My students need Ride Cycling workstations in the library so that they will have a chance to exercise while reading, getting active for at least 60 min a day, which is an active option for learning.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
The students at our STEM middle school learn through problem based instruction. One problem they see in our school is students who are over weight and not too active. Due to an increased number of students, use of the gym is limited to two physical education classes per week for middle school students. They have come up with a kid-inspired solution! The way to solve this problem, they feel, is to incorporate fit desks into their library time. Students can read and cycle at the same time.
While the recommended amount of daily exercise for students is 60 minutes per day, the majority of adolescents do not meet this guideline.
Many of our students are active through after-school sports, but not all students engage in physical activity on a regular basis. With the ever-increasing lure of technology, students are spending more and more time in front of a screen. Our students and staff care about health because we know it directly impacts learning.
My Project
My students' idea is to add cycling desks to the Library so they will have an active option for learning every day. This student-driven idea is to evaluate how increased physical activity impacts their own memory and cognition, as well as self-monitor how exercise in the classroom can be used as an outlet for stress or as a way to increase focus. With two cycling desks students will be able to rotate through sitting at traditional desks and the cycling workstations each class period. Since the desks are designed to strap laptops to the platforms, the desks can be used as a collaborative research area that also increases oxygen and blood flow to the brain. My students will integrates the cycling desks into their Library time in order to increase peer-to-peer learning through research about Health & Sports. The research questions they will generate will be related to how movement impacts their own learning.
Neurological scientific evidence generates a strong case for incorporating exercise into the daily routines of classroom lessons in order to help students process information better.
By adding cycling desks to their Library time, students will get to participate in their own research related to how physical environments affect their learning, as well as build a positive relationship with exercise and well-being that can impact their future life choices.
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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. Strong and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
