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Why Walk?

Time Frame

1 class periods of 60 minutes each

Life Skills

Social & Civic Responsibility

Authors

LOENE HILL

Summary

Following the story Yummers, students will use the food pyramid to evaluate what Emily Pig ate during her walk and find out why her walk made her sick. They will then participate in a walking game.


Materials

  • book Yummers
  • 4-6 stuffed animals or other objects
  • 2 food pyramids
  • writing materials


Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will practice comprehension skills as they make predictions while listening to the story and recall and sequence events. They will understand how a healthy diet and exercise can increase the likelihood of physical and mental wellness.


Instructional Procedures

1. Read aloud the story Yummers and stop for students to make predictions.
2. Upon completing the story have students recall all that Emily ate and assign students to draw or write a food until you have a record of all that she ate. Do the same for what Eugene ate.
3. Draw two food pyramids on the board, one for Eugene and one for Emily, and have students place their food on the pyramids.
4. Conclude that it was not the walk that made Emily sick.
5. Play a walking game. The book Walking Games and Activities contains many. These are the directions for Pass Back and Walk Forward.

  • Facility: gymnasium or track
  • Equipment: one stuffed animal or other object per group
  • Organization: groups of five to eight in separate lines, each with children lined up one behind the other.
  • Play: Have each group form separate lines all facing the same direction.
    The first person in the line carries the object. The group starts walking, with the person in front setting the pace. As the students walk forward in their group, the first person in line passes the object back to the next, and this continues until the object has reached the last person in the line. When the last person in the line receives the object, that person walks as fast as they can to the front of the line, and the sequence is repeated. Continue until a specified time or distance. NO RUNNING!


Extensions

Working with the literature:
Do pyramids independently or in cooperative groups. Act out the story. Stop as you reread to list or draw foods if necessary. Read other books by the author.

Playing the game:
Change members of the group to keep the ability level better distributed. Match the stuffed animal or objects being passed with the time of year, holidays, or seasons. Rename the game accordingly (Pass the Pumpkin). Use plastic food models for the objects being passed since the whole lesson focuses on health. Encourage students to get through as many complete rotations as possible.


Assessment Plan

The rubric "Why Walk" may be used to assess student learning.


Bibliography

Marshall, James. Yummers. 1973.
Decker, June & Mize, Monica. Walking Games and Activities.2002.


Rubrics

Created: 07/26/2002
Updated: 02/05/2018
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