Trinity Lutheran School Physical Education has adopted the SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) curriculum. The information below is taken directly from the curriculum manual.
1. Students will enjoy and seek out physical activity.
2. Students will develop and maintain acceptable levels of physical fitness.
3. Students will develop a variety of basic movement and manipulative skills so they will experience success and feel comfortable during present and future physical activity pursuits.
4. Students will develop the ability to get along with others in movement environments.
1. Individuals who enjoy physical activity are more likely to be active and thus:
· Develop and maintain their physical skills;
· Have increased opportunities for social interaction through movement experiences; and
· Have increased opportunities for experiencing personal meaning though being physically active.
2. Individuals who are physically fit and who engage in physical activity on a regular basis generally:
· Enjoy better health;
· Have more energy to devote to activities of daily life; and
· Learn physical skills easier and are more successful at them, and thus have greater opportunities for social interaction and personal meaning through physical activity and sport.
3. Individuals who are skilled and enjoy success in movement activities are more likely to:
· Have a wide choice of activities to pursue for exercise and personal enjoyment;
· Lead active lives and maintain acceptable levels of fitness;
· Have access to active situations for social interaction and personal meaning that these situations bring about.
4. Individuals who are able to get along with others in an active environment are more likely to:
· Have reasons, other than physical ones, for active participation;
· Enjoy participating;
· Be invited to participate; and
· Make active participation enjoyable for others.
Promoting lifetime physical activity encourages children to maintain fitness into adulthood. The most efficient means of promoting physical activity in children is to emphasize fitness experiences that foster enjoyment and accomplishment. Students are allowed to start at a level where they can achieve success. Individual improvement and progress are encouraged. Health-related fitness activities are incorporated, and their importance is taught.
1. Aerobic Capacity: The ability of the cardio-respiratory system to work over a long period of time.
2. Muscular Strength: The ability of a muscle to generate force over a short period of time.
3. Muscular Endurance: The ability of a muscle to generate force over a long period of time.
4. Flexibility: The ability of the joints to move through their full range of motion.
5. Body Composition: The relative amounts of fat body mass to lean body mass.
To gain the most from a fitness training program, follow the FITT Principle. These rules relate to Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type (FITT) of exercise and are used to establish guidelines for improving aerobic capacity and muscular strength and endurance.
· Frequency – To improve aerobic capacity, a minimum of 3 days per week is recommended.
· Intensity – Guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine profess to maintain 60-90% of maximal heart rate during physical activity.
· Time – General aerobic activity should last a minimum of 20 minutes.
· Type – Refers to the type of activity (e.g., swimming, power walking, basketball, soccer, skiing, etc.).
Use this formula to calculate target heart rate zone (THRZ) which lies between 60% and 90% of maximal heart rate.
220 – Age = Maximal Heart Rate (MHR)
MHR X .6 (60%) = Low end of the THRZ
MHR X .9 (90%) = Upper end of the THRZ
Example for a 10 year old child:
220 – 10 = 210 (MHR)
210 X .6 = 126
210 X .9 = 189
Therefore, their Target Heart Rate Zone is between 126 and 189 beats per minute (bpm).
On a 6 second heart rate check, they should be between 12 and 18 beats.