CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Healthy Life style

Кабинет украшен фотографиями спортсменов и людей, занимающихся аэробикой. Столы сдвинуты таким образом, чтобы учащимся было удобно работать в группе. Перед началом уроков дети определяют свои роли в группах (оформитель, секретарь, оратор и т.д.).

На доске эпиграф:

Цели урока: в ходе индивидуальной и групповой работы с дидактическими материалами актуализировать и развивать знания учащихся о здоровье и здоровом образе жизни; формировать навыки самостоятельного анализа и оценки предлагаемой информации; воспитывать активную жизненную позицию, ответственное отношение к своему здоровью.

ХОД УРОКА

Teacher: Today we are going to talk about sports and a healthy way of life, but about what exactly, you’ll know a bit later. They say, you can’t buy health, but you can keep it, if you begin to take care of it early enough.
The topic of our discussion comes from the phrase “to be fit”. What is it?
What is fitness? Fitness is not the same аs sport or PE (Phisical Education). It’s a combination of physical exercises, quality food, diet, medical tests and check ups, and so on.
What is your idea of keeping fit?
Read the texts and choose the sentences which reflect your opinion.

Text 1

KEEPING FIT

Many parents in the USA want their families to eat healthy and nutritious food nowadays. Fatty foods are dangerous not only for adults but for children as well. It is advisable to have your cholesterol count checked regularly. Research shows that cutting down on cheese, butter and ice-cream in your diet will help lower your cholesterol level 50 points and only this will decrease your risk of developing heart problems later on.

Research also shows that children are heavier today than they used to be some 20–30 years ago, and that the rate of obesity in young children has increased by nearly 60%. More and more parents worry about what their children eat, and bring into their family diets more fresh fruit, vegetables and fish. They avoid paying regular visits to fast-food restaurants, because McDonald’s and the like serve mostly unhealthy, fatty, high cholesterol food. People believe that low-fat diets and lots of exercise will help grow a healthy generation.

But what exercises are best? For example, jogging: to jog or not to jog? That is the question. On the one hand, everyone should think about a healthy way of life. But on the other hand – getting up early on weekends? Never! And what about swimming? What real pleasure is there in the pool? Warming up before swimming helps you feel great. After a week’s sitting in front of a computer and at your desk, your limbs are crying out for a bit of exercise. And the music they use in the gymnasium is quite good – energetic and rhythmic. Just 15 minutes of aerobics and 30 minutes of swimming work wonders. They are very refreshing. After that you feel fine and are ready for next week’s marathon of work! Instead of swimming or jogging you may go on a cycling tour. This kind of sport also does people a lot of good; and the morning air smell fresh.

Text 2

I don’t really understand the obsession that people feel about keeping fit these days. There’s nothing wrong with being healthy, but with some people it’s almost a religion. Nothing would make me go jogging. No, thank you. I’d rather sit and have a cup of tea or coffee while the joggers are out in the streets. The idea of going out into the cold morning air to breathe in petrol fumes doesn’t appeal to me at all. I get my exercise by walking to the bus stop on my way to work.

And what about the food people eat? I know a man who eats natural foods and takes a lot of vitamins, but I’ve never seen anybody who looks as bad as he does. I like good food. I think most health food is tasteless. There’s nothing wrong in having a bar of chocolate or a big meal of meat and potatoes.

Lots of people I know do Yoga. I’m not really sure what it’s all about. I can’t see any point in sitting on the floor with your feet behind your ears. It looks very uncomfortable to me. I’m sure sitting in an armchair, watching television or reading a book is as healthy. So, as you see, I’m not in favour of keeping fit. I don’t jog or do any sports. I don’t eat health food; but I’m happy the way I am.

Teacher: A sound mind in a sound body. An ideal person, according to the Greeks, was a person who was strong both physically and mentally. They never admired a person who was just a good athlete, or a good artist or scientist who was not fond of sports. What do you think when you hear: “a sound mind in a sound body”?
Read the following texts and do a project on what fitness means to you. What is your idea of being fit? (Texts 3, 4.)

Text 3

NINE NOTIONS FOR GROWING OLD WHILE STAYING YOUNG

1. Exercise keeps you young.

2. Eat for health.

3. Is your weight ideal?

4. Keep your skin young.

5. Limit alcoholic drinks.

6. Smoking ages you prematurely.

7. Identify illness early when it can be treated.

8. Deal with stress positively.

9. Think young and keep your mind active.

Text 4

A SECRET OF LONGEVITY

Съедаешь ли ты пять порций овощей и фруктов в день? Не поленись, проверь! Если ответ положительный, значит, все в порядке: ты получаешь необходимое количество антиоксидантов, выводящих из организма тяжелые металлы и радиоактивные вещества.

Порция – это:

• 1 яблоко, апельсин или банан;

• 1 большой кусок арбуза или ананаса;

• 2 сливы или киви;

• 1 чашка малины, клубники или винограда;

• 2–3 столовые ложки фруктового салата;

• 1/2–1 столовая ложка сухофруктов;

• 1 стакан фруктового сока;

• 2 столовые ложки сырых овощей;

• 1 десертная тарелка свежего салата.

Дети делятся своими мыслями, составляют и представляют проекты. Свой вариант представляет также учитель:

 WHAT IS MY OPINION OF KEEPING FIT?

Everything is determined by your lifestyle. How much time (as well as money) you spend on food and how much exercise you get – these can regulate the balance between food and fitness.

But some people run to extremes: eating for them is the surest way to an early grave. They spend their lifetime fighting a battle with their tummies; they often keep to a diet and exhaust themselves doing exercises; they are always hungry. You cannot be hungry and happy at the same time. What are all these tortures for?

Saintly people ate little in order to obtain God’s grace. Unsightly people do so to obtain a state of the so-called “beauty”. But what is beauty? In my opinion, nobody can answer this question exactly. So, many people – many opinions.

For example, let’s take a woman’s beauty. In the Middle Ages a beautiful woman first of all had to be fat. Slim women were not in fashion. In the 18–19th centuries fat women were not considered so beautiful. As for beauty today...well, I think there are no definite ideals about it.

All people are different: fat or slim, white or coloured, fair or dark-haired, tall or short. Really, it is very difficult to find a person who is pleased with his/her appearance – Especially women. Those with dark hair want their hair fair; people with straight hair make their hair – 0curly; those who were rewarded by nature with locks carefully uncurl and smooth them with different gels and foams.

But I believe beauty has to be both physical and spiritual. What do I mean when writing of spiritual beauty? I mean the beauty of the inner world of a person: kindness, responsibility, willingness to help, friendliness, and other traits of character. Such a person will give warmth to the people that surround him/her. In my opinion, a really beautiful person combines physical beauty with good traits of character.

Teacher: We talked a lot about keeping fit and a healthy way of life. We shared our idea of beauty, physical and spiritual.
Now I’d like you to light the Olympic torch – if you think that you support the idea of the ancient Greeks of a “sound mind in a sound body”: you are for fitness and for a healthy way of life. If you are not interested in a healthy way of life, and the idea of fitness doesn’t appeal to you; if you are against it, and don’t support it, don’t light the torch. If you are happy about the way you are, fit or not, please, go there and sit on the comfortable sofa.

By Narinne Kudaeva, Armavir