FAMILY FITNESS FAIR

Lake Riviera Middle School,

Grade Levels: Seventh Grade

Academic Focus/Core Curriculum Standards:

The Arts(Visual and Performing) 1.2, 1.3

Comprehensive Health and Physical Education 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6

Language Arts Literacy 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5

Core Ethical Values: Responsibility, civic-mindedness, teamwork, cooperation, service to others

Seventh-graders host a "Family Fitness Night" as the culmination of a year-long emphasis on developing a healthy lifestyle. Students are responsible for creating nutritional guides and brochures displaying the positive effects of walking/running/exercise, designing the invitations to the neighboring senior citizen communities, and providing support the day of the Relay for Life race (a follow-up activity).

The Fair takes place one evening in late spring; class preparation is two weeks.

Project Scheduling: During class time.

20 Steps; water bottles; t-shirts; radios; washcloths; pilates mats; materials for brochures; free passes to the gym.

At the Fitness Fair, volunteer professional instructors do the training at five stations:

Students are responsible for the publicity, the invitations, constructing guides and brochures, and serving as ambassadors, guiding the attendees from station to station.

The Arts and Computer Literacy: Each class designs brochures explaining the positive effects of the particular exercise. Participants receive these brochures. Students develop skill in using Microsoft Word Publisher.

Health & Physical Education: Students develop awareness of the correlation between exercise and good health and put the information into practice.

Language Arts Literacy. Students exhibit skill in writing (brochures, invitations); reading (instructions and health material), speaking and listening (serving as Ambassadors), and media literacy (designing brochures).

Science: Students learn the physiology of body systems and the beneficial results of systematic exercise and balanced nutrition.

Consumer, Family & Life Skills. Students learn to work cooperatively in organizing the Fair and exhibit self-management & problem-solving skills.

Character Education: Students develop habits of good citizenship in promoting healthy lifestyles for all and performing a community service.

Hurdles Encountered:

Hurdles: Scheduling difficulties

Solution: Agreement between administration, community on available dates.

Performance-based Education: The Fair involves students working together to produce an important community service to combat the present problem of childhood obesity.

Cooperative Learning: Students collaborate in all phases of the production.

Interdisciplinary Approach: A capsule summary of the assignments shows the multiple disciplines involved. Cross-discipline teaching takes place during class periods.

Personal Growth Outcomes: When interviewed, students indicate how much they have learned from the experience and how they will carry the information into life.

Recognition: Local media coverage highlights the work of the students.

Key Findings: Students are so spurred by the Fair that many continue their volunteerism in the Relay for Life Race.

Representatives from Ocean County Department of Health and local health-related businesses serve as instructors and provide educational information.

Parents, families and senior citizens encouraged to attend.

Students, faced with a hypothetical situation of the Board of Education disbanding the Fair as trivial, write a letter to the Board defending it as a valid educational experience that also reinforces ethical values..