Objectives

• Understand the basic principles behind living a healthy life.
• Establish goals to that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.
• Keep a record of progress toward reaching these goals.

Materials

• All-Star Fitness video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player
• Computer with Internet access
• Notebook for students' health journals

Procedures

1.  

2. Begin the lesson by asking students whether they think their lifestyle is healthy. Focus on diet, exercise, sleeping habits, and ways students have of reducing stress in their lives.

3. Tell students that everyone can probably do something to improve their habits, making for a healthier lifestyle. Then ask students to write down three or four goals they would like to reach to improve their habits. Suggest that they use a separate notebook labeled "Health Journal."

4. To help students focus on what kinds of goals they should consider, provide the following sample goals:

   • To increase the number of servings of fruits and vegetables that students eat each day.
   • To increase the number of times students exercise each week.
   • To try to go to bed earlier each night.
   • To try to strike a balance between work and play.

5. Tell students that no one will be checking their goals or the progress made on reaching them. The idea is for them to keep a personal record by keeping track of their habits-and changes in them-each day. Suggest that students keep a record of their progress for five days.

6. At the end of the five-day period, ask students to bring their journals to class. During the period, have students take a few minutes to write down whether they reached their goals and whether they notice a difference in how they feel. In addition, ask students to think about whether they thought this activity was productive.

7. If students would like, have them share the results of the goal-setting activity. Did students notice a change in their lifestyle? Is goal-setting a good way to make changes? If students think that keeping a journal is a good strategy for them, encourage them to continue their journals as a tool to facilitate change.

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Evaluation

• Three points: Students were highly motivated to set goals; established thoughtful, realistic, and reasonable goals; and recorded their progress regularly.
• Two points: Students were somewhat motivated to set goals; established workable goals; and recorded their progress most of the time.
• One point: Students were not motivated to set goals; did not establish workable goals; and reported their progress only occasionally.

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Vocabulary

diet
Definition: The kinds of foods and beverages, as well as the size of the portions, consumed each day.
Context: It is clear that a diet including a balance of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and foods with high amounts of protein is the healthiest way to eat.

exercise
Definition: Physical activity, such as playing sports, walking, yoga, aerobics classes, or biking.
Context: Exercise is so important that some researchers have gone so far as to call it the closest thing there is to a fountain of youth.

fit
Definition: Being healthy and in good shape both physically and mentally
Context: Exercising regularly is a way to keep the body fit and the heart and mind calm and free of stress.

goal
Definition: An objective or purpose to be achieved through effort
Context: Exercising three times a week is a reasonable-and attainable--goal.

lifestyle
Definition: The elements that make up one's daily behavior, such as diet, exercise, work habits, sleep habits, and ways of unwinding and having fun.
Context: Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and keeping up with one's schoolwork are ways to ensure a healthy lifestyle.

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Standards

National Academy of Sciences
The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K-12. To view the standards, visit this Web site: http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/overview.html - content.

This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:

• Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Personal and community health

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visithttp://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp

This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:

• Health-Understands essential concepts about nutrition and diet
• Health-Know how to maintain and promote personal health

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Credits

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