“LOVE YOUR BODY” MODULE
(Physical Wellbeing)
LINK TO THE BLOG OF THIS MODULE :
LINK
Compilation of Material (on padlet)
A. Food for Health
Students find
information about how healthy eating (e.g. Mediterranean diet) can affect their
whole wellbeing. Then, working in groups, they carry out various tasks:
1. School Survey :
Graph of eating habits & healthy menus
For a week, students
keep notes of what they eat each day and fill in their personal energy counter.
They make a graphical presentation of their class results. With the help of
their teacher they assess and reconsider (if necessary) their eating habits. At
home, they inform their families of their findings and together they work on a
healthy family menu and exercise. They present their menus in class and share their projects with their Erasmus+
partners.
2. Posters : Nutrients
in foods important for our body
Students research and
make a list of the nutrients (such as calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium,
proteins, etc.) that are important for the various parts of the body (eyes,
hair, skin, heart, joints, etc), as well as the kinds of food they are found
in. They make posters to put up in the notice boards around the school to raise
awareness about healthy eating.
3. Recipe Book :
Traditional Food & International Day
Students make a recipe
book with the traditional food of their country. They share their recipes with
their Erasmus+ partners. If possible, at exchange meetings, students have an
international day, prepare national dishes from all participating countries and
have a big party with music and dance as well, to celebrate life!
4. Youtube Video
Students find
information about the various herbs in their country, (such as chamomile,
thyme, oregano, etc.) and their properties and uses in medicine and cooking.
They make a video to present on Youtube demonstrating the various uses of these
herbs e.g. to make delicious drinks, to soothe pain, to relax, to add in dishes
for flavor, to remove stains from clothes, to scent their closet, to make
beauty products, etc.
5. Leaflets : Eating
disorders
Guest speakers present
the problems of eating disorders, such as Anorexia and Bulimia, focusing on
causes, symptoms, signs & treatment. Students research more and make
leaflets to distribute and increase teen awareness of behavioral and physical
signs of an eating disorder, as part of a “reaching out” campaign.
6. Nutrition Workshop
Students will have the
chance to visit the university premises of the Biology Department, see the
laboratories where biomedical research is conducted and attend a workshop on
nutrition concerning obesity, bone and growth during adolescence, nutrition for
sport performance and exam preparation, etc.
7. Art Work with fruit
and vegetables
Description: Following
the art of Mannerism, students get inspired by Archibald’s ideas for portraits
to compose four different faces, using fruit and vegetables that are typical of
each season in their country. Their art work is proudly presented to the whole
school community and parents can buy their children’s work of art and in this
way contribute to a good cause (e.g. center for physically disabled kids).
B. Keeping Fit
1. Awareness workshops
Have guest speakers
from various Health Centers conduct workshops where students learn or become
more aware about important issues on health and fitness. These could also include issues on physical
disabilities and developmental difficulties, issues on prevention of injuries
and First Aid techniques, as well as giving the students the chance to have a
dental check-up, or a scoliosis and flat feet check-up.
2. Advertisement :
promote Sports Tourism in your country
Students gather
information about places in their country where one can take part in some
amazing sports, such as parkour, bungee jumping, rafting, snowboarding,
snorkeling, scuba diving, mountain cycling, etc. They can make a video for a
tourism advertising campaign (or a Prezi presentation).
3. Funny sketches :
body symptoms and emotions
Students research and
find out what causes sweating, shivering, nose bleeding, blushing, hiccups,
yawning, etc. in order to become aware of the interconnection between emotions
and body symptoms.
In pairs, they act-out
situations (possibly in a foreign language, like English) and have the rest of
the class guess the possible body reactions to these situations. They can make
a video of some of these sketches that are likely to turn out to be funny.
4. Human Body Poster :
language awareness
Students draw a human
body on a large sheet of paper and write the words of as many parts of the body
as they can in their mother tongue. They provide the equivalent words for all
the foreign languages taught at their school (English, French, German, Spanish,
…). They compare the words of all languages, trying to find connections of word
origin. Students of different mother tongues contribute with words from their
own language, adding a multicultural aspect to the task. Additionally all
partner schools can produce a joint project with words in the languages of the
participating countries, which can either be carried out through internet or
during an exchange visit.
5. “A trip in time” :
works of art
Students research and study how “the ideal
body” and general appearance were perceived in Europe throughout the centuries
or alternatively in their own country. They find paintings (including wall
paintings, vases and urns) as well as sculptures to illustrate appearance, with
reference also to clothes, behavior, values, lifestyle, nutrition, amenities,
entertainment, leisure, art, music, dance and sports.
a) They make a Power
Point presentation in the form of “Did you know…?” questions to highlight
appearance throughout the centuries.
b) They choose a
painting and they animate it and “bring it to life” by taking the part of the
people in the painting, imitating their body posture, facial expressions, etc.
They have a picture exhibition titled “A trip in time”.
c) Groups of students
perform a short act, based on a particular feature of their assigned era e.g.
Olympic games, Roman banquets, renaissance dances, etc.
6. “Life is not black
or white”: selfies
Students use their ICT
skills to create their own portraits, like Andy Warhol’s famous Marilyn
Monroe’s colorful faces. They take selfies and portray themselves in the way
they perceive or they like to perceive their own image (photo-shop
allowed!). The whole school becomes an
enormous art exhibition!
C. Health Literacy
1. Start a campaign
against addictions
After students in all
partner schools have researched and gained insight on issues concerning
addictions in adolescence, they can work together to start a campaign to inform
their peers about the harm associated with the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco
and other substances. Special mention should be made on teenage addictions to
the internet, mobile phones, food, prescription drug misuse, compulsive buying,
exercise extremes, etc. Students have panel discussions on the reasons why
people choose to smoke or not, start taking drugs or drink to get drunk, spend
their life in front of a screen, etc. They elicit ideas on advice how to
prevent or help people quit such addictions. They make posters, use graffiti,
write mottos (initiate a motto competition), draw cartoons, write songs, etc.
to sensitize people against addictions. The campaign can also be addressed to
all community members. Additionally students can make specially designed/handcrafted
wristbands to distribute to their fellow students and reinforce the campaign
against addictions.
2. Mental health:
“combat stigma”
a) Students research
about mental illness and create leaflets with “Myths and Facts” concerning
people’s perceptions.
b) They make posters
to combat stigma using inspirational quotes, such as “recovery is a journey
that starts with reaching out”, “stamp out stigma” etc.
c) They find famous
people who suffered from mental problems (like Van Gogh) and present their
lives, focusing on achievement and accomplishments.
3. Sex education :
myths & facts
A guest speaker from
an authorized center visits the school and involves students in a workshop
about sex education: physical changes in puberty, human reproduction,
contraception and common misconceptions, prevention of sexually transmitted
diseases, blood borne diseases (also with reference to body piercing and
tattooing). Myths and Facts leaflets are also appropriate for this issue.
4. Empathy Day :
facilities for the handicapped
To experience what
handicapped people face in their everyday life and to develop empathy, students
try to spend an entire day blindfolded, or with crouches, or with their right
hand in a sling. They have to go through all their ordinary chores, just as the
handicapped do, and the following day at school they share their experience and
feelings with their class. They also assess how friendly their environment is
to handicapped people and write a letter to the local authorities or the school
board recommending facilities and amenities to make these people’s lives
easier. Additionally, they visit a rehabilitation center for the handicapped,
interview people, and share experiences with them. Their visit will also be a
valuable contribution to safety awareness issues.
5. Teen help line :
Health services emergency card/digital database
Students create and
publish a plastic-coated card with info and contact numbers of all health
related community services for young people, as well as general emergency phone
numbers. This card will be distributed to all students to provide a quick
reference in case of need or emergency. Additionally, using their ICT skills,
students create a digital database with the above information and present it in
their school blogs and sites.
6. Positive thinking :
texting service
A texting service is
also ideal for inspirational quotes. The service texts random feel-good
messages to young people who sign up for the service, with a particular
emphasis on sending messages at times when young people might be feeling low,
such as weekends, exam periods, holiday season, etc.
7. Change the world :
Forum Theatre
Forum theatre allows
young people to explore and express their views and beliefs on issues that they
feel affect their lives. A group of students act out a short play on a specific
topic, which can focus on a particular health or wellbeing issue (for instance
addictions) and the student audience (the spect-actors) volunteer to step up on
the stage, take the role of an actor and suggest different actions in an
attempt to change the outcome of the story or suggest another solution to the
problem.
8. “Free your Body and
Mind” : relaxation techniques
After a demanding
class session, students are helped to unwind by taking part in physical
movement activities, such as:
a) “Mirrors”: in
pairs, facing each other, they move slowly in exactly the same way, as if
looking at themselves in a mirror
b) they use their
bodies to form words, shapes or body sculptures
c) to develop trust
and cooperation, students in pairs take turns to lean their body back, falling
into their partner’s hands.
d) in pairs, they play
a “blindfolded and dumb” game to develop cooperation and trust.
e) The teacher plays a CD of
relaxing music, and asks the students to close their eyes and concentrate on
the sound of music, feeling the rhythm through their bodies. For more daring
teachers and group of students, they can be asked to stand up next to their
desks and move their body to the sound of the music. Instructions for
relaxation and group bonding can also be provided e.g. stretch your body up
slowly, hold hands in a circle, etc.
LTT activities at the Greek school : Physical
Wellbeing Module
CONTENT
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METHODOLOGY
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EXPECTED RESULTS
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1.
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“Treasure Hunt” game
Students follow
clues to answer questions concerning historical aspects of the city.
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Problem – solving
Critical thinking
Group work
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Team-building, cooperation, enhanced intercultural awareness, communication
skills in foreign language, awareness of the importance of fitness
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2.
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Olympic Games
Opening and closing
ceremony, Olympic Oath, lighting the
Olympic Flame, torch parade, athletic competitions, “kotinos”(olive
branch)awards.
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Organize sports
activities
Team work
Apply tactics, strategies
and rules
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Participation, integration,
goal setting, self-motivation, developing an attitude of sportsmanship and
fair play
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3.
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Run a Marathon
Students plan and
organize a Marathon for the whole community to raise money for a good cause
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Organize a sports
activity
Apply tactics,
strategies and rules
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Initiative, organizational
skills, awareness of the importance of fitness, respect of others
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4.
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Paralympic Games
Participation in
sports activities simulating constrains that handicapped people face
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Sports activities
with physical constrains
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Develop empathy,
appreciation, cooperation
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5.
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“Learning Café”
Carry out tasks on
wellbeing following questions/instructions and improvise a creative final presentation
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Individual and team
work
Problem – solving
Critical thinking
Improvisation
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Build confidence and
self-esteem, cooperation, initiative, enhanced intellectual skills,
imagination and creativity
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6.
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Forum Theatre
A group of students
act out a short play on a wellbeing issue and the student-audience volunteer
to take the role of an actor and suggest another solution to the problem.
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Theatrical
performance
Improvisation
techniques
Problem – solving
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Reflect on wellbeing
issues, express ideas and beliefs, respect of others, communicate in foreign
language, develop empathy
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7.
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International Day
Culture exhibition,
traditional dances and food
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Video presentation
Artifacts exhibition
Cooking and dancing
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Cultural awareness,
taking pride of own culture, cooperation, involvement, language communication,
having fun
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