Lesson Plan Title : Hearts in Motion

Age Range: Grade 3 through grade 5 (Elementary)

Overview and Purpose: This lesson gets students up and moving. Students work in groups to develop unique activities that get their heart rate up. They then take turns completing each other's activities.

Objective: The student will be able to name an exercise that will get their heart pumping.

Resources:

Stop watch-one for each group

Teacher created worksheet

Activities:

Divide students into groups and challenge them to come up with an activity that gets their heart pumping. Give them a target heart rate appropriate for their age and tell them that the activity needs to sustain that rate for 1 minute. Have them complete the worksheet as they are developing this activity. Encourage them to be creative and consider eliminating activities such as running in place and jumping jacks unless they involve additional movements. After the students have come up with their activities, have the groups rotate around the room completing each activity.

Sample Questions:

1. What materials are needed for this activity?

2. What are the step by step instructions for the activity?

3. How long do you have to do the activity before you reach your target heart rate?

Wrap Up:

If there are students with physical limitations in your classroom, discuss what modifications might need to be made to the activities so all the students can participate in them. This would also be a good time to talk about safety and watching for warning signs that your body is getting tired when you are exercising.