Healthy habits
The Importance of Sleep
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Introduction - The Importance of Sleep
This week, children will explore the essential role of sleep in maintaining health and well-being. They will begin by watching a video set in Iceland, where the unique environment challenges the typical night and day cycle, yet people maintain healthy sleep habits. This story will help them understand how critical sleep is, even in unusual circumstances.
Building on this knowledge, students will design their own sleep hygiene guide using Canva. They will creatively illustrate the three key steps to better sleep: establishing a regular bedtime, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and avoiding screens before bed. Finally, they will keep a sleep journal and observe how following these practices impacts their own sleep and energy levels. This activity encourages critical thinking, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the importance of sleep, all while enhancing their design skills in Canva.
This week, we’ll delve into the fascinating world of sleep and its critical role in our health and well-being. We’ll begin by watching a video set in the unique environment of Iceland, where despite the midnight sun, people have mastered the art of getting a good night’s sleep. As you watch, think about how the Icelandic people have adapted their sleep habits to maintain their health, and consider how important sleep is in your own life.
Next, you’ll learn about the science behind sleep and why it’s so much more than just a time for rest. You’ll discover how sleep helps our brains clean out toxins, organise our thoughts and memories, and allow our bodies to heal and recharge.
Then, you’ll bring these lessons to life by creating your own sleep hygiene guide. Using Canva, you’ll design a booklet page that highlights the three key steps to better sleep: setting a regular bedtime, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and avoiding screens before bed. Make your guide visually engaging and easy to follow.
Finally, you’ll apply what you’ve learned by monitoring your own sleep habits over the next week. You’ll keep a sleep journal and see how following these steps can improve your sleep and overall well-being. At the end of the week, you’ll add your findings to your booklet, helping you and your peers understand the true power of a good night’s sleep.
Important - Download Your Workbook Template
Over the next week, students will design a comprehensive “Healthy Habits” booklet, using a provided template to ensure everything stays organised and properly formatted. It’s important that teachers emphasize the necessity of keeping all content within the safe zone (dotted line) to avoid any issues during printing. This project encourages students to express their creativity while also serving as a structured reflection of their journey toward a healthier lifestyle. The final product will be a meaningful keepsake, potentially ordered as a printed booklet, making attention to detail essential.
Over the next ten weeks, you will be working on your “Healthy Habits” booklet, focusing on various aspects of a healthy lifestyle. All the information and designs will be created by you, but we’ve provided a template to help you keep everything organised and in the right order.
Feel free to customise the colours and some of the designs to make the booklet uniquely yours, but be sure to keep all content within the safe zone (the dotted line). This is important because, once your booklet is complete, you might want to upload it to the Upschool library or order a printed copy, and we don’t want any important information to be cut off during printing.
You’ll be using this booklet each day, so make sure to download it today and return to it regularly to add your insights on different aspects of a healthy lifestyle. This booklet will be a reflection of your learning journey and a beautiful keepsake of your work on building and maintaining healthy habits.
Weekly Keywords
In this activity, students will review a list of keywords related to the importance of sleep and maintaining healthy habits. They’ll be asked to simplify these concepts into easy-to-understand terms, helping them to grasp and communicate complex health-related ideas effectively. This exercise enhances critical thinking and comprehension skills, laying a foundation for lifelong healthy living.
On the task card provided, you’ll find a list of words about sleep and healthy habits. Your challenge is to look at each word and explain what it means in the simplest way you can.
This activity will help you take tricky health ideas and make them easy to understand. It’s a great way to practice for all your future learning and talking about how to stay healthy.
Quote of the Week - Matthew Walker
This week, we’ll draw inspiration from a sleep expert’s wisdom about the importance of rest and health. Students will explore a key quote, interpreting its significance from their own perspectives, perhaps through art or a multimedia presentation.
The core of this activity is deep reflection and meaningful conversation. It encourages students to connect with the expert’s insights, considering how good sleep habits can influence their personal choices and overall well-being.
This approach fosters critical thinking and open discussion, helping students understand how powerful ideas about sleep can shape their daily routines and actions. It promotes a commitment to healthy living and self-care, aligning with the expert’s message on the vital role of sleep in our lives.
Each week, we will share an inspirational quote from a sleep expert to help you understand the importance of good sleep habits. This week’s quote is from Matthew Walker, a renowned sleep scientist:
“The shorter you sleep, the shorter your life span.’
We encourage you to write down the quote, print it, or even create a drawing inspired by his words.
After you’ve completed this, take some time to reflect on and discuss the meaning of the quote. Consider what it teaches us about the importance of sleep in living a healthy life, and how we can use this wisdom to improve our own sleep habits and well-being.
Design Your Information Card - Sleep Tips
In this activity, students will explore the importance of sleep by creating an information card that combines research with design. They will focus on identifying the top three tips for a better night’s sleep, ensuring the information is clear and helpful. Students will then create a visually appealing card that represents sleep, using images like a cozy bed or a peaceful night sky. The final product will be part of their “Healthy Habits” booklet, which will serve as a comprehensive guide to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
During this activity, your goal is to create a visually appealing information card about the importance of sleep. Start by designing a nice visual that represents sleep—think about using images like a cozy bed, a sleeping moon, or anything that makes you think of a good night’s rest.
Next, write down the top three tips that will help others get a better night’s sleep. Keep the tips clear and simple, so they’re easy for everyone to understand and follow.
Once you’ve finished, this card will be added to your “Healthy Habits” booklet, which will eventually become a valuable collection of tips and advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Design Your Sleep Page - Nine Ways to Improve Sleep
In this activity, students will create a booklet page on improving sleep, focusing on tips like using soft lighting, sticking to a bedtime routine, and keeping the room cool.
By researching and designing their own page, they engage in meaningful reflection on how these practices contribute to better sleep and overall well-being. This exercise fosters a deeper understanding of the importance of healthy sleep habits and their role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
In this activity, your task is to create a page in your booklet about the nine ways we can improve our sleep. You’ll start by looking at a list of suggested tips, such as keeping your room cool, avoiding screens before bed, and using soft lighting.
Using the template provided, you will design your very own information page on what you think are the best nine ways to get a better night’s sleep. While you can use the template and some ideas provided, it’s important that you do your own research to find additional tips for improving sleep.
Think carefully about how you present your ideas—both in design and in content. Your goal is to create a page that is both informative and visually appealing, helping others understand the importance of good sleep habits.
When finished, this page will be added to your booklet, which will eventually become a specialised collection of your work throughout the course.
Tracking Your Progress - How Do You Feel?
In this activity, students will reflect on their sleep habits by tracking how they feel each day over the course of a week. By using a provided template and comparing their results to a sample graph, students will assess the impact of following their own sleep guidelines.
This exercise encourages self-reflection and personal responsibility, helping students understand the connection between their actions and overall well-being, while reinforcing the importance of consistency in healthy routines.
Now that you understand how important sleep is and how it helps your body heal, learn, and grow, it’s time to see if the things you’re doing are making you feel better.
Over the next week, you’ll keep track of how many hours your sleep each day and ref;ect on how you feel to see if your new sleep habits are helping.
Take a look at my graph on the next page, then use the template to track your own sleep routine and reflect on your feelings over the next 7 days.
Let’s work together to become healthier and happier!
Spreading the Word - Weekly Community service
In this activity, students will reflect on their sleep habits by tracking how they feel each day over the course of a week. By using a provided template and comparing their results to a sample graph, students will assess the impact of following their own sleep guidelines.
In this activity, students select actions from a task card to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts, focusing on improving the lives of others. This encourages leadership by empowering students to independently choose and execute tasks that benefit their community. The emphasis on real-world application fosters a sense of responsibility and initiative, while allowing students to learn from their experiences, whether successful or not. This approach nurtures independence and reinforces the value of effort in leadership.
Choose an action from the task card opposite and use your new knowledge to make the lives of others better. It doesn’t matter which action you choose; what matters is that you share your knowledge to help others live a healthier and happier life.
You can choose as many actions as you like from the list, and don’t worry if you don’t succeed—it’s all about the effort, not the result.
Weekly Art Therapy
This weekly art activity encourages mindfulness and relaxation through colouring. Teachers should introduce it with enthusiasm, promoting a calm, creative atmosphere.
Allow children the freedom to choose where they sit—whether in a quiet classroom corner or even outside—and consider scheduling a designated time each week. Additionally, this activity can be sent home to support mindfulness practices with families. Encourage children to focus on the process, not the outcome, and enjoy the benefits of creativity and calm.
Each week, we’ll share a fun and relaxing art activity with you. All you need to do is find a quiet spot—maybe in your room, outside under a tree, or wherever you feel calm. Grab your favourite colouring pencils, set up a soft light or a lamp, and if you’d like, play some relaxing music in the background. Then, take your time to colour in the picture on the next page and let your mind wander.
Doing this can help you feel more relaxed and calm. Colouring gives your brain a little break, helps you focus on the moment, and can even make you feel happier. It’s a way to let your imagination flow while taking care of yourself.
Remember, this is your time to unwind. There’s no right or wrong way to colour—just enjoy yourself and have fun with it!
My Weekly Mood Diary
This activity encourages children to track their daily emotions using a mood diary, fostering self-awareness and reflection. Teachers should emphasise the importance of taking time at the end of each day to reflect on feelings, using symbols provided on the task card.
This process promotes mindfulness and helps children recognise patterns in their emotions. Encourage children to keep their reflections private, ensuring they feel safe to explore their feelings honestly, supporting their emotional wellbeing.
As you work through each activity in this course, we encourage you to take a moment each day to reflect on how you’re feeling. A mood diary is a fantastic way to track your emotions and see how your work in this course impacts your overall wellbeing.
Using the template provided, simply add a symbol from the task card to represent your mood at the end of each day. Over the week, you’ll start to notice patterns and shifts, giving you valuable insight into how the activities influence your feelings.
The health and wellbeing activities in this course are designed to have a positive impact on your mood, and we hope you’ll find this reflection process both enlightening and rewarding.
Remember, this is your personal journey—there’s no need to share your diary with anyone. It’s a space for your own private reflection and growth.
Quiz and Your Certificate
Students will take a quiz on the importance of sleep, reinforcing their understanding after rewatching the video. Each quiz includes ten questions, and scoring 80% or higher earns them a certificate. There are 8 certificates to collect, motivating ongoing engagement and learning. This activity encourages retention and provides a tangible reward for their efforts.
This week, you’ll be invited to take a quiz focused on the importance of sleep. After re-watching the video, your task is to correctly answer ten questions about sleep and healthy sleep habits. Achieving a score of 80% or more will earn you a certificate, which will be sent directly to your email. There are 8 certificates in total for you to collect. Best of luck!