UBC Okanagan teacher candidates recently introduced healthy living activities at Quigley Elementary school
Child health is a growing concern for parents of young kids.
That’s why on Nov. 25 UBC Okanagan students addressed that concern—and they did it in a fun, interactive way.
Elementary education teacher candidates created a health fair at Quigley Elementary school, where children from Kindergarten to Grade 5 learned everything from energy versus physical exertion, to good nutrition facts and positive body images.
More than 280 Quigley students attended the fair.
“I am very impressed with the level of ingenuity the teacher candidates had in planning engaging hands-on learning activities,” says Gord Kirsch, principal of Quigley Elementary. “The activities focused on students making healthy life choices.”
Each teacher focused on a curriculum competency area from the BC Ministry of Education’s new Physical and Health Education Curriculum.
“The health of children is of critical importance to society. Historically, Canadian children have enjoyed good health. However, the number of overweight and obese children in Canada has reached epidemic levels,” says Dr. Stephen Berg, assistant professor of Education at UBC Okanagan.
“Evidence indicates that significant numbers of young people experience mental health issues. Evidence also suggests that if left unchecked, the prevalence of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease will reach levels previously unheard of.”
The challenge that the educators faced was making the workshops as interactive and lively as possible so that the young audience would be engaged as well as informed.
One group of teacher candidates got students to complete a space-inspired obstacle course to promote fair play and teamwork.
Another group of teacher candidates dressed up as skeletons and did a dance to teach students about healthy bone development.
UBC Okanagan teacher candidates are taught that putting an emphasis on healthy living in the classroom is the first step to fixing the problem.
“Providing children with the knowledge and skills to develop healthy and active lifestyles is critical if the trend toward obesity and early onset of chronic disease is to be halted,” says Dr. Berg.
“Healthy children lay a foundation for a strong and vibrant future.”