In the previous articles we talked about the objectives of a physical education class had two goals: helping the students to fall in love with exercise and making it part of their daily lives.
There is a discussion about whether physical education classes must be only practical, or they should also have some theory. I think both things are inseparable, and that there is not need for creating this dichotomy.
Make Sure There is a Wide Range of Activities
To attain the first objective the students need to know a good range of types of physical activities that they can do including traditional exercise and games. This makes it more likely they will find one they really enjoy and want to keep doing. Therefore, when we start planning a year, we could have blocks for each trimester. The first block can be “Fitness” and “Non Competitive Games”; second: “Outdoor activities” and “Sports”;and the third: “Traditional games” and “Individual Activities”.
In this way they will learn many ways of being physically active and probably fall in love with some of them. Along with these activities, the students will be taught about the benefits of exercise. The teacher can also divide and categorize the different benefits and introduce them in each block.
As I stated previously, it is not necessary to have exclusive theoretical classes. Each class can be organized by a couple of students with the help of the teacher. The preparation of the class would include a small research about the “block” they are in and a practical class. At the starting point of each class the students in charge of the class would share with their partners the results of their research, one of which will be the health benefits of that exercise. Here we also see the concept of real “participation” put into action.
Making it Part of Daily Life
The steps mentioned, by themselves, will contribute to the second objective of helping the students to introduce exercise in their daily life, but are not enough. It could be appropriate that the teacher and the students show after each class how and where the students could regularly practice that activity. The students, as part of the contents of the year, would have to visit different sport centers, clubs, etc. to become familiar with them. And from the beginning of the course, the students should have a personal plan of physical activity to put into practice.
I hope this series has helped you better understand the goals of your own curriculum. For further help getting started, try this fun-packed fitness unit!
This post is part of the series: Creating a Physical Activity Curricula in Schools
A Step by Step guide to creating physical activities in schools