Winter Sports and PHYSICAL EDUCATION Foam Floor Hockey is a version of hockey that can be played in your school gym. This week in PE, try to play a version of this game. MATH To play hockey you need two teams with an equal number of players. Divide your class into two teams by numbering off 1,2,1,2. Do you have an equal number on each team? How many players does each team have? READING Create a Winter word bank. Write a word associated with winter on one side of each index card and draw a picture representing the word on the other side. Share your cards with your classmates. ART Draw a picture of you and your friends playing a winter sport mentioned in the article. HOME CONNECTION With a family member, locate a skating (ice or roller) rink in your community. Schedule a family skate event during your holiday break. Share your experience and thoughts on this event when you return to school in January. What is your favorite winter sport? How do you dress to play sports in the cold weather? Just because it s cold outside doesn t mean you should stay inside! Winter is the time of year to play many exciting sports you can t play any other season. Some people live in a climate that doesn t have snow, but many winter sports are now simulated in indoor arenas. Listed below are a few of your options to have fun in the winter and get plenty of exercise: Ice Skating Ice skating can be fun for the entire family. Although ponds offer a more scenic atmosphere, the ice can be unstable and pose a risk to skaters. It is best to skate at an ice rink. * Ice skates should fit properly. They shouldn t be too tight or loose, and they should be laced up to the top. * Always skate in the same direction as other skaters. * If you are a beginner, stay close to the sides of the rink. Ice Hockey Ice hockey is a team sport that is challenging and fun. In addition to skating skills, players must use a hockey stick to maneuver a puck. * Ice hockey requires special equipment, such as a helmet with a full facemask, shin guards, and protective padding for the pants, shoulders, elbows, and gloves. * It is also essential that hockey players wear a mouth guard to protect their teeth. * Many towns and cities offer organized youth hockey leagues. Skiing/Snowboarding Skiing and snowboarding take coordination and lots of practice to make it down the hill without falling. * It is best to take lessons before attempting to ski or snowboard. * After your lessons, start out on easy hills and work your way up to more challenging slopes. * It is important to get fitted for skis and equipment by a professional. * Snowboarders should wear knee and elbow pads, and both sports need helmets and goggles to protect the head and face. Classroom Teachers, After-School Teachers, Parents, and Students Additional activities, instructional guides, and correlations can be accessed and downloaded at www.caprockpress.com
PHYSICAL EDUCATION Practice a variety of exercises that can be done indoors in preparation for the upcoming holiday break. Include jogging in place, push-ups, lunges, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. WRITING Using a store-bought calendar, or making your own, write or draw an exercise plan for your holiday break. Plan different physical activities for each day, if possible. Remember to take into account days you might be traveling, or days you know you will be eating a larger than normal meal. MATH If you exercise for 30 minutes each day the first seven days of your holiday break, how many minutes did you exercise in total that first week? How many hours did you exercise? ART Draw a picture of you and your family doing one of the indoor exercise tips in the article. CRITICAL THINKING Make a list of suggestions you would give to a friend who is traveling most of the holiday break, staying either with relatives, or in hotels. What types of exercises mentioned in the article still apply? Which exercises would be more difficult if you weren t at your home? HOME CONNECTION Have a family meeting or a discussion with your parents about your family s plans for the holidays. Express to them how important it is to stay physically active during this time of the year. List or draw physical activities you can do as a family. Share your ideas and activities with your classmates. During the winter, do you prefer to exercise indoors or outdoors? What kinds of physical activities do you think you will do during the holidays? Staying Physically Active During the Holidays As your holiday break approaches, you may be thinking that it will be a time filled with big holiday dinners, cookies, and watching lots of television. What you re probably not thinking about are ways to exercise and stay in shape during your time off from school. Just because you won t have a required PE period over the holidays doesn t mean you shouldn t try to stay physically active. It is important to maintain your current level of fitness, and keep those cookies from adding a few extra pounds. Ways to Exercise Indoors: Turn on some music and have a dance party. Dancing is an aerobic exercise, and it helps build your endurance, allowing you to exercise for longer periods of time without getting tired. Exercising in the winter months can be the most difficult because many of the activities you normally do may be dampened by the weather. But just because it s cold outside doesn t mean you can t get some exercise and have fun doing it! In your garage, or in a room where it s safe, jump rope or hula-hoop. Both require energy and work your leg, arm, and abdominal muscles. Make normal activities an exercise. Do you have a two-story house? Climb up your stairs several more times than you usually do to exercise your leg muscles and get your heart pumping. Instead of walking from one room to another, lightly jog or skip. While you watch TV, run in place or do sit-ups during the commercials. Check with your local community center or privately owned gyms to see how much a membership would cost. Some give discounts to families. Another option is to put on plenty of layers of warm clothing and play outside. Play a game of tag with the kids in your neighborhood. If it snows in your area, get family members together and build the biggest snowman you can. Most activities you do in the spring, summer, and fall can still be done in the winter. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing and go inside if you start to get too cold. The important thing to remember is that any kind of exercise is better than no exercise. Even a few minutes a day can keep you feeling Healthy and Wise!
ART Draw a picture of a healthy holiday snack or illustrate one of the healthy eating tips described in the article. MATH/PROBLEM SOLVING Heather purchased a cup of hot chocolate from the coffee shop near her home. If one serving of hot chocolate contains 150 calories, but Heather s large cup has three servings, how many calories is she consuming? How can Heather make sure she knows how many servings she has? What advice would you give her? Healthy Holiday Eating Holidays are a wonderful time to get together with family and friends to enjoy all the season has to offer. However, you have probably noticed that there is an abundance of food and sweets this time of year. It s okay to have some special holiday foods, but just don t go overboard. A healthy diet is important, even during the holidays. Too much snacking and frequent heavy meals can cause a person to gain extra weight, especially if he/she is less active than normal. This doesn t mean you need to miss out on the foods you like. Just follow a few extra steps and you can enjoy yourself and stay healthy too! Tips for Healthy Eating: If you are hosting a party, offer healthy food and drink options. Look for the healthiest ingredients when preparing your favorite holiday foods. Have a light snack before attending an event where there will be a lot of food. This will keep you from overeating later. Do not eat a large meal quickly. You will probably eat less if you slow down and enjoy your food. Have some of the sweets you love, just keep the portion sizes small. Make sure you know the proper size of one serving. Watch the calories you drink. Sodas, fruit punches, and hot chocolate can greatly increase your calorie intake. Stick with water as much as possible. If your family is traveling, pack a few healthy meals to go. This will help you avoid a few greasy fast food meals. Do not hover around the food area. Take a plate of food and leave. You will not even realize how much food you are actually eating if you keep snacking directly from the buffet. If you feel like you ve eaten more calories than usual, there is no better way to burn them off than a little family exercise. Take a walk together or bundle up and play one of your favorite outdoor games! The holiday season is a great time to gather with family and friends over a nice meal or at a fun party. Remember the tips for healthy eating and you will feel great even after the holidays are over. WRITING/ART Write a simple recipe for your favorite holiday snack. Be sure to include an ingredients list and step-by-step instructions. Then, illustrate your recipe with a picture. Share your recipe with your classmates. READING/WRITING After reading or listening to the article, write or say a short statement that describes the main idea of the article. CRITICAL THINKING In class or with a family member, make a list or draw some physical activities you could do with family and friends during your holiday gatherings and parties. HOME CONNECTION With your parents or guardian, plan one holiday meal you will have together. What healthy options will be served? What beverages will you have? Go shopping together and choose the healthiest ingredients for your meal. Which foods do you most look forward to eating during the holidays? Do you already follow any of the tips from the article? Will some be more difficult to follow than others?
Holiday Recipes MATH Measurement skills are essential when preparing recipes. Use measuring cups and spoons to measure some of the ingredients in the recipes. ART Draw a picture of your favorite healthy holiday food or recipe. Explain to the class what makes your choice healthy. READING Read or have your teacher read the Nutrition Facts Label on a package of fat-free or sugar-free pistachio pudding. How many calories does a serving contain? How many grams of fiber are in a serving? PROBLEM SOLVING Some people don t have a lot of time to prepare healthy recipes and must purchase pre-made items at the grocery store. What advice could you give someone that would help them select healthier premade cookies or desserts at the store? Use some example food packages and labels if possible. HOME CONNECTION Family and friends often drop by during the holiday season. With your family or in class, make a list or draw healthy snacks, foods, and physical activity options that you can have on hand when company drops by. Over the holidays, you may have parties or events where you serve a lot of food. It is important to try to offer and choose healthy options. There are many holiday foods that can be tasty and healthy. Recipes made with lowfat or fat-free ingredients, those that are low in sugar, and foods that have lots of nutritious ingredients can be good choices. Remember to eat sweets in moderation and eat a variety of different foods from all the food groups. Try these recipes at home with your family during the holiday season. Remember, cooking requires supervision from your parents or an adult. 1/4 cup of brown sugar 2 egg whites 2/3 cup of applesauce (no sugar added or unsweetened) 1 teaspoon of vanilla 1 ½ cups of whole-wheat flour 1 teaspoon of baking soda ½ teaspoon of salt 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg 1 ½ cups of old-fashioned oatmeal ²/₃ cup of raisins Oatmeal Cookies Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the brown sugar, egg whites, applesauce, and vanilla together. Then, add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the oatmeal and raisins. Place a spoonful of the cookie dough on cookie sheets sprayed with non-fat cooking spray. Use a fork to flatten the cookies. Then, bake for 10 12 minutes or until done. Green Holiday Pudding What are your favorite holiday recipes? What other kinds of healthy options can you make available during the holiday season? 1 package of sugar-free and fat-free pistachio pudding 1 8 oz container of sugar-free and fat-free Cool Whip ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, in unsweetened juice, drained Mix the Cool Whip and the pistachio pudding together in a bowl. Add the drained pineapple and mix well. Then, add the walnuts or pecans. Refrigerate two hours before serving. Serves 4 6 (regular portions) Serves 8 12 (smaller healthier portions)
Staying Healthy While Traveling Traveling is a great way to leave your everyday worries and cares behind to have some quality rest and relaxation time, and what better time to travel than a holiday! Still, it s important to never neglect your health. Traveling can often cause people to pick up unhealthy habits. Whether you are going to the beach or the mountains, traveling by car or airplane, there are a few simple steps that can keep you and your family healthy and wise, even on vacation! Don t eat a lot of greasy fast foods or fattening snacks just because they are convenient. Plan ahead and choose a healthier option to take with you, or choose the healthiest option available. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This will not only help you avoid sugary sodas, but it is usually free and will help you save money. Wash your hands frequently. If you are traveling by plane, stretch or get up and move frequently to help your circulation. Keep basic necessities like a toothbrush with you. Be prepared for accidents, and keep a fully stocked First Aid Kit with you at all times. If you are traveling by car, take exercise breaks. Have everyone get out and stretch or take a quick walk. Hotel Living Many people who are traveling choose to stay in a hotel. Spending the night in a hotel is often a fun experience and a big change from your home. Choosing the right hotel can help you stay healthy during your stay. Find a hotel that has an exercise room or indoor swimming pool for guests so you can still get plenty of physical activity during your free time. Working out with the whole family can be fun! A refrigerator and microwave are also helpful. This way you can go to a grocery store and choose healthy, easy to prepare food options. If you plan to go out, and the location is close enough, walk there with your family. This is another great way to get exercise and cut costs. Make your health a priority while traveling so you can come back from vacation feeling Healthy and Wise! ART Draw a picture of your dream vacation. Include where you want to go, how you will travel and what you will do. Share your drawing with the class. MATH Matt s family is traveling to his aunt and uncle s home for vacation. It takes 4 hours to get there with no stops. If they leave at 9 a.m., but take one 30-minute break for lunch, what time will it be when they arrive? PROBLEM SOLVING Come up with several travel and vacation scenarios. Then, as a class, discuss ways a person could make healthy choices in each situation. Be specific in your recommendations. DRAMA/WRITING In groups, perform skits that demonstrate a travel tip mentioned in the article. You can also come up with your own tip and demonstrate it for your class. Take time to prepare and then perform the skits for the class. HOME CONNECTION Sit down with your parents or guardian and plan your next family trip. Think about where you will eat, what you need to take with you, how long you will be gone, etc. What tips from the article will you be able to follow while traveling? What is your favorite way to travel? Do you ever pack your own meals for a trip?
MUSIC Singing a short song while you wash your hands is a good way to ensure you wash long enough. Make up your own song about hand washing to use the next time you wash up. It should be about 15-20 seconds long; it can include any lyrics you want about hand washing. Be creative! Hand Washing Basics CRITICAL THINKING Most public restrooms now have automatic toilets, automatic sinks, and hand dryers to help stop the spread of germs from toilet flushers, sink faucets, and paper towel dispensers. Can you think of other benefits of having an automated restroom? READING In groups or with your teacher leading this activity, compare and contrast the benefits and drawbacks of washing your hands at a sink with soap and water versus using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. ART Make a poster illustrating the steps of good hand washing. Submit them to your teacher, and he/she can hang them in your school s restrooms and cafeteria to remind everyone to wash their hands often. RESEARCH/TECHNOLOGY/ WRITING Using the Internet, research what experts say are considered the most germ-filled places in a home. Make a list of the top five places and turn them in to your teacher. HOME CONNECTION With your parents or family members, discuss how important hand washing is in reducing the spread of germs. Ask that your mom, or another family member, carry a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer for those occasions when a sink is not available. You can also create decorative signs to hang in the bathrooms of your home to remind family and friends to wash their hands. How many times a day do you usually wash your hands? When you eat out, do you wash your hands before your meal arrives? Right now there are millions of tiny, microscopic things called germs running around on your hands. The best way to prevent getting sick from these germs, or spreading them to other people or surfaces, is to wash your hands frequently throughout the day. When people don t wash their hands regularly, they often end up transferring germs to their mouth, eyes, and nose. You can also spread these germs to others by shaking hands, or touching other people s food. When should you wash your hands? Before and after preparing food. Before eating. After you use the restroom. After you blow your nose, cough, or sneeze. After you play with or touch pets or other animals. After you ve been outside. After you have been around someone that is sick. There are four easy steps to follow when washing your hands: 1Use warm water. 2Lather up the soap all over the top and bottom of your hands, including your wrists, and down around your fingernails. 3 Wash for 15-20 seconds. If you have trouble washing that long, sing a song to yourself while you wash. Songs like Mary Had a Little Lamb or Happy Birthday are the perfect amount of time. 4Rinse off all the soap, and dry your hands completely with a paper towel or air dryer. Sometimes you may be in situations where it is difficult to find a sink. When washing your hands isn t an option, there are other ways to stay clean. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are popular and are a great alternative for times when a sink isn t handy. Blowing your nose, sneezing, and coughing should be done into a tissue whenever possible, and the tissue should be disposed of right away, not left sitting on a counter or desk. Cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve if a tissue isn t available. Also, touch as few surfaces in public restrooms as possible. While you might be Healthy and Wise by washing your hands, others might not be, so touching as little as possible keeps you from picking up other people s germs.
online safety How much time do you spend on the Internet every day? Do you mainly use it as a tool for research, or do you like to play games and chat with friends? The Internet can be a very useful tool for finding information, but it can also lead you into some scary situations. However, there are many ways to keep yourself safe while surfing the net. Online Safety Tips Avoid chat rooms or instant message sites where you are talking with people you don t know. The same rules from reality apply to the Internetdon t talk to strangers. If you do talk to others online, choose a screen name that won t give others clues about your real name, age, gender, or any other details that they could use to harm you. If asked, don t answer personal questions, such as where you live, your real name, your age, or any other personal information. Don t open up pictures, attachments or emails from people you don t know, regardless of what it says on the outside. Never give out your password, except to responsible adults that you know. Don t believe everything that you read on the Internet. While there is plenty of good, valuable information, there is also a lot of fake information that is designed to trick or harm you. Online Predators Online predators are people who talk to children on the Internet with the intentions of harming them. They usually want to know as much personal information as possible, so they can either arrange a meeting in person, or use the information given to find the children on their own. Online predators are often on social networking sites, chat rooms, online games, and usually under a profile very different from who they are in real life. They often lie about their age and other details of their life in order to gain the trust of their much younger prey. Always be careful using the types of Web sites mentioned above, and remember not to give out any personal information over the Internet. Don t arrange to meet people you don t know, and keep your parents or family members involved in your Internet activity so they can help you distinguish between real life and cyber space. Cyberbullying Cyberbullying is another type of cyber harassment where kids use computers, cell phones, and other types of electronic devices to bully other kids. Many bullies use this method because they think they can bully anonymously and never get caught. However, there are always ways to catch these people, and many suffer much harsher consequences than if they had bullied someone face to face. Don t use the Internet or technology to hurt others and report any misuse of technology to your parents or school officials. WRITING/ART List or draw the safety tips mentioned in the article and illustrate each one. Take your list home and hang it in a place where every family member will see it, like on your refrigerator, or next to your home computer so that everyone will know how to stay safe. MATH With the help of your teacher, take a survey in your class to determine how many hours a day each person spends online and/or what each person most often uses the Internet for. Have your teacher create a graph to display the data. CRITICAL THINKING During your experience with the Internet, have you ever done or said anything that might be considered cyberbullying? If so, did you say it without thinking about the meaning or did you do it on purpose? Write your answers and share with your teacher and/or classmates if you feel comfortable. READING Put the following words from the article in alphabetical order: Internet, predator, password, chat, bullying, technology, and personal. HOME CONNECTION With your parents and family, make a list of rules for computer and Internet usage in your home. These can include things like a time limit for sessions, not using the Internet without an adult in the house, or any other rule you think is important for Internet safety. Bring your list to school to share with classmates. How much time do you spend each day on the Internet? Have you ever seen or experienced anything on the Internet you thought was inappropriate or made you feel uncomfortable?
The Importance of Family This holiday season you will probably be spending extra time with your family. This is a great opportunity to remember how important these special people are in your life. As you grow up, you spend more time with your family members than anyone else. Your family influences you in many ways including the way you look and act, where you live, the things you enjoy, and many other aspects of your life. The people who make up your family are important because they will always be a part of your life. When you get sick, need help with homework, fall off your bike, or have a bad day, they will be there. Unlike friends, who may come and go over the years, your family will always love and accept you. ART Draw a family portrait. Share your drawing with the class and tell everyone who is in your family. WRITING/ART Draw or write down the names of each person in your family. Then, give a description of each family member. Include ages, physical descriptions, and personal interests. WRITING Write or draw everything you can remember about a favorite time you had with your whole family. If you want, share this memory with the class. MATH Have your teacher take a survey to find out how many family members live in each student s home. Then, create a graph to display this data. HOME CONNECTION With your parents or guardian, plan an activity for your family to do together. You choose the time and place and make sure it s something everyone will enjoy. Afterwards, share your experience with your classmates. If possible, take a picture and bring it to class. Who are the members of your family? Why are you thankful for your family? Family Diversity The cool thing about families is that they are all different! You might have a small family, or a huge family. You might be an only child or you might have brothers and sisters. Some people have stepparents and stepbrothers or stepsisters. Other people live with their grandparents, or are adopted. You might even live with just one parent. All families are unique and special. Bonding While it may not be easy to get along with your family all the time, it is important to stick together. Growing up can be difficult at times, and having a close bond with your family means you will always have someone to turn to and feel comfortable sharing your troubles with. You might be surprised that your brothers and sisters or even your parents could become your best friends one day. Ways to Strengthen Your Family Bond: Sit down and have a meal together. This is a great time to talk about the day, share ideas, and get to know one another even better. Plan a fun activity together. Do something you all enjoy. Look at old pictures or home videos and talk about the memories they represent. Take a trip together. The holidays are a great time to visit extended family or just travel somewhere new. Develop daily routines. This will create a sense of comfort and stability at home. Encourage one another. If a family member has a basketball game or ballet recital, go together and cheer him/her on. Do everyday things like walking the dog, raking leaves, or watching a movie as a family.