Leading up to spring break. I loved the time between January and spring break. It always seemed like we were in a groove. Structures, projects, systems, and the weather were all conducive to engaged, peaceful learning. When I was living north of Florida there was also an occasional snow day (Angels from heaven drop in for an unexpected day off.). Ahhh yes, a time out of sorts which provided a little extra time to unwind or get caught up.
The week before spring break could be met with anticipation, and for some, anxiety. Therefore, I always tried to mix it up a bit, by bringing in more active engagement. The 16 chatpracteristics of exemplary middle schools includes 'health and wellness.' Math, including statistics and algebra, is a great tool to engage learners! I used grant monies to purchase a classroom set of pedometers. The pedometers recorded steps and miles.
We estimated how many steps were in a mile, compared the track (four laps = one mile), estimated how long it would take us to make one lap, how our steps compared to the average, and then set off to compare. We talked about wellness, how walking is related to health and wellness, compared how we felt before and after walking, and discussed the purpose and value of exercise. At the end of the week, students created brochures to promote wellness. The following is a hand-made brochure. (Note: Students had the option of creating it by hand or by computer.)
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