Emotion in motion - Outcome B (K-3)-8

Activity has an incredible impact on emotional state. Your students can recognize this, and experience the benefit of physical activity on their emotional state.

The Emotion part

Here is one idea for assessing emotion so later you can associate it with motion.
Give everyone a piece of paper divided into two columns (Before and After). Have them use a phrase or draw a picture that represents how they feel right now (happy, sad, mad / tired / bored.) Put the paper aside for now.

The Motion part

Students will move randomly around a gymnasium to music. Upon signal (eg., when the music stops), they will freeze on a line. The teacher then designates a strength activity followed by a movement activity according to the colour of line each student is on. Here are a few examples.

If they are standing on green line they perform an inch worm action, then they start skipping.

If they are standing on blue line they walk like a seal, then hop like a rabbit or toad.

If they are standing on pink line they walk like an alligator, then leap like a deer.

If they are standing on red line they balance on one foot like a stork, then do two-foot jumps like a kangaroo.

When the music starts again, the student continues moving in a locomotor pattern determined by the teacher, (eg., hopping, leaping, running, sliding, galloping.) Every time the music stops, the student finds a new colour of line and does the activities the teacher indicates.

Back to the Emotion

Now have them look at their picture or phrase again, and fill in the "after" column with a new picture or phrase.

Ask them what the difference is between the before and after pictures. Do they feel different? Do they feel better or worse? Why do they think that? Ask them what they think they could do the next time they are feeling bad to make themselves feel better?

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