1. health and fitness
2. exercise

Junior 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.
• Ask your pupils how they feel after exercise – focus on
the positive responses alluding to them feeling better.
• Ask your pupils what their favourite physical activity is.
Note these on the board/flipchart.
Step 2: Bone health and diet/lifestyle
• 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.
• 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. Three servings daily are recommended
for children aged 5-8 years. Those aged 9-18 years
are recommended to have five servings each day.
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.
• 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.
Activity 1
Activity 2
Get Active, Get Mooving!
Don’t be a lazy bones!
Instructions:
Demonstrate some quick and easy weight-bearing
exercises e.g. jumping jacks, running on the spot,
hopping on one leg, high knees etc. Explain you are
going to play a game using these. Ask the pupils to find
some space. Play a short game of ‘Milly Says’ based on
Simon Says using the exercises demonstrated.
1. Add to the list created earlier in the lesson of the ways
the pupils 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.
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.
Extension Activities
1. In the hall or playground, set up a circuit of simple and
fun weight-bearing exercises (shuttle runs, jumping
jacks, skipping etc) and get the class to do each for
30 seconds to 1 minute. Explain how this can be done
quickly and easily anywhere by almost everyone.
2. 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). Ask pupils to teach the
new game they have invented to the rest of the class.
3. Hold a class sports day using the pupils’ own games as
part of the activities.
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.
www.moocrew.ie