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We know that the foods we put in our
bodies can impact our health in both a
positive and negative way.
Now, medical researchers have found
that there is a direct correlation
between exercise and brain function.
The term “couch potato” is not that
far off!
Athletes typically alter their diets to
optimize their performance and now
brain researchers have learned that
what you eat can affect how you
think and learn.
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Image Source: subscription from ClipArt.com
How does your physical activity correlate to academic performance and
brain function?
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You will use these resources to complete
the activity on Slide 3:
Fitness for Life text book
Fitness
National Institutes of Health
ABC News
NFL Play 60
Let’s Move
Brain Facts
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Infographic used by permission from Brain Injury Relief.com
Click on the image to see the whole
Infographic.
How does your physical activity correlate to academic performance and brain function?
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At the end of this Slam Dunk lesson, you
will be trying to persuade the
administration of your school to
promote more opportunities for physical
activity during the school day.
Use the Persuasion Map on the right
(online or print version) to lay out your
arguments and reasons. Support your
argument with evidence from the
information sources on Slide 2 to lend
credibility to your presentation.
Image Source: ReadWriteThink.org
How does your physical activity correlate to academic performance and brain function?
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Now that you are armed with the facts about the correlation
between exercise and brain function, what does it mean to you?
Is there enough opportunity for both structured and
unstructured physical activity during the school day? Would
student achievement improve if we put this research into action?
Write a persuasive argument to the administration to
promote more physical education opportunities
during the school day. Use the reasons, arguments
and research facts from your graphic organizer.
Include a visual or data to support your argument.
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Create an infographic using the
information from your graphic
organizer! Here is a free Web 2.0
tool to use. Click on the resources
tab to learn the steps.
Use this rubric to guide and assess your work.
How does your physical activity correlate to academic performance and brain function?
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Videos about Brain Research:
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Brain research is a fascinating topic. Learn more
about it from these resources:
Music and the Brain
Video Games and Learning
Science Food Fight
Image Source:
By subscription to
ClipArt.com
Secrets of the Brain-National Geographic
Girl Brain-Boy Brain?-Scientific American
A Map of How We Think-Wall Street Journal
Healthy Brains and Glucose Levels-Environmental
Nutrition
Teen Age Brains-National Geographic
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Grades 9-12 Physical Education
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Time Frame: 1-2 days
Physical Education Curriculum:
Standard 3: Demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve to a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness.
S3.H8 Fitness Knowledge S3.H8.L1 Relates physiological responses to individual levels of fitness and nutritional balance.
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of
explanations or descriptions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.7
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question)
or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
Standards for the 21st Century Learner
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g. textual, visual, media, digital) in order to
make inferences and gather meaning.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world
situations, and further investigations.
2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new
understandings.
ISTE NETS - National Educational Technology Standards for Students
3. Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and
media.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct
research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and
resources. c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
Differentiation strategies for this lesson:
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Direct students to use learning tools included in our
BCPS-licensed databases, such as: audio read-aloud,
labeled reading levels/Lexiles, and embedded
dictionaries.
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Many of the articles have a “listening” option.
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Allow students to work in partners.
Learning Styles addressed in this lesson:
Auditory, Visual, Kinesthetic, Field Independent
Notes to the teacher:
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Collaborate with your school library media specialist to
implement this lesson.
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Students may need to register for the Infographics site.
Use the Educator free version.
Last updated: October 2014
Created by Linda Brown, Library Media Specialist
BCPS Slam Dunk Research Model, Copyright 2013, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved. The models may be used for educational, non-profit school use only.
All other uses, transmissions, and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly. This lesson is based on Jamie McKenzie’s Slam Dunk Lesson module.