3-5 PE Lesson Ideas

I do this activity during what we call Walking Wednesday (our version of a Miler's Club) while all students are wearing pedometers.

At the beginning of class, I show the two "blood cells" (soffi balls) and relate them to what we had previously learned about how arteries carry oxygen rich blood - represented by the red ball; and how the blue ball represents the oxygen poor blood carried by our veins.

I hand one student the red ball and another the blue ball. If you get the red ball you must run your fastest for 2 laps, then pass the ball to a friend, run to the table where the stethoscope and wipes are and listen to your heart beating after you have worked hard, then rejoin the group of students walking/jogging. If handed the blue ball, you may only walk. After walking 2 laps, go through the same process of listening to your heart and compare/contrast the rate of your heart beat. The two balls are passed throughout the entire group so that every student has at least one turn with each color and if time allows we continue so everyone can get more turns.

This really helps get some of those kids who only want to walk each Walking Wednesday to "step up their pace."