Senior Lesson Plan 2
- Physical Activity
Objectives
To increase awareness of the importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle, and to highlight the role of
nutrition and physical activity for healthy bones.
Duration: 30 minutes (approximately)
Curricular Links
SPHE Myself Self-identity Taking care of my body Food and nutrition
Words of the Day
Bone: A living tissue which makes up our skeleton.
Weight-bearing Exercises: Any exercise which puts the full weight of our body on our feet and legs e.g.
running, skipping and most team sports.
Dairy: Milk and products made from milk such as cheese and yogurt.
Calcium: A mineral contributing to the normal growth, development and maintenance of our bones. Milk, yogurt
and cheese are sources of calcium.
Classroom Discussion
The National Guidelines on Physical Activity recommend
that children and young people (aged 2-18 years)
should be active for at least 60 minutes every day
(at a moderate to vigorous level) and should include
muscle-strengthening, flexibility and bone strengthening
exercises three times per week.
Step 1: Introduction
• Ask pupils to recall the previous lesson and the
Department of Health’s Food Pyramid which presents
guidelines for a healthy, balanced diet. Ask your
pupils what else we should do to stay healthy. Note
responses on whiteboard/flipchart. Focus on responses
relating to physical activity and exercise.
• Explain to your class how being active is not only
fun but it is healthy too – and that an active lifestyle
is important for healthy bones and muscles, and
maintaining a healthy body weight.
• Calcium contributes to the growth, development
and maintenance of our bones and sources from
our diet include milk, yogurt and cheese. However
it has been shown that many Irish children are not
getting sufficient calcium in their diets. The ‘milk,
yogurt and cheese’ food group can be easily
enjoyed as part of a balanced diet and a healthy
lifestyle. Five servings daily are recommended from
this food group between the ages of 9-18 years,
and 3 servings are recommended per day for all
other age groups. Remind the class (from Lesson 1)
that examples of a serving include a 200ml glass of
milk, a 125ml pot of yogurt, or a 25g piece of hard
cheese, e.g. cheddar cheese. Vitamin D is also
needed for bone health. Dietary sources of vitamin
D include oily fish (such as salmon, mackerel and
sardines), eggs and fortified dairy products.
Step 2: Bone health and diet/lifestyle
• Explain ‘weight-bearing’ exercises and that they are
particularly important for our bone health. Weightbearing exercises are any exercises which put the full
weight of your body on your feet and legs. Examples
of such activities include running, dancing, skipping
and most team sports.
• Explain to your class that a number of factors influence
bone health. We can help build strong and healthy
bones by eating a balanced diet with bone-friendly
nutrients and by taking part in physical activity. Explain
that childhood and the teenage years are extremely
important for bone growth and development.
• Encourage pupils to make the connection between
food and energy needs – ask them what they need
to eat to help them to be active during the day. Ask
pupils how they feel after eating and if they have more
energy. Ask pupils what they think athletes do in order
to have energy to train so hard (Refer to Lesson 1).
• Ask your pupils if they feel better after exercise.
• Ask your pupils what their favourite physical activity is.
Activity 1
Activity 2
Get Active, Get Mooving!
Don’t be a lazy bones!
Instructions:
In small groups, ask the children to design a physical
activity game based around weight-bearing exercises
which are good for their bone health (running, skipping,
jumping, ball-games). Pupils will be asked to perform a
series of fun weight-bearing exercises.
1. Using the whiteboard or flipchart, ask your pupils to list
ways in which they enjoy being active.
2. Then ask students for suggestions for how they can
become more active.
Prompts include:
a.Agreeing a time limit for watching TV and ‘screen
time’ (TV, computer, phone, tablet etc.) and
sticking with it.
b.Enjoying a chat, walk or cycle with family and
friends
c.Helping your family out by doing active chores such
as vacuuming, raking up leaves or helping to wash
the car.
For example - design their own hopscotch, invent a new
skipping game etc.
Extension Activities
1. Ask pupils to teach the new game they have invented
to the rest of the class.
2. Hold a class sports day using the pupils’ own games as
part of the activities.
d.Walking or cycling to school, or at least some of the
way, where possible.
e.Ensuring your school is signed up for the Active
Schools Flag - www.activeschoolflag.ie
f. Taking part in after-school activities. Remind them
that most of their time in school is spent sitting at a
desk.
Bring it Home
National Dairy Week is celebrated 20th26th April 2015!
How are your pupils getting involved?
Encourage your pupils to take home the message of the
importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.
As a homework exercise, you can ask your pupils to:
1. Organise a family walk.
2. Walk their own dog or a neighbours’ dog (with an
adult).
3. Play a team sport with their family.
4. Keep a physical activity diary, recording the activity
they and their family do each week.
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