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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The typical school day in my school district is based on a 6.5 hour schedule, which
includes 45 minutes of “unstructured” lunch and recess. While my students are fortunate to have
at least 30 minutes a day of special classes (music, physical education, library, art/health), the
majority of their day is spent in the classroom working with academic content. The objective of
asking myself how to best support my students in an engaging and academically challenging
manner. My PE Infused Language Arts Lesson demonstrates how I integrate academic challenge
with physical activity, and that these two objectives need not be separate endeavors within the
classroom environment. With the incorporation of physical activity, I also bring engagement and
There is much data that shows a positive correlation between physical activity in the
classroom and improvement in academic endeavors. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
conducted an analysis of several studies that found “positive associations between classroom-
based physical activity and indicators of cognitive skills and attitudes, academic behavior, and
academic achievement” (CDC, 2010). In addition, physically active lessons have shown short
concept retention) in academic achievement (Tomporowski et al., 2011, Bartholomew & Jowers,
2011). Research shows that just 10 minutes of physical activity incorporated into the classroom
has an increase in on-task behavior (Mahar et al., 2006). The quality of instructional time, where
academic objectives are met and students are on-task, is important. There is a balance to be
found in planning academic tasks that align student’s developmental readiness to focus with the
ERICKSON MASTERS PORTFOLIO 2
providing frequent, yet meaningful breaks from the “listen, then practice at your desk” model.
Students have a variety of means to represent their understanding of nouns and verbs, including
oral reading, writing, and physical representation. Providing this varying means of
representation aligns with Universal Design for Learning objectives where students have the
opportunity to practice and demonstrate their learning through a number of modalities (Brand
and Dalton, 2012). In addition, students work cooperatively to achieve the objectives.
Cooperative learning experiences can be positively correlated with intrinsic motivation, student
enjoyment, and positive feelings of community (acceptance and support of peers and teachers)
As teachers, we know that this never feels like enough time to get through the lessons we
need to accomplish. As students, we recall that the best parts of the school day were those that
were unstructured, where play, physical activity, and social interaction were paramount. In this
space, I strive for relevance, where my students do work that is meaningful and important to their
development. The incorporation of physical activity into this lesson brings a level of relevance to
my student’s learning. In their day-to-day (outside of the classroom) lives, students (especially
primary students) have little application for identifying nouns and verbs. Rather, students utilize
physical stamina, balance, flexibility, and social interaction as they play with their peers. This
lesson capitalizes on the development of these skills. The active element to the lesson provides
students the opportunity to move, balance, stretch, and play. They can talk with their peers to
solve problems. In this space, students can relate to their instruction in a way that is relevant to
REFERENCES
Bartholomew, E., Jowers, M. (2011) Physically active academic lessons in elementary children.
Brand, Susan M., Dalton, Elizabeth M., (2012) Universal Design for Learning: Cognitive
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010). The association between school based
physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA:
Johnson, DW., Johnson, RT., Johnson, J., Anderson, D. (1976) Effects of cooperative versus
Mahar, M., Murphy, S., Rowe, D., Golden, J., Shields, A., Raedeke, T., (2006) Effects of a
Tomporowski, P., Lambourne, K., Okumura, M. (2011). Physical activity interventions and
children's mental function: An introduction and overview. Preventive Medicine 52. S3–
S9.