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Physical Education is as important as reading, writing, and math. Too few children meet

the recommended 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week which

correlates to 60 minutes per day, 5 days per week. Physical Education (PE) is the beginning of a

healthy lifestyle after healthy eating. Kids need to exercise and for the most part, that is done

through play. Antonio Granero-Gallegosa, Antonio Baena-Extremera, Manuel Gómez-López,

and J. Arturo Abraldes (2014) state “We know that students who have a positive attitude towards

physical activities in Physical Education classes (PE), or who indicate that they are more

motivated and enjoy themselves more in these classes, have a greater likelihood of being active

outside the educational context (p. 364). Kids being active outside of PE is important. In most

elementary schools, PE happens once a week. About fifty minutes a week is what is scheduled.

Recess on a daily schedule makes up for the other days of the week. In most cases, that is the

physical exercise most kids get every week. A study on the effects of screen time and obesity by

Sean Healy, Justin Haegele, Michelle Grenier, and Jeanette Garcia (2017) show “The prevalence

of obesity among youth is a public health issue of global importance” (p. 49). The authors

believe lifestyle factors like physical inactivity and too much screen time has been identified as

factors of obesity. The authors go on to say, “Regular engagement in physical activity has been

demonstrated to help youth control their weight while decreasing the chances of developing

additional health related issues, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, anxiety,

and depression” (p. 49). They further state “Independent of physical activity, sedentary

behaviors can have potentially dangerous health consequences in later years leading to type 2

diabetes and cardiovascular disease” (p. 49).

My physical education lesson “Quick Sand Race” focused on movement and agility for

students. The lesson was designed for an activity outside of PE class. In Dunseith, North
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Dakota, PE is a once a week class, and in the winter when there is no recess, we like to use that

time to keep the kids moving. I believe that kids who move throughout the day are more focused

during class time. In a 2017 journal study, Rick Ferkel, Selen Razon, Lawrence Judge, &

Larissa True (2017) state “Recent research has established a positive correlation between

physical activity and academic performance” (p. 256). Kids that are active are more focused

during learning times. As a teacher I use brain breaks during ELA and math lessons to refocus

kids when learning new skills. I have found that kids like the break up, even if only five-

minutes, during learning times.

While teaching in Wagner, South Dakota, students had desks that allow them to sit or

stand. A student could get out of their seat during instruction and as a teacher, you never knew.

For my kids with behavior disorders, standing and sitting during instruction and work time

allowed them to focus on the task at hand. I also incorporated movement into lessons, using

dance, yoga, walking, and jumping. A study by Willie Leung, Jaehun Jung, Seokheon Kang &

Bradley J. Cardinal (2018) shows that “The general classroom teacher may contribute toward the

physical activity needs of children by integrating movement into various classroom lessons” (p.

70). The authors go on to say, ”Physically active academic lessons are known as movement

integration, and they are not only positively associated with an increase in students’ physical

activity levels, but also with improved academic achievement, health, responsible class- room

behavior, time on task, and concentration” (p. 70).

Physical activity outside of the PE classroom is imperative to student learning. Catherine

N. Rasberry et al. (2015) says, “Healthy eating and physical activity were associated with higher

self-reported letter grades” (p. 924). Students don’t want a talking head at the front of the

classroom, they want to investigate, make choices, learn from experimentation and each other,
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and to be able to move. Incorporating movement in lessons, using brain breaks, and allowing

students to stand or sit during instruction gives students a break in the classroom. I want my kids

to learn “their way”, and I want them to be active. This lesson along with other movement

choices allows them to stay focused and perform at their best.

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References

Ferkel, R.C., Razon, S., Judge L.W., and True, L. (2017). Beyond “Fun”: The Real Need in

Physical Education. The Physical Educator 74 (2017) 255-268. doi.org/10.18666/TPE-

2017-V74-I2-7426 Retrieved from ERIC

https://js.sagamorepub.com/pe/article/view/7426/5999

Granero-Gallegosa A., Baena-Extremera A., Gómez-López M., and Abraldes, J.A. (2014).

Importance of Physical Education: motivation and motivational climate. Procedia -

Social and Behavioral Sciences 132 (2014) 364 – 370 doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.323

Retrieved from https://ac.els-cdn.com

Healy, S., Haegele, J.A., grenier, M., and Garcia, J.M. (2017). Physical Activity, Screen-Time

Behavior, and Obesity Among 13-Year Olds in Ireland With and Without Autism

Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders 47(1) 49-57.

doi:10.1007/s10803-016-2920-4

Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer

Leung, W., Jung, J., Kang, S., and Cardinal, B.J. (2018). Does Movement Integration Into

Classroom Lessons Work? And Are Teachers Receptive? Journal of Physical Education,

Recreation & Dance, 89(5) 70-71. doi: 10.1080/07303084.2018.1442071 Retrieved from

https://www-tandfonline.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu

Rasberry, C.N., Georgianne, F.T., Kann, L., McManus, T., Michael, S.L., Merlo, C.L., …Ethier,

K.A. (2015). Health-Related Behaviors and Academic Achievement Among High School

Students — United States, 2015. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity

and Mortality Weekly Report, 66(35) 921-927. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6635a1.htm