your
school. Be creative!
MATH Take a survey to see if the majority of
your class prefers water from the tap (the faucet
of a sink), or water bottles purchased from the
store. Have your teacher use a graph to display
the results. How much money do you think a
person would spend in a day if he/she only drank
bottled water?
HOME CONNECTION Does your family
purchase sodas or sports drinks when buying
groceries? How could you encourage your family
to drink more water throughout the day? Share
your answers with your classmates.
Discussion Quest ions
What opportunities do you have during the
school day to get a drink?
Is it difficult to remember to drink water
throughout the day, or do you have a schedule
for meeting your water intake requirements?
Back to School 2010
Activities
Caprock Press
Learning about the Human Body
This year, you are going to learn a lot about the human body, its systems and functions, and the important steps you can take to live a healthy lifestyle.
MATH Many of the interesting facts in the
MATH You will learn this year that some body
parts or organs come in pairs or groups of two.
Count by 2’s as high as you can or to 50.
RESEARCH/WRITING Write or draw
your own interesting fact about the body.
CRITICAL THINKING Although the hu-
man body is amazing, it can still experience illness and malfunctions. List or draw a few things
that can affect the body or its systems.
HOME CONNECTION Regular check-ups
by a doctor are an important part of taking care
of your body. When was your last check-up?
When did your parents last have a check-up or
physical? If you have brothers or sisters, make
note of their last check-up. Who is due for a
check-up?
• Exercise and get
plenty of physical
activity
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet
• Don’t smoke or be
around others that
smoke
• Don’t drink alcohol
or use drugs
• Your heart beats around 100,000 times every day. • Get plenty
of sleep each
• The body is about 70 percent water.
night
• Get regular check• Your body has about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood.
ups from your
These 5.6 liters of blood circulate through the
doctor
body three times every minute.
Interesting Facts About the Body
• The average adult human brain weighs approximately three pounds.
• The human body consists of over 600
muscles.
• A drop of blood contains millions of
red blood cells.
• A person can live without food for several weeks, but usually less than a week
without water.
Discussion Quest ions
Do you know other interesting
facts about the body?
How do you take care of your body?
Taking Care of Your Body
As you learn about the
body this year, you are
going to find out how
you can take care of
each of your body’s
systems. While all of the
systems have different
needs, there are several healthy steps
you can take that
will benefit all of
them:
ART Draw a picture that shows one way you
take care of your body.
article included numbers. Write the following
numbers from least to greatest: 27, 250, 29, 70,
100,000, 600, and 250,000,000.
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Back to School 2010
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Activities
Going Back to School
The beginning of a new school year brings a lot of excitement and anticipation. It is important that children and parents approach the beginning
of a new school year with the enthusiasm and organizational skills to
make the school year go smoothly and ensure success.
Back-to-School Tips
• Get Organized - One of the best strategies for succeeding in
school is simply to be organized. Make sure you purchase and have
on hand all needed supplies. Organize your backpack so that you can
take home the things you need each day, but don’t let your backpack
get too heavy. Lay out your clothes and the things you will be taking to
school the night before.
• Eat a Healthy, Balanced Diet - It’s important to eat
foods that provide your body with nutrients
essential for staying Healthy and Wise throughout
the school year. Ask your parents to include more vitamin and
mineral rich foods in your diet, such as fruits and vegetables.
Avoid sweets and high fat foods that contain a lot of calories
and offer few nutrients. Try to drink more water instead of soft
drinks. Visit www.mypyramid.gov for more tips on how to be a
healthy eater.
• Exercise Each Day - An active body is a healthy body. Be sure to get at least 60
WRITING/MATH Write or make a graph
showing how many hours you slept each night
this week. Write or draw things you did before
bed. Did any of your before bed activities make
it difficult for you to fall asleep? What can you
change to make sure you get plenty of sleep
every night?
MATH If Travis has to wake up at 6 a.m. to get
ready for school, what time does he need to
go to bed in order to get at least 8 hours of
sleep?
ART Draw a picture that shows your
favorite healthy breakfast foods.
WRITING/ART With your family,
discuss your after school options and
plan a routine. Write or draw the steps
you will take to stay safe. Share your
steps with your classmates. Also, make
a list of emergency contacts with phone
numbers to have on hand in case you are
home alone after school.
HOME CONNECTION Time management
is part of good organizational skills. Think about
your after-school time each day. With your parents, make a timeline or drawing that shows the
activities you do during the after-school period
between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Share your timelines
with your classmates.
minutes of physical activity each day, which can include playing sports, riding your bike, skating, or walking the dog. Ask members of your family if they’d like to exercise with you.
• Establish a Routine - With your parents, try to create a routine for yourself that
will help you do your best in school. Stick to a bedtime that will allow you to get at least 8
hours of sleep each night. Wake up early enough to eat a healthy breakfast every day, which
will help you focus each morning at school. Before school is also a time to practice good
hygiene, such as bathing and brushing your teeth. Set aside time after school for doing any
homework you may have and for physical activity. Make sure you have a safe routine after
school, or think about attending an after-school program. Finally, be sure to set aside time to
relax before going to bed each night.
Discussion Quest ions
How many hours did you sleep last night?
What do you like to eat for breakfast?
Back to School 2010
Activities
Caprock Press
M
a
k
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i
n
g
ART Draw a picture of you and your friends
having fun together.
WRITING Write or explain what you do to
make new friends.
READING Write or say two facts and opin-
ions about your best friend. Remember, a fact is
something that you can prove and an opinion is
how you feel about something.
MATH Daniel’s teacher asks each student to
get with a partner for the next reading assignment. If there are 18 people in his class, how
many pairs will there be?
CRITICAL THINKING Anna is a new student at your school and doesn’t know anyone in
the class. What can you do to be a good friend
to Anna?
HOME CONNECTION Talk to your parents or guardian about how they made friends
when they were your age. What kinds of activities did they participate in? What advice can
they give you? Share this information with your
classmates.
Discussion Quest ions
What could you do to be a better friend?
Have you ever felt pressured by a peer?
Starting a new school year can
be exciting! You have a new
teacher, new things to learn,
and many new people to meet
in your class. Everyone wants
to feel accepted by his or her
peers. Forming friendships with
the people in your class will
make the school year much more
enjoyable. Making friends can
seem difficult at the beginning of
a new school year, but the most
important thing to remember
about making new friends is that
you have to be a good friend
first. If you act like a good friend,
people will notice. You can
never have too many friends!
Peer Pressure
Having friends helps us feel accepted. Friends support us and
help us learn new things, but
sometimes, friends can “peer
pressure” one another. Peer
pressure is when someone else
How to Be a Good Friend
• Listen when someone else is
talking. Do not interrupt.
• Be considerate and try not to
hurt other people’s feelings.
• Be trustworthy. Friends need
to be able to depend on one
another.
• Share with others.
• Do not leave people out because they are different.
•D
o something nice for someone who is having a bad day.
There are also many opportunities to make new friends outside
of school by getting involved in
sports or other activities for kids
in your community. Many libraries, churches, and youth clubs
offer a variety of fun activities
for kids after school and on the
weekends.
tries to influence your decisions,
and it can be in either a positive
or negative way. It is important
to surround yourself with friends
who influence you to do good
things. You do not have to spend
time with someone who treats
you unfairly or tries to make you
do something you are uncomfortable with or know is wrong.
It is more important to stand up
for what you know is right than
to try to fit in with people who
pressure you to do things you
don’t agree with.