Day 8 Presentation Day!

We presented. All of you were great.

The other groups learned so much from you all.  You should all be proud of how you worked together. The information you shared all came from you.  Ms. Capers and I only helped you deliver the message more clearly.  I encourage you to continue to share what you learned with friends and family.  Like we learned from "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead," change is a chain reaction.  Pass the knowledge on!

Day 7 Practice, Practice, Practice

You worked really hard today. People pulled together to design the set, write skits, practice the skits, incorporate the hip-hop dance, and thread the parts together. We ran through the performance about 6 times today. You used your talents to make a great commercial. I can't wait to see the performance tomorrow. You will be great.

Day 6 Working On the Campaign, "Stand Up and Play"

Students began putting the pieces together on Tuesday, June 19, 2012.  Students learned many new things.  They spent the morning figuring out how they wanted to present the information and what they wanted to share.  Some decided to create print ads. Others are working on television commercials. A few students are working on a Powerpoint presentation.

They will present on Thursday, June 21, 2012.

Day 6 Students Respond, The Project and Me

You have learned a lot during "Play Your Way to Better Health." And you are doing a lot. I'm so happy that you are enjoying yourself.

Take some time to think about last week and this week.

Question #1: If you had a chance to join this project next year, would you join it again? Explain why or why not.

Question #2: If you could choose 1 person to join this project, who would that person be?  Why do you think this project would be good for that person? Please explain.

Day 5 Students Respond, Grocery Shopping

We went to Best Yet Market on 116 on Frederick Douglas Boulevard.  We split up in three groups. Congratulations to all of you who learned to read nutritional labels and plan three healthy meals.

Question #1: How is Best Yet Market the same or different from the grocery store your family goes to?

Question #2: What did you learn from yesterday's trip?

Day 4 Students Respond, Central Park

Hi!  Friday was awesome. We had fun in the park. Write about it.

Question #1: Describe some of the games we played in Central Park on Friday.

Question #2: What ideas did our day in Central Park give you about staying active in the summer?  How are you going to stay active in the summer?

Day 4, Play in Central Park

This group keeps getting better and better every day.  I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the experiences Ms. Capers and I are sharing with you.  I'm loving the way you are embracing the fun the green zone has to offer.
The weather was very kind to us today. It didn't rain, and the temperature was tolerable.  We got to Central Park at around 10:40am and waited twenty minutes for Sheep Meadow to open to the public. We got the best spot in the shade.  Yes!  The early bird got the shade.
We divided up into three teams when we started the tournament. We ran conventional relay races for two rounds.


Then we tried something my playful spirit concocted and Ms. Capers cosigned off on.   You no longer had to just run from start to finish then run back to tag the next person in line.  That was too easy.

Now you had to jump over a rope that hung 5 inches above the grass, run to the Twister matt and strike the Yoga pose I was doing.  Then run back, jump over the rope again, and tag the next person in line.  It was hilarious to watch.  I can't believe I got you to do Warrior, Downward Facing Dog, and Tree pose during a race in a public park. You guys are great! Many people stopped to watch the fun because the vibrant energy was contagious.  Ms. Capers captured these priceless moments on her iPad.  Every one was a winner.  (None of you even asked who won by the way.)

Next Stop: Some of you purchased some questionable drinks and snacks at the food cart. (Why would you eat something with ingredients you can't pronounce???  Because of fancy packaging?)
We will talk more about food on Monday.  We are going grocery shopping next week! You will be responsible for purchasing food to create three healthy meals.

Have a great weekend in the green zone! Go play!

Announcement: Trip to Central Park on Friday!

Please bring a sheet or blanket to the park. You will need it to be comfortable. Also bring a water bottle. Wear sneakers. See you tomorrow!

Students Post at Home, End of Day 3

Hi Awesome Kids!

You are learning so much. Have you shared what we are doing?  Write about a conversation you had with family or friends about the project, "Play Your Way to Better Health."

Question #1: What have you told your family or friends about the project, "Play Your Way to Better Health"?

Question #2: What do your family or friends have to say about the project?

Day 3 Students Respond, Hip-Hop Dancing and Marketing

I think today is extremely cool.  From the looks on your faces, I think you are having a good time. I also think you are learning a lot.

Question #1: Describe how you felt after the Hip-Hop class with Angela Rambourg?

Question #2: What did you learn from Mark Scherzer, the speaker from IronWillKids.com?

Day 3 of Play Your Way to Better Health

We are having a great time today.  I came to school dressed up, but I still got down with you during the dance routine. I'm so proud of you all for staying with the hip-hop routine.  It took me a month to master Angela's warm up routine. You guys rocked the warm up and the dance routine.

Look at all the activities we've done so far today.

First Part of the Day
8:30-9:00am You stretched (following my lead) and did the Cha-Cha Slide twice (following Charlene, Natalie, and Ta-Aliyah).

9:00-9:30am You posted your comments on the blog about your experience yesterday.

9:55-10:55am Angela Rambourg (my former dance teacher) made you work up a sweat during a hip-hop dance routine that kept us all in the green zone. Then some of the boys showed us how to break dance. I'm so mad that I wore a dress today.

11:15-12:00  Mark (from IronWillKids) taught you the tricks marketers use to get you to eat and drink unhealthy food. Your questions and comments were great. Keep up the great work. (You guys did a really great job transitioning from the green zone to the red zone.  I'm proud of you.)

12:00-1pm Lunch and Fun in the Gym

(Coming soon) Second Part of the Day
1:15-2:00 You will learn what muscles you have. We all have 600.
2:00-2:45 We will continue watching, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead."

Day 2 Students Respond, Yoga

Hi kids,

Please share what you did in school today. What did you enjoy best today? Tell me about the yoga class, and describe how yoga helps your body.

(Does anyone want to share what you learned about the muscles in the human body?)  Show off how smart you are after Day 2!

If you want to talk about the rest of the documentary, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" please go ahead.

Students Respond: Red Zone or Green Zone?

Today, June 12, 2012, we listed our hobbies and color-coded them red ( for stay-still) and green (for physically active).  When you went home today, you did stuff.

Please write about 2, 3, or 4 activities you performed from 3pm - 10pm today.  Also include what zone you think each activity is in (red or green). Please write a thoughtful response.  Please write in sentences.

Here is an example of an answer if you have questions:

Sample Answer:  I went grocery shopping after school today. That activity is in the green zone because I walked up and down the aisles, pushed a cart, and carried groceries.  I also went to an appointment.  I sat for about two hours which puts that activity in the red zone.

End of Day 1, We're Playing to Better Health

We had so much fun today!  You learned so much in just one day. You should be proud.
What did you do in just one day?
You represented the food you consume/eat by creating a quilt from food packaging.

You then presented your masterpiece to the class.  As a class we listed our hobbies and color-coded them red for "stay-still" and green for "physically active."  You then had 1 hour for lunch!  We played in the gym for the last 20 minutes of the period. I showed off my jump-roping skills. Ms. Capers tapped the beach ball we used as a volleyball like a pro, and I saw a lot of your athletic skills.  We had a discussion about why our activities are green or red. Ms. Capers and I really thought the discussion was rich and honest.  We were impressed.
In the afternoon, you were in the red zone more so than in the green zone. (You still looked like you were having fun.)  You read one of three articles that talked about Disney, soda wars, or McDonald's Happier Happy Meal.  You'll present that information tomorrow. During last period, we watched the first twenty minutes of the documentary, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" with guiding questions.  You will continue to watch it throughout the week.    

Great job team!

Welcome to Day 1 (June 12, 2012)

Good morning! We just finished stretching to Enya and exercising to C& C Music Factory.  Describe how you feel after moving your body?  Would you like this to be the way school starts everyday?

The Project: An Overview

Twenty-five 6th graders in Washington Heights will play their way to better health during the last two full weeks of school, June 12 to June 21, 2012.  The project, "Play Your Way to Better Health," explores ways children can be healthier people, empowered consumers, and positive change agents in their communities.  (These sixth graders don't see these grand goals.)


They do, however, care and want to get involved in finding solutions to the "obesity crisis" they keep hearing about. How do I know?  Over 50 sixth graders out of 120 ranked this project their number one choice when they were presented with six projects. In addition, over 80 sixth graders ranked it in their top three.  When given a choice, an overwhelming number of children want to be active and healthier.  All the students who showed interest are curious about their bodies and want the learning process to be fun.  They are not alone.   

Through the integrated study of nutrition, media, and exercise, these 25 lucky students will take dance and yoga classes, participate in athletic competitions in NYC's parks, view and analyze food ads, watch pertinent documentaries, go grocery shopping in different neighborhoods, learn the basics of the digestive system, choreograph muscle-targeted movements to poplar music, and create ads (print or television) to influence their peers.  

They will post their thoughts and experiences on this blog to add dimension to this project's impact.  If you are interested in where this project takes us, follow us on this incredible journey where children will be empowered to teach and persuade their peers (and even their parents/guardians) to play to better health.  You may get inspired to jump rope, ride a bike, and roller-skate. Follow. Learn. Inspire. 

HealthyLady is Judith Myrthil