Grade 1: Health Related Activities Unit: Maths Integration

We are well into our Health Related Activities unit in grade 1 PE, so the kids have had lots of opportunities to participate in class discussions regarding how the different body systems interact while exercising. In order to further consolidate this understanding, I collaborated with the grade 1 teacher, Amy Thames, in organizing a maths integrated activity which was aimed at getting the students to record their times running for distance and running for speed and creating graphs based on this data over the course of 2 classes. 

As we work our way through this unit, I am continuing to try and meet 2 main student learning outcomes that are found within our school’s PSPE scope and sequence; to recognize the importance of regular exercise and other elements in the development of a healthy lifestyle for current and future well-being, and to reflect on the interaction of the body systems during exercise.

Seen exactly as stated in our PSPE Scope and Sequence

So far in the unit, the students have shown a pretty decent understanding that the 3 body systems (circulatory, muscular, and respiratory) work together while exercising. What we are focusing on in the running for speed and running for distance activity is that regardless of how we choose to exercise, we are still working all three body systems. It is important that the students continue to get opportunities to understand and discuss this big idea. 

To set the scene, this is what the students have done over the past week in PE and back in the classroom. 

1. All students were timed in both the 50-meter sprint and one lap of the track (400meters). Their results were written down and recorded on a whiteboard once back in the gym.
2. The students recorded their time on their record sheets for both the 50-meter sprint and the 400 meters. 
3. The kids took part in a general class discussion afterward about how their body systems felt. Key questions asked were; How did your body systems feel when running the 50-meter sprint and the 400-meter lap?, What form of exercise do you like better, running for distance or running for speed?
4. The record sheets were given back to the classroom teacher, Amy Thames, to use in maths class. 
5. A few days later, Amy brought the students out to the track and had them once again run the 50-meter sprint and a 400-meter lap. Their results were written down and then recorded on a whiteboard back in class. 
6. The students recorded their times once again on their record sheets in the Day 2 box. 
7. Amy used this data and had the students create graphs in maths class based on the results for day 1 and day 2 in both the 50-meter sprint and the 400-meter lap . They had to answer the following reflective questions; Which day did you get a better time on the 400 meters?, Which day did you get a better time on the 50 meters?, Did you like running for distance or for speed?
8. The graphs and record sheets were returned to me in PE once completed to be used for stimulating further discussion.

The Final Class Discussion 

I had prepared for today’s class by creating the graphic organizer that you see below.

I had the graphic organizer up on the wall along with a couple of examples of the record sheets and graphs belonging to 2 of the students in the class. As well I had a large-sized poster of the learner profile attribute ‘Thinker’ also on the wall. I was really stressing the importance of students being ‘Thinkers’ during this class discussion as their ideas were really showing me what they have learned so far in the unit, in particular about running for distance, running for speed and how the body systems are effected by these types of exercise. 

Essentially, I was using this whole class discussion as a form of assessment to gauge whether or not the students were able to take their prior knowledge from this unit and apply it in a new context. I was focusing on the second student learning outcome seen above in the photo (to reflect on the interaction of body systems during exercise). The results were quite good as the majority of students in the class definitely understand that regardless of the type of exercise, the three body systems that we have learned about work together all of the time. 

You can see that on the bottom of the page 11 out of 13 kids believed that all three systems interact and are at work during exercise.

The students were able to describe how each of the three systems felt and were able to describe the interaction between these systems. Please see video below for snippets of conversation that took place during our class discussion. Also included below are examples of the students record sheets and the graphs that they had created with their classroom teacher, Amy Thames. Thanks Amy!!