Thanks to Sister Ellen's generosity, all of the fifth graders at Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy received pedometers as part of our new health initiative. Students loved jogging in place, doing laps of the playground, and moving however they could to increase their step counts. After a few weeks of using them, we have settled into a routine with our pedometers, and are using them to help us make healthy goals, as well as to help connect our different curriculum areas.
A fifth grader hard at work adding up everyone's steps in order to find out how far we walked.
Fifth Graders are excited to understand exactly how the steps they take in their day measures up in distance traveled across the country and the world. We found out that there are approximately 2,000 steps in a mile. Each day, in Math, we add up our steps, and divide by 2000 to find out how many miles we've travelled. We've been using our Division Strategies, like compatible numbers and breaking apart into smaller chunks.
Later, in Social Studies, we use rulers, map scales, and our geography knowledge to map out how far we would go if we travelled due West.
Students predict that we will reach California by Thanksgiving, Russia by Christmas, and back around the world to SJP by March.
Later, in Social Studies, we use rulers, map scales, and our geography knowledge to map out how far we would go if we travelled due West.
Students predict that we will reach California by Thanksgiving, Russia by Christmas, and back around the world to SJP by March.
In addition to working as a team to travel as far as we can, we are also tracking our own personal steps, and making goals to move more. Students keep track of their personal steps in their agendas, and are learning to graph their progress and calculate their personal averages.
While we are having a blast mapping, graphing, and working with numbers, we are also making sure to keep in mind the original purpose of our pedometers, which is to help us be aware of our steps, and help us to make healthier movement choices. Here are some of the goals that students have set for themselves after their first few weeks:
"I'm going to take a walk with my mom at least 3 nights a week!"
"I will take 3,000 steps a day!"
"On nights that I don't have hockey, I will play outside"
"At recess, my friends and I will talk and walk instead of sitting and talking."
"I'm going to take a walk with my mom at least 3 nights a week!"
"I will take 3,000 steps a day!"
"On nights that I don't have hockey, I will play outside"
"At recess, my friends and I will talk and walk instead of sitting and talking."