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Lauren Kennedy

30125179

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One
Collaborative learning project

Question:
Does physical activity improve students academic abilities?
Rationale:
Many studies have shown the correlation between childrens overall health, including
mental health and the physical activity. However, more recently physical activity is
also being linked to improved concentration, memory and cognition (Martin, 2010).
According the Australian Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2011-12 only one third of
Australian children are undertaking the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity
each day. (Australian Government Health Department, 2014).
Many Australian schools have a high focus on academia following the
implementation of The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy
(NAPLAN) in 2008. NAPLAN is a test for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 which is
carried out every year testing students reading, writing, language conventions and
numeracy. (Daraganova, Edwards, & Sipthorp, 2013). This test can have a huge
impact on students feelings about school, crating stress and anxiety (Klenowski, &
Wyatt-Smith, 2012). According to Martin (2010) this focus on academic achievement
scores has caused a drop in the physical activity offered to students at school. Berk
(2013), notes that schools have cut back on physical education in favour of
academia with only 6% of US schools offering daily physical education. The social
environment, in this case, school plays a prominent role in childrens attitudes
towards physical activity.
It has been shown that physical activity reduces stress and anxiety in students,
which can improve concentration in the class room. Physical activity could lower
students stress and anxiety through endorphin release (Graham, G & Jin, 2016).
This can help to create positive associations with schooling, helping to bring down
the barriers created through the NAPLAN and other testing. Reilly, Buskist, & Gross
(2013) argue that incorporating movement into the school day and keep students'
minds and bodies functioning optimally.
Maths, awareness, and reaction time have been said to increase with extra physical
activity. Research conducted by Sallis, et al. (1999) concluded that doubling the

Lauren Kennedy
30125179

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One

amount of physical activity each week did not negatively affect students academic
abilities which may be a concern for teachers implementing more physical activity
within the classroom. Physical activity helps with cognitive functioning in the
classroom and helps in the future to lower the risk for age-related cognitive decline
(Winter, et al., 2007). Introducing physical activity as a fundamental part of students
learning journey will promote a healthier lifestyle, with increase benefits even after
the students have left school. Research indicates that students that are overweight
or obese are associated with lesser academic achievement than their peers (Taras,
& PottsDatema, 2005). Children that are overweight are less likely to be as
physically active as their peers (Berk, 2013). Increased physical education within the
classroom as well as other factors can help to improve students body mass index
directly relating to weight (Hollar, et al., 2010). In 2003 6.6% of the burden of disease
in Australia was due to physical inactivity. Worldwide physical inactivity has been the
greatest cause of diabetes, breast and colon cancers as well as ischaemic heart
disease (Australian Government Health Department, 2014). Adding physical activity
into the classroom will help to combat these stats, making students healthier now
and arguably in the future.
Physical activity has been used within a classroom setting for students with Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as reinforcement. Azrin, Vinas, & Ehle, (2007)
found that students with ADHD were calmer in the classroom after participating in
physical activity, as a result the rest of the class was calmer and the students were
more effective learners. Using this concept this project extends the physical activity
to the whole class. Carlson et al. (2015), found that adding physical education
breaks into the daily running of a class improved student behaviour. This study
suggested using physically active breaks to help manage students behaviour.
When exploring physical activity in the classroom, there are many aspects to
consider. One area that is not often explored within the classroom is students
fundamental movement skills, these include throwing, catching, and running. These
skills are vital for students coordination and will help to develop their left brain, right
brain abilities (Graham, 2013). Within the planned lessons, these skills are
considered and planned for. Children must develop these skills in order to extend
their physical abilities which could be argued promotes their learning.

Lauren Kennedy
30125179

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One

This project has been created as an interactive way to combine physical education
and movement skills into everyday mathematics and lessons. By doing this the
students are not missing out on class time or lessons, and are able to work towards
the hour of recommended physical activity each day. This project proposal suggests
that this could be worked into planned lessons throughout the curriculum, which
could improve students attention and behaviour as well as their physical wellbeing.
Aims and objectives:
The aspect that I have chosen to focus on for this project is incorporating physical
activity into other areas of the curriculum. After analysing the Mathematics and
English curriculum, I developed two lesson plan which incorporate physical activity
into the Mathematics and English domains.
The aim of this project is to introduce more physical activity within the classroom
setting. Taking opportunities to develop academic skills in active lessons. The
objective of this project is to increase the amount of time students are physically
activity within the classroom.
The following lesson plans have been created for students in level one, they have
been developed in relation to the Victorian curriculum. Using the Mathematics and
English curriculum and are supported by the health and physical education
curriculum.
Perform fundamental movement skills in different movement situations in indoor,
outdoor and aquatic settings (VCHPEM080)
Create and participate in games (VCHPEM082)
Develop confidence with number sequences to and from 100 by ones from any
starting point. Skip count by twos, fives and tens starting from zero (VCMNA086)
PLOTS:
The following lessons have been planned in conjunction with the principles of
teaching and learning which outlines the ways that teachers can reflect on
pedagogical practice (Victorian Department of Education and Training, 2013).
Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and
application. Examples of this include: using strategies to develop the students
investigation and problem solving skills and using different strategies to foster the

Lauren Kennedy
30125179

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One

students imagination and creativity. Principle 6 refers to learning connecting strongly


with communities and practice beyond the classroom. This is evident in the two
lesson plans as I have used technologies in ways that reflect community practices,
this is the way the school uses technology, which develops students understanding
of the role technology plays within the community.
Five Es:
The two lessons that have been planned are both explore activities. These lessons
use hands on activities to delve further into the topic. Both lessons do require some
understanding of the content prior to engaging. I have changed the literacy lesson to
fit into the topic at the moment, pushing the students understanding of the content
and giving the teacher an idea of what level the students are at.
In the mathematics lesson I have used skipping to engage the students. We explore
the topic using throwing and catching. This engages the students fundamental
movement skills. The students will be challenged by having to step back when they
reach a number that ends with 0. The students will be assessed at the end by their
videos they upload on Seesaw.
The literacy session engages students by taking them out of the classroom and
getting them moving. This adds an element of fun into the lesson. This lesson
explores the knowledge that students are currently learning and gives students an
opportunity to distinguish differences. Students will be engaged with activity and they
will explore the topic through the use of the game. The teacher will be able to make
distinctions between the children who are understanding the content and those who
need further support through this experience.

Lauren Kennedy
30125179

YEAR LEVEL: 1&2

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One

CLASS SIZE:

DURATION:
50 minutes

DATE:
26/07/16

Lesson Title : Skip counting and catching


MENTOR TEACHER: Morgan Abela
PST: Lauren Kennedy
Victorian Curriculum STATEMENTS:
Develop confidence with number sequences to and from 100 by ones from any starting point.
Skip count by twos, fives and tens starting from zero(VCMNA086)
Perform fundamental movement skills in different movement situations in indoor, outdoor and
aquatic settings (VCHPEM080)

Level one:
This lesson has been planned for a grade one class, level two and foundation level
statements have been included as the students will be broken up based on their individual
learning needs based on their math groups.
Teachers will support children of diverse abilities through, modification of content, modification
of the products (or resources) used and modification of the process, the way that a lesson is
taught can be flexible for students of varying abilities.
OBJECTIVE:
To successfully integrate physical activity into a mathematical lesson.
From this experience the students will gain knowledge about skip counting while developing
fundamental movement skills.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:
Students will have already had lessons about skip counting. They will coming in knowing the
meaning of skip counting and having had some practice at skip counting in twos, fives and
tens.

Lauren Kennedy
30125179

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One

RESOURCES and MATERIALS


Soft balls (enough for one between two children) approx. 15 balls.
Skipping ropes (one per student)
Ipads for recording
LESSON OUTLINE (focusing mainly on what the teacher

TIME

and students will be expected to be doing)

TEACHING POINTS:
Key questions
Key
organisational/manag
ement issues

Introduction/Opening
Students will be taken outside to the asphalt.

10

PST will ask the

minutes

class what skipping


counting is.

As a warm up students will be given skipping ropes and

Hands up for

as a group we will practice skip counting while skipping.

answers

This will be done as a group at a slow pace.


Students will be asked to find a partner.
Pairs will each be given a soft ball to catch and throw.
In pairs students will throw the ball, calling out to their
partner 2, the catcher then throws the ball calling out
4, skip counting continues as fast as the students can.
Each time the students drop the ball they must go back to
zero.
Each time the students get to a number that ends in zero,
for example, 10, 20 etc, the students will take a step
further away from each other, making the throwing and
catching more difficult.

20-30

Teacher will support

minutes

students to do this
quickly
Teacher walks
around during
session supporting
students.

Lauren Kennedy
30125179
Closure/Pulling it all together:
At the end of the session students will record their partner

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One
10

Teachers will be

minutes

walking around

skipping while skip counting and each student will upload

(five

the video of themselves onto the internal system.

minutes
each)

throughout this to
ensure students stay
on task. They will be
give 5 minutes each
and then they will
swap.
Teachers can spend
extra time with some
students that require
extra support
throughout this
lesson.

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT


How this will be assessed?
Teachers will be able to check the students progress with skip counting through the online
server. This will be helpful for teachers as they cannot hear all students progress at the same
time.

Lauren Kennedy
30125179

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One

YEAR LEVEL:

CLASS SIZE:

1&2

Support group

DURATION:

DATE:

30 minutes

Lesson Title : Narrative run


MENTOR TEACHER: Morgan Abela
PST: Lauren Kennedy
Victorian Curriculum STATEMENTS:
Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and explore how language is used to
present these features in different ways (VCELT219)
Describe some differences between imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, and
identify the audience of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts
Discuss features of plot, character and setting in different types of literature and compare
some features of characters in different texts (VCELT208)
Perform fundamental movement skills in different movement situations in indoor, outdoor and
aquatic settings (VCHPEM080)
OBJECTIVE:
To successfully integrate physical activity into a literacy lesson.
Students will use their knowledge about character and setting and fiction and nonfiction to
engage with this experience, by the end of this sessions students will be able to quickly
identify the difference between setting and character and fiction and non-fiction.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:
Prior to this lesson students have been working on character and setting, as well as fiction
and nonfiction.
RESOURCES and MATERIALS
Students will be asked to bring their drink bottles
Ipad

Lauren Kennedy
30125179
LESSON OUTLINE (focusing mainly on what the teacher

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One
TIME

and students will be expected to be doing)

TEACHING POINTS:
Key questions
Key
organisational/manag
ement issues

Introduction/Opening
Discussion about what we have been talking about ---

10
minutes

narratives. Whats the difference between a fiction and a


non fiction text? What is a character, what is setting?
The teacher will call out either character/setting or

10

Teachers model the

fiction/non-fiction and students will run to the side of the

minutes

way this activity runs.

10

Teachers will support

minutes

students if they get

basketball court that is designated to that category.


Closure/Pulling it all together:
At the end of the session the teacher offer students the
opportunity to call out different words showing their

stuck

knowledge and testing their peers.


The teacher will record some of this session and upload it
to the class blog for future reference.

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT


How this will be assessed?
The students will show their understanding of character/setting and fiction/non-fiction when
they have the opportunity to call out the categories towards the end of the session. This will all
be recorded both for the students to reflect on and the teachers to assess learning.

Lauren Kennedy
30125179

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One
References

Australian Government Health Department (2014) Australian Health Survey: Physical


Activity, 2011-12. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strategactive-evidence.htm
Azrin, N. H., Vinas, V., & Ehle, C. T. (2007). Physical activity as reinforcement for
classroom calmness of ADHD children: A preliminary study. Child & family behavior
therapy, 29(2), 1-8.
Berk, L. (2013). Child Development, 9th edition. USA: Pearson Education.
Carlson, J. A., Engelberg, J. K., Cain, K. L., Conway, T. L., Mignano, A. M., Bonilla,
E. A., & Sallis, J. F. (2015). Implementing classroom physical activity breaks:
Associations with student physical activity and classroom behavior.Preventive
medicine, 81, 67-72.
Daraganova, G., Edwards, B., & Sipthorp, M. (2013). Using National Assessment
Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Data in the Longitudinal Study of
Australian Children (LSAC). Department of Families, Housing, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs.
Graham, G & Jin, A. (2016). Teaching Children health and physical education.
McGraw-Hill
Graham, G. etc. (2013) Children Moving A Reflective Approach to Teaching
Physical Education. Ninth Edition, New York, America, McGraw-Hill
Hollar, D., Messiah, S. E., Lopez-Mitnik, G., Hollar, T. L., Almon, M., & Agatston, A. S.
(2010). Effect of a two-year obesity prevention intervention on percentile changes in
body mass index and academic performance in low-income elementary school
children. American Journal of Public Health,100(4), 646-653.
Klenowski, V., & Wyatt-Smith, C. (2012). The impact of high stakes testing: The
Australian story. Assessment in education: Principles, policy & practice, 19(1), 65-79.
Martin, K. (2010). Brain boost: sport and physical activity enhance childrens
learning. The Government of Western Australia Department of Sport and Recreation.

Lauren Kennedy
30125179

Collaborative Learning Project


Assessment One

Reilly, E., Buskist, C., & Gross, M. K. (2012). Movement in the classroom: Boosting
brain power, fighting obesity. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 48(2), 62-66.
Sallis, J. F., McKenzie, T. L., Kolody, B., Lewis, M., Marshall, S., & Rosengard, P.
(1999). Effects of health-related physical education on academic achievement:
Project SPARK. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 70(2), 127-134.
Taras, H., & PottsDatema, W. (2005). Obesity and student performance at
school. Journal of School Health, 75(8), 291-295.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2016). The Victorian Curriculum F
10. Retrieved from: http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/
Victorian Department of Education and Training. (2013). Principles of Learning and
Teaching P-12 and the Components. Retrieved from:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/Pages/components12.aspx
Victorian Department of Education and Training. (2014). The e5 Instructional Model.
Retrieved from:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/Pages/e5.aspx
Winter, B., Breitenstein, C., Mooren, F. C., Voelker, K., Fobker, M., Lechtermann,
A., ... & Knecht, S. (2007). High impact running improves learning. Neurobiology of
learning and memory, 87(4), 597-609.\

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