Activity 3C: Movin' Through the Hood: Creating Environments for Positive Choices & Changes Topic: Forces and Motion in the Human Body Part of: Unit: Mo-bility: Movement by the Numbers Lesson 3: Choices & Changes: Factors Affecting Mobility

Entire Activity Download (26 pages)

Individual Downloads

• Teacher Background Information
• Teacher Administrative Information (TEKS)
• Student Background Information
• Student Data Pages: Steps 1-7 - Project Planner & Planning Map
• Student Data Page: Information Organizer
• Supplemental Activities
• Student Supplemental Activities Information
• Student School Health Report Card
• Student Energy Logs
• Student Obesity Trends Activity

Keywords

built environment, urban planning, smart growth, nutritional value, physical activity

Search Curricular Keywords

Key Concepts

built environment, obesity, healthy choices, problem based learning

Process Skills Utilized

analyze, explain,demonstrate, model, describe

Intended Grade Level - 6-8

Objectives

Using research materials and guided activities, students will be able to:

• Identify terms and application for the built environment, urban planning, smart growth, nutritional values, and physical activity.
• Use critical thinking skills to solve complex problems.
• Research related topics to support their answers.
• Collect, organize, and analyze information.

Activity Description

Movin’ Through the Hood: Creating Environments for Positive Choices & Changes is a problem-based learning activity which allows students to take learning into their own hands. They will be asked to analyze the built environment in which they live, research alternatives, and devise an action plan to improve their own built environment. The activity is centered upon the basic question: “How does our built environment influence food choices and physical activity and what changes need to be made?” Supplemental activities are included so that the teacher can provide structured practice and/or exemplars of each step of the project as needed.

Students will explore the roles played by leaders in the social, school, community,and commercial aspects of the built environment. Working in groups, students will identify what they know about the problem, what they need to know, and steps that need to be taken to develop and implement a defensible action plan.

Activity Materials (per group)

• Access to Research Materials and or Internet
• 1 Copy of Student Information Page
• 1 Copy Student Data Page (per student)
• Copies of Supplemental Activities as determined by teacher

Activity Management Suggestions

Feel free to adapt this lesson design to suit the needs of your students. If your students are proficient with group skills and the components of problem based learning, you may or may not use the Teacher Supplemental Activities. Your students can delve right into the problem based learning organizers. On the other hand, if your students are new to problem based learning or need more structure, you can guide them through the problem based learning steps using the supplemental materials.

You may wish to review concept mapping with your students prior to beginning the activity. One source of information can be found at the following website: http://classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ACES100/Mind/CMap.html.

Teachers could have each group member assume the role of a supervisor in charge of each aspect listed on the concept map. As students conduct research, they could keep a dialectic notebook of facts and their view of each fact based upon the unique perspective of their area of expertise. This might be most appropriate for advanced students. Have students work in groups of 8 to complete this activity. Make sure the students are working together to complete this assignment and that each student clearly know his or her role. You will assume the role of facilitator and sometimes content expert.

Assessment Rubrics can be used to evaluate student projects. Sample problem-based learning rubrics are available at: http://us.iearn.org/professional_development/multimedia/assess/
BIE_PBLrubrics.pdf

Modifications

Group students to maximize group effectiveness and learning opportunities for all students.

Extensions

To cross-group your classes, set up content folders on each part of the problem based learning activity. Have the students working on the same topics from each class period place their materials in folders by topics. As the other classes come in allow them time to skim through the folders to see what ideas other classes have come up with. This provides a wealth of information for students to share and will provide exemplars for students who are having trouble with the process. You could do this two ways, put a copy of the groups materials in the folder or at the end of the class all material goes into the folder. This allows groups that have lost their focus become refocused.

References Used

Wakefield, Julie. “Fighting Obesity Through the Built Environment.” Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 112. Number 11. August 2004. pp A616 – A618.

Sallis, James F. and Karen Glanz. “The Role of Built Environments in Physical Activity, Eating and Obesity in Childhood.” The Future of Children. Volume 16. Number 1. Spring 2006. pp 89 – 108.

Story, Mary; Kaphingst, Karen M. and Simone French. “The Role of Schools in Obesity Prevention”. The Future of Children. Volume 16. Number 1. Spring 2006. pp 109-131.

Schmidt, Charles W.. “Obesity: A Weighty Issue for Children”. Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 111. Number 13. October 2003. pp A700 – A 707.

Sallis, James F.; McKenzie, Thomas L.; Conway, Terry L. et al. “Environmental Interventions for Eating and Physical Activity”. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Volume 24. Number 3. 2003. pp 209-217.

Zhang, Xingyou; Christoffel, Katherine Kaufer; Mason, Maryann; Liu, Lin. “Identification of Contrastive and Comparable School Neighborhoods for Childhood Obesity and Physical Activity Research”. International Journal of Health Geographics. Volume 5. Number 14. 30 March 2006.

Conway, Terry L; Sallis, James F.; Pelletier, Robin L. et al. “What Do Middle School Children Bring in Their Bag Lunches?”. Preventive Medicine. Volume 34. 2002. pp 422-427.

Ross, Jeffrey A. “Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in Youngsters: Fighting the Epidemic with Exercise”. AMAA Journal. Spring 2006. p. 14.

Masui, Rei; James F. Sallis; Charles C. Berry et al. “The Relationship Between Health Beliefs and Behaviors and Dietary Intake in Early Adolescence”. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Volume 102. Number 3. March 2002. pp 421 - 424.

Morris, Marya. “Rethinking Community Planning and School Siting To Address The Obesity Epidemic”. NIEHS Conference on Obesity and The Built Environment: Improving Public Health Through Community Design. Washington, D.C.: May 24-26, 2004.

Handy, Susan. “Community Design and Physical Activity: What Do We Know? – and What Don’t We Know?”. NIEHS Conference on Obesity and The Built Environment: Improving Public Health Through Community Design. Washington, D.C.: May 24-26, 2004.

Foulk, David F. “The School As a Contributing Factor to Adolescent Obesity”. NIEHS Conference on Obesity and The Built Environment: Improving Public Health Through Community Design. Washington, D.C.: May 24-26, 2004.

Maibach, Edward W. “Recreating Communities to Support Active Living: A New Role for Social Marketing”. American Journal of Health Promotion. Volume 18. Number 1. September/October 2003. pp 114-119.

“The Keystone Forum on Away-From-Home Foods: Opportunities for Preventing Weight Gain and Obesity”. Washington, D.C.: The Keystone Center May 2006.

“The Surgeon General’s Report on Overweight and Obesity”. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. 2001. Retrieved from: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/CalltoAction.pdf.

Websites Used:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/

Obesity and the Built Environment
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/drcpt/beoconf/home.htm

top