FITNESS WALKING
UNIT PLAN
For Secondary Physical Education Programs
Table of Contents
Overview
Goal
Entry Skills
Knowledge
Population
Physical
Cognitive
Affective
Other Factors
Instructional Analysis
Final Content
Worksheets
Overview
The purpose of fitness walking on the secondary level is twofold; 1) to
increase heart rate and 2) to introduce a lifelong physical activity young people
can participate in independently. This unit is one part of a comprehensive
physical education program. Fitness walking is relatively new for secondary
education physical education programs as more school are emphasizing fitness
rather than sport. Although many instructors know how to walk briskly, many
lack formal subject content knowledge in fitness walking.
The Benefits of walking vs. other elected activity classes
There are several benefits of walking. It is desirable for many of our
students because it is non-competitive in nature, less showy, and does not
require great athletic skill. It’s a great way to increase heart rate, and maintain
target heart rate, which can be reached by high-intensity walks. Walking reduces
impact on joints, reduces stress, increases cardiorespiratory stamina, and even
prevents injuries.
Vigorous, walks for distance, and walking for time, rather than “sprints,”
“short-bursts of energy,” are how fitness walking reaches the same physiological
benefits of running. To see weight and fat loss walkers would have to maintain
target heart at least 4 to 5 days a week for 20-30 minute durations. Encourage
your students to walk vigorously as often as possible.
Goal
After eighteen classes lasting 45 minutes of introductory fitness walking,
the student will be able to: speed walk 2 to 3 days a week, 20 to 30 minutes a
session; perform a series of muscular strength and endurance exercises 2 to 3
days a week, 20 to 30 minutes a session, demonstrate a positive attitude
(congratulating fellow walkers, continuing to participate in other fitness activities);
demonstrate good communication (encouraging fellow walkers); be able to
explain the benefits of benefits of a fitness walking program.
Entry Skills, Knowledge, Population (Age, Characteristics, Sex), Other factors
Skills
Because there is a wide range of height and weight, strength and
cardiorespiratory endurance will greatly vary.
Boys may be stronger than girls, while some girls may still be stronger than boys.
Cultural influences may determine prior skill knowledge and exposure to fitness
walking. Girls usually more interested in fitness physical activities than boys at
this age.
Activity during youth has an impact on adult activity levels.
Knowledge
Students want instant results and to be told exactly the distance they’re to walk
or for how much time. They are goal oriented.
Both the boys and girls want to “connect” and to be inclusive with their
classmates during class time.
They have a desire to learn the reason why their participating in an activity, what
the benefits are gained and are confident in their quests.
Population
There will be students aging from 14-19 years old.
The number of students has not yet been determined.
Ethnic and socioeconomic status has not been determined.
Physical
1. Teenagers need an average of 2,000 calories a day, so nutrition is
essential for growth.
2. There is a wide distribution of height and weight among adolescents. Early
maturing adolescents of both sexes are generally heavier and taller for
their age than average or late maturing students.
3. Teenagers are fairly healthy due to immunizations.
4. Growth enables improved muscle development and motor skills.
5. Display shyness, blushing, and modesty.
6. Girls develop physically sooner than boys.
7. Increased interest in sex.
8. Movement toward heterosexuality with fears of homosexuality.
9. Concerns regarding physical and sexual attractiveness to others.
10. Frequently changing relationships.
11. Worries about being normal.
Cognitive
1. Many adolescents have an intense preoccupation with one’s own feelings
and lack of connection to feelings of others.
2. Some teenagers have an imaginary audience -the belief that they are the
focus of others’ thinking and attention.
3. Several adolescents believe that no one else can possibly understand
one’s feelings and experiences because they are unique.
4. Illusion of invulnerability or the belief that bad things only happen to other
people.
5. Mostly interested in present, with limited thoughts of the future.
6. Intellectual interests expand and gain in importance.
7. Greater ability to do work (physical, mental, emotional).
Affective
1. Rule and limit testing
2. Capacity for abstract thought
3. Development of ideals and selection of role models
4. More consistent evidence of conscience
5. Experimentation with sex and drugs (cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana)
Other factors
1. Eighteen meetings.
2. 50 minutes each.
3. Students are between fourteen and nineteen years old.
4. Location is either outside or indoor track, a concourse, anywhere people
can walk!
5. Other students may be involved with other activities in the locale of the
class.
6. There are mats, walking poles, possibly hand weights.
Instructional Analysis
A. Possible Content Considered
1.Psychomotor
Short and Easy: strolling 25 minutes, master correct arm swing.
Medium and Steady: stroll 5 minutes, walk 10 minutes, stroll 5 minutes, walk
ten minutes.
Medium and Quick: walk 5 minutes, stride out 15 minutes, walk 10 minutes.
Short and Fast: sprint 5 intervals of 15 seconds each, rest 30-60 seconds;
sprint up to 10 intervals of 30 seconds each, rest 30-60 seconds in between.
Long and Steady: walk continuously for entire class period.
Circuit Training: Intervals of walking and jogging, balance, strength, agility,
coordination, speedwork,
Training stimulus exercises:
2. Affective
Attitude: acceptance of the activity, increase measured proficiency from
pre-test to post-testing,.
Listening skills: to listen (for) instruction(s).
Communication skills: to respond to, to support, encouraging fellow
classmates.
3. Cognitive
Synthesis: Appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, defend,
estimate, judge, predict, rate, core, select, support, value, evaluate.
Recollection: Arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name,
order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce, state.
Analysis: Analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast,
criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment,
question, test.
B. Final Content
1. Psychomotor
2. Affective
3. Cognitive
18 day Lesson Plan for you to follow
Monday week 1
Wednesday week 1
In classroom
In classroom
Student’s complete pre-course health
Handout course outlines to new
assessment
students, & take attendance.
Teaching target heart rate formula after
Review Resting Heart Rate (RHR) and
twenty minutes in class take resting
accept homework assignments.
heart rate.
Discuss Target Heart Rate (THR).
Discuss importance of walking,
Cover abdominal (bent knee curl),
location(s) for unit, equipment and
push-up, and flexibility technique.
devises, homework assignments
Show students around facility and
location of AEDs.
Monday week 2
Wednesday week 2
Start recording attendance today.
Take attendance.
Ice-breaker activity.
Ice-breaker activity.
Explain walking rules, safety, &
Stretch 5-10 minutes. Revisit walking
designate buddy system. Dynamic
rules, safety, & designate buddy
stretch.
system.
Get students to walk half a mile (3 laps
Get students to walk half a mile (3 laps
in Worthen, 4 laps in Field and Sports
in Worthen, or 4 laps in Field and
building, HP to Riverside and back.)
Sports building, or HP to tennis courts
Back to classroom. Cover abdominal
then behind Lafollete and back to HP)
(bent knee curl), push-up, and flexibility
Back to classroom. Cover abdominal
technique. Stretch. Dismiss.
(bent knee curl), push-up, and flexibility
technique. Stretch. Dismiss.
Monday week 3
Wednesday week 3
Take attendance. Pass out Fitness
Take attendance. Pass out Fitness
Profile forms and pencils. Dynamic
Profile forms and pencils. Dynamic
stretch. In classroom testing today.
stretch. 1 mile walk on the Field and
Complete tests. Retrieve pencils and
Sports track today. Complete tests.
forms. You hold onto them for the
Split class into 2 heats. Buddy students
semester. Contact Amy Shaffer at
(2). Record partners time and laps.
285-4453 to schedule computer time.
Retrieve pencils and forms. You hold
Room 225.
onto them for the semester. You use
Blackboard or Gradebook to record
points from fitness testing (10 points).
Monday week 4
Wednesday week 4
Meet students in classroom. Handout
Take attendance. Warm/up with a
fitness profile forms. Escort student
dynamic stretch. Increase walking
upstairs to HP 225 at scheduled time to distance to 20-30 minutes. Walk
enter fitness testing data onto their
LaFollette loop.1 minute push-ups and
Gradebook. Retrieve all fitness profile
abdominal exercises. Stretch. Dismiss.
forms from students. Use your
Blackboard or Gradebook to record
points from data entry (5 points). Time
permitting walk around Lafollette loop
for 1 mile. You use Blackboard or
Gradebook to record points from
fitness testing.
Monday week 5
Wednesday week 5
Take attendance. Homework- Read
Take attendance. Discuss chap. 4/
chapter 4 in textbook. Warm/up.
fitness walking. Warm/up. Walk for
Increase walking distance to 20-30
distance 20-30 minutes. Walk around
minutes. Walk to down McKinley. Left
Muncie historic neighborhood (see
on Riverside. Left on New York. Left on
BSU President’s mansion) Stretch.
Neely. Right on McKinley. Make to
Dismiss.
classroom. Stretch. Dismiss.
Monday week 6
Wednesday week 6
Take attendance. Assign pedometer
Take attendance. Dynamic stretch.
log p. 141- 3 days for 2 weeks (6 days). Interval train. Walk slowly to moderate
Dynamic stretch. Interval train. Walk
to fast for 30 minutes. Push-ups. Abs.
slowly to moderate to fast for 30
Stretch. Dismiss.
minutes. Push-ups. Abs. Stretch.
Dismiss.
Monday week 7
Wednesday week 7
Take attendance. Interval train. Walk
Take attendance. Collect pedometer
moderately to fast for 30 minutes.
log assignment. You use Blackboard or
Push-ups. Abs. Stretch. Dismiss. Walk
Gradebook to record points from
through the village.
pedometer log homework assignment.
Walk to the football stadium.
Monday week 8
Wednesday week 8
Take attendance. Play poker card
Take attendance. Dynamic stretch.
game and add in calisthenics to game
Walk moderate to brisk level 35
on Lafollette Loop.
minutes. Stretch lead by 2 students.
Dismiss. Walk to Minnetrista.
Monday week 9
Wednesday week 9
Take attendance. Possible class swap
Take attendance. Possible class swap
with an aerobics instructor (talk to
with an aerobics instructor.
Wayenberg, Hobley, or Powers). If not,
repeat class week 8.
Monday week 10
Wednesday week 10
Bring stopwatch to class. Take
Take attendance. Play card game and
attendance. Mid-semester walk, push-
add in calisthenics to game.
ups, and abdominal tests.
Monday week 11
Wednesday week 11
Take attendance. Try to get outside
Take attendance. Take attendance.
still. Stretch.Walk for 30 minutes.
Try to get outside still. Stretch.Walk for
Stretch. Dismiss
30 minutes. Stretch. Dismiss
Monday week 12
Wednesday week 12
Take attendance. Play world trivia
Retrieve ExerStrider walking sticks with
game and walk 40 minutes in Worthen
cart in Aerobics hallway. Take
arena if too cold outside. Stretch.
attendance. Stretch. Demonstrate.
Dismiss.
Walk with ExerStrider Walking Sticks in
Worthen arena for 30-35 minutes.
Monday week 13
Wednesday week 13
Take attendance. Play card game and
Take attendance. Bring fitness profile
add in calisthenics to game.
forms to class. In classroom fitness
testing begins. Set up classroom for
testing. Call Amy Shaffer to schedule
computer lab 285-4453 for class to
enter data onto Gradebook. Remind
class to meet in Field and Sports
building (on the track) next class.
Monday week 14
Wednesday week 14
Take attendance. 1 mile walk test in
Take attendance. Meet class and go to
Field and Sports building. You use
HP 225 to enter fitness testing data
Blackboard or Gradebook to record
onto Gradebook. You use Blackboard
points from fitness testing.
or Gradebook to record points from
data entry.
Monday week 15
Wednesday week 15
Take attendance. Meditation day in
Take attendance. Allow students to
classroom. Students wear street
bring IPOD’s to class in Worthen or
clothes. Pull out red mats. Choose a
Fields and Sports track. Dynamic
meditation CD. Remind class of final
stretch. Walk for 35 minutes. Stretch.
exam time and location.
Congratulate and motivate students to
continue fitness walking!!! Dismiss.
Final ExamsYou are responsible for the turning
finals grades into the registrar’s office.
You will receive grades either on paper
in your mailbox (Donohue) or a
generated report via Gradebook
(Gotsch and Salyer/Funk) the points
earned in the lecture portion of this
course.