Submitted by: Angela Watson

Grade Levels: K-3

In this fitness lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades K through 3, students use BrainPOP Jr. resources to explore the importance of exercise in keeping the body fit. Students will identify ways to exercise safely, and create a public service announcement (PSA) to teach others about the importance of exercise.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

  1. Discuss and explore the importance of exercise in keeping the body fit.
  2. Identify ways to exercise safely.
  3. Create a public service announcement (PSA) to teach others about the importance of exercise.

Materials:

  • Computer and projector to watch BrainPOP Jr. as a class
  • Chart paper or board to record ideas
  • Class set of the quiz printout

Vocabulary:

exercise; stretch; flexible; stress; physical fitness

Preparation:

Preview the BrainPOP Jr. Exercise movie and read through the Exercise Lesson Ideas page to familiarize yourself with the scope of the movie and further your understanding of the topic. You may also wish to compile web and community resources for students to use when creating their presentations.

Lesson Procedure:

  1. Show the Talk About It page to help assess prior knowledge and build background information about different types of exercise.
  2. Ask students why they think exercise is important. Create a list of their suggestions on the board.
  3. Show the Exercise movie. Pause as needed throughout the movie to respond to questions and develop understanding.
  4. Revisit the discussion about the importance of exercise, adding to or revising students' prior suggestions that are on the board.
  5. Divide students into heterogeneous small groups or pairs. (Alternatively, you may wish to complete the activity as a whole group with very young students.) Ask each group to select one form of exercise from the Talk About It activity and create a public service announcement (PSA) for the rest of the class and/or other classes in the school. PSA's are typically 30 seconds; however, you may create a longer format for your students.
  6. Each group should write a script or create a plan to perform their PSA. Leave the list of reasons why exercise is important on the board for student reference. Groups may plan to act out their skit live or record it as a video clip or movie. Alternatively, students might create a PSA print advertisement or multi-media presentation.
  7. Provide the groups with time to create their presentations. Remind students that their focus should be on educating their peers about one form of exercise and explaining how it helps the body stay fit.
  8. Allow each group to present or perform for their peers.
  9. As an assessment, have students take the easy quiz or hard quiz. On the back or on a separate sheet of paper, ask students to write a journal entry reflecting on their personal exercise habits. After this unit of study, what good habits do they plan to begin? Encourage every student to select at least one attainable goal.

Extension Activities:

Keep students' written reflections and hand them back after a month. Ask students to think, talk, and/or write about the progress they've made toward their goal. Allow students to edit or add to their plans. You may wish to collect the reflections again and pass them back a final time at the end of the semester or school year so the class can monitor their progress toward a healthier lifestyle.