My students need equipment to set up five fun exercise stations for elementary students. The activity mats will allow them to turn the classroom into a workout space.
We are two schools under one roof, an elementary school and a middle school. We call our elementary students "Littles" and our middle school students "Bigs". Teachers of both schools strategically plan activities that will foster healthy relationships between the Little and Bigs. Bigs sign up to be classroom helpers and listen to Littles read. Littles are the audience for the Bigs' band rehearsals, and love to cheer on the Bigs as they compete in their sports.
The middle and elementary school staff see numerous benefits from having their students work together.
The Littles look up to the Bigs, and the Bigs strive to be good role models, helping to build a safe and welcoming community of learners. It is rewarding to see the Littles' faces light up when they get to "high five" the Bigs, as they pass them in the hallway.
The experience of helping the Littles is a benefit to the Bigs, long after they leave middle school. They develop a passion for nurturing younger students, and many of our graduates go on to become teachers. In fact, six of our current teachers were once Bigs at our school.
My Project
These materials will allow my middle school health students to provide weekly fitness activities for elementary students. Our school has a limited amount of gym space, and the mats will allow for the activities to be done in any classroom.
My middle school health classes will be required to design and teach age-appropriate fitness activities to students in kindergarten through fourth-grade.
Each activity will contribute to at least one of these five fitness components: strength, flexibility, balance, aerobics, and endurance. The stop watches will be used to time the students as they jump rope. Times will be recorded, and students can track their progress, as they are able to jump longer each week. The balls will be used for a cooperative game called "Group Juggle" in which groups of students work together to keep all six balls in the air at once. The bean bags and hoops will be used for a tossing game, and the aerobics cd provides warm up and cool down activities to music.
Both our Littles and Bigs will benefit from these weekly workouts. The Littles will develop motor skills while learning to cooperate. The Bigs will develop leadership skills. And they both get to play and have fun!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Ahnert and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
