Exercise for Life

Jill David

Description
Students produce a video that demonstrates health risk factors and how the controllable health risk
factors can be reduced through regular exercise.

Materials
-Paper
-Pens/pencils
-Video camera
-VCR/TV
-Blank video tapes

Preparations
Make arrangements with media center to reserve video cameras and TV/VCR for student use.

Procedures
Knowledge/Skills:
Students will identify controllable health risk factors and understand how these health risk factors can be
impacted through regular exercise.
Authentic Context:
Your PE class has been asked to participate in your school's Health and Wellness Fair. You and your
classmates have been asked to create five-minute video clips that illustrate a week in the life of a healthy
teenager. Your task is to produce a video that demonstrates as many health risk factors as possible and
explains how the controllable health risk factors can be reduced through regular exercise.
Procedure:
1. Discuss the nine health risk factors. Identify the six controllable health risk factors and discuss how
regular exercise affects them. Give a brief demonstration of an activity, such as running, and ask students
which of the nine health risk factors would be affected by regular participation in running.
2. Divide the class into groups of four or five. In their groups, have students brainstorm ideas for their
videos. The video should document a week in the life of a healthy teenager. Remind them that they
should illustrate as many of the six controllable risk factors as possible and how those factors can be
reduced through regular exercise.
3. Assign roles and responsibilities to the group members (e.g., script writer, videotaper, actor). Groups
develop a script, gather necessary props, plan for the videotaping session, and research any background
information necessary.
4. When all videos are complete, allow each group to show its video clip to the rest of the class.
Afterward, discuss health risk factors and exercises depicted. Clarify any misunderstandings.

Assessments
Health Risk Factors and Exercise Video Checklist
The video includes:
all six of the controllable health risk factors
exercises appropriate for reducing specific health risk factors
(For example, walking improves cardiovascular fitness, lowers blood pressure, raises the good
cholesterol level, reduces stress, and reduces body fat levels. See chart in the attached file for additional

examples.)
a realistic representation of a healthy teenager
(-Realistic- means to eat a proper diet, get regular exercise three to five days per week, 15 to 20 minutes
per day, refrain from using tobacco products, and get appropriate sleep.)

Self-Reflection:
Write a note to a hypothetical friend educating your friend about how regular exercise impacts the
controllable health risk factors. Convince your friend to start an exercise program.