Theme: Taking Things to Heart!
Essential Question: What can you do to be more heart healthy? The young people in your class are already beginning to make many important health-related decisions. Giving them tools, information and confidence to make those decisions is an important part of contributing to their active, healthy lifestyle. (Together Counts) Many people define being healthy as merely "not sick" or "not having a disease." But being healthy is more than this. There are many aspects of health including physical health, mental health, emotional health, and social health. All are extremely important. (Together Counts) You and your students can take things to heart by focusing on Energy In, Energy Out, and setting goals to maintain Energy Balance. (What is Energy Balance PDF)
Ready to Get Started? 
Are you ready to get to the heart of the matter? Please preview DEN Connects February/March
project below. Select which part(s) of
the project you are interested in participating and be sure to register and we'll send you our weekly updates and a certificate of participation for your class at the end of project. We'll also be giving some prize packages away this round, so be sure to register so you know how to qualify.
The February/March Heart Healthy theme is brought to you by friends of Discovery Education, the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, who partner to build the Together Counts initiative. Together Counts is a nationwide program inspiring active and healthy living. The principle behind our program is Energy Balance, which means balancing the calories we consume with the calories we burn. Calories in, calories out. Students Digital DiveDistribute the “Digital Dive” scavenger hunt to your students. Allow them to work in pairs or individually to explore the concept by logging on to their Discovery Education student accounts. Learn more about Digital Dives here.
Content Creation ChallengeThis month we'll be building a virtual board together on Padlet (formerly known as WallWisher) To complete this challenge, please: - Visit our "Energy In Wall" and post a note about healthy food options.
- Visit our "Energy Out Wall" and post a note about your class' favorite activities/exercises.
Bonus: Create your own Padlet wall with your students about "Energy In" or "Energy Out". For step-by-step instructions, tips and tricks on Padlet visit our help page.
Class-to-Class ConnectionsIf you interested in connecting your class with another, please register and we'll send you the list of other educators interested in connecting with you. Class-to-Class connections allow students around the globe to connect via Skype/Google/or whichever mode you prefer and learn more about each other and discuss our monthly theme and essential question. Here are some sample questions to discuss with your connecting class: - Poll both classrooms regarding what is their favorite food group and why? Have each class discuss their favorite foods within each of the 4 main food groups.
- Discuss with your classrooms “fresh fruit and vegetable” options -- which grow in their area and why? Extend this discussion to share why some nations might be more malnourished than others.
- Have each group give the other group clues and name the food group.
Activity/Lessons Snapshot
| Topic | Description | Food
(Link to Lesson) | Humans need energy to survive -- to breathe, move, pump blood, and think -- and they get this energy from what they eat and what they drink. The energy in food and beverages comes from their calories.
How many calories (energy) we need each day depends on several things: our gender, height, weight, age, and activity level. School-aged children should not be counting calories. Instead they should understand that their bodies need calories for energy and that not eating enough calories may make them feel tired or even sick.
| Esteem
(Link to Lesson) | Self-esteem is the collection of beliefs we have about ourselves, and having good self-esteem is an important part of health. Kids who feel good about themselves tend to have an easier time making decisions, handling conflict, working toward goals, and resisting negative pressures. Self-esteem gives kids the courage to trust and value themselves enough to want to care for and protect themselves. They are less likely to give into peer pressure or to make decisions that are harmful or unhealthy. | Fitness
(Link to Lesson) | Physical activity is an important part of maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle. In fact, it is recommended that kids ages 6-17 get an average of 60 minutes or more of physical activity every day. In addition to helping to maintain Energy Balance, there are many benefits to being physically active each day. Some will be more immediately relevant to students (improves appearance) while others will seem less relevant or immediate (improves heart health). But they are all important in maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle. | Energy Balance
(Link to Lesson) | Maintaining Energy Balance can contribute to an active, healthy lifestyle. Not maintaining Energy Balance can lead to health problems. If we have a lot more Energy In over time than Energy Out, consequences include weight gain (unburned calories are converted to fat) and the possibility of becoming overweight or obese (with related problems like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, self-esteem issues, etc). If we have a lot more Energy Out over time than Energy In, that can lead to unhealthy weight loss, sickness, lack of energy, and problems with growth and tissue formation. |
|
|
