Thriving: Reaching Our Highest Level of Health

Enjoy the Sun - Safely!

2011-07-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

Watch this short video to understand how sunscreen works:

Check out "Fun in the Sun 101" for more "Smart Sun Safety."

Tobacco and Other Drugs

2011-06-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Third graders discussed how medicine can be used safely.

All grades explored the effects of tobacco. We kept in mind that most students don't use tobacco at all even as they advance to middle and high school. These are some of the most recent statistics:

     7 out of 100 8th graders have used cigarettes

     14 out of 100 10th graders have used cigarettes

     19 out of 100 12th graders have used cigarettes

Fifth graders considered why it is especially important for young people to not become addicted to a drug. We used photos such as the one below to create analogies to better understand this topic.

What were some of the ideas shared by you and your classmates in response to this picture?

     "The pipe caused the tree to grow in a different way. Being addicted to a drug
       at a young age can cause a brain to grow in ways that it is not supposed
       to grow."

What influences my health?

2011-06-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Taking time to think about how our decision making is affected by our environment gives us more control over our health. What influenced your health today?

2011-03-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Nutrition!!

In health class, we are now learning about nutrition. We will learn about food and how it affects the body.

We will start off by taking a look at the food pyramid. This is a tool that we can use to help us make decisions about what we eat.

Click here to play "MyPyramid Blastoff!" You will become a Food Pyramid expert!

Anyone for...

By playing this game, you have increased your knowledge of what goes into a balanced diet. Once you know where a food fits into the food pyramid, making the right choices is easier.

We're Learning About Body Systems!

2011-02-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

Nervous System

We learned about nerves, the spinal cord and the brain.

Keep in "mind" some of the ways that you can keep this system functioning at its best:

Take a quiz to find out how much you know about concussions!

Visit BAM and get safety tips for all of your favorite activites

After three weeks of wearing this body systems bib to all 35 of my classes, it's time to hang it up until next year.

Respiratory System

The Diaphragm:

Our Breathing Muscle

Which balloon, pink or blue, is supposed to be the diaphragm?

If you said the pink balloon, then you are correct.

Do you remember what keeps your respiratory system working at its best?

-avoid air pollution (this includes cigarette smoke)

-do physical activity that makes you breath fast for at least twenty minutes without stopping (try to do this at least three times each week)

What does this burning pecan have to do with the respiratory system?

This pecan can burn and release energy only when oxygen is available.The same thing is true for the food that we put into our bodies. With oxygen, we can use the energy that comes from food for running, thinking, hugging, and standing. The better our respiratory system works, the more energy we will be able to use.