Healthy Habits
The Power of Exercise
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The Power of Exercise
This week, children will explore the powerful impact of positive self-talk on their health and well-being. They will start by watching a video that demonstrates how positive thinking can transform a person's day. This story will help them understand the importance of how we speak to ourselves, even in challenging situations.
Building on this knowledge, students will design their own positive self-talk guide using Canva. They will creatively illustrate three key benefits of positive self-talk: reducing stress, boosting confidence, and improving physical health. Finally, they will reflect on their own experiences by documenting three achievements from the past, three challenges they are currently facing, and three goals they aim to achieve in the future.
This activity encourages critical thinking, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the importance of positive self-talk, all while enhancing their design skills in Canva.
This week, we’re learning about how physical movement can boost your mood, energy, and focus! We’ll start by watching a video filmed in the Arctic Circle that shows how being active helps us feel great and think clearly. As you watch, think about times when exercise has helped you feel better.
After the video, we’ll discuss why movement is important for your well-being. You’ll learn how just 30 minutes of activity each day—like walking to school, kicking a ball, or taking the stairs—can improve your mood, help you focus, and make tasks easier. We’ll also talk about the endorphin rush, which makes us feel happy when we exercise.
Next, write down three ways being active helps your body, like giving you energy, keeping you calm, or improving focus. Then, write down three things you’re proud of, three challenges you have now, and three goals you want to achieve, and think about how movement can help.
Finally, create a poster on Canva to show what you’ve learned. Make it inspiring, so you remember how important movement is. Over the next week, aim for 30 minutes of activity each day, and write about how it made you feel in your "Healthy Habits" book. Share your discoveries with a friend!
Important - Download Your Healthy Habits Booklet
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 emphasise 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 physical exercise and staying active. They'll be asked to simplify these terms into easy-to-understand definitions, helping them understand how movement benefits the body and mind. This exercise will boost their critical thinking and comprehension skills while building a foundation for lifelong health and well-being.
On the task card provided, you’ll find a list of words related to exercise and physical activity. Your challenge is to explain each word in the simplest way possible.
This activity will help you understand important concepts about how movement affects your body and mind. It’s a great way to practise for future discussions on keeping your body active, healthy, and strong.
Quote of the Week - Usain Bolt
This week, we’ll draw inspiration from Usain Bolt’s dedication to physical training. Students will explore a quote from Bolt, interpreting its meaning from their own perspectives, perhaps through art or a short multimedia presentation.
The heart of this activity is deep reflection and conversation. It encourages students to connect with Bolt’s message on perseverance and the importance of physical movement in achieving big goals. They’ll think about how consistent effort, even when results aren’t immediate, can make a huge difference in their personal growth.
This approach promotes critical thinking and discussion, helping students understand how regular physical activity and dedication can shape their routines and help them succeed. It encourages a commitment to staying active, aligning with Bolt’s message about the impact of perseverance and movement on our lives.
Each week, we will share an inspirational quote to help you understand the power of physical movement. This week’s quote is from Usain Bolt:
"I trained 4 years to run 9 seconds, and people give up when they don’t see results in 2 months."
Write down this quote, print it out, or create a drawing inspired by his words. After that, take some time to reflect on and discuss its meaning. Think about what it teaches us about dedication, perseverance, and how staying active helps us reach our goals. Use this wisdom to stay motivated, active, and improve your overall well-being.
Design Your Information Card - The Power of Physical Movement
In this activity, students will explore the power of physical movement by creating an information card that combines research with creativity. They will focus on identifying the top benefits of exercise, like boosting energy, improving focus, and lifting mood, making sure the information is clear and impactful.
Students will then design a visually appealing card that represents movement—using images like someone jogging, nature scenes, or sports equipment. The final product will be added to their "Healthy Habits" booklet, creating a helpful guide on staying active and supporting overall well-being.
In this activity, your task is to create an information card that highlights the benefits of physical movement. Start by designing a visual that represents movement—think about using images like someone jogging, a pair of trainers, or a vibrant nature scene. You can include anything that makes you think of staying active and feeling great.
Next, come up with your own top tips or benefits of physical activity. You can use our example from the video, where we talked about how movement can boost energy, improve focus, and lift your mood by releasing endorphins.
Once you’ve finished, add your card to your "Healthy Habits" booklet. This will become a valuable collection of tips and advice on staying active, healthy, and ready to take on new challenges.
Design Your Physical Movement Page - Nine Ways to Boost Your Well-Being
In this activity, students will reflect on their personal experiences with physical movement by creating an information card that highlights their past achievements, current challenges, and future goals related to staying active. They will focus on clearly and positively expressing these reflections. Using my card as an example, which includes achievements like daily walking, challenges such as trying new activities, and future goals for staying active, students will be inspired to create their own version.
Students will then design a visually appealing card that represents their journey, using images that reflect their active lifestyle, like running shoes, nature, or playing sports. The final product will be added to their "Healthy Habits" booklet, serving as a personal guide to staying active and setting healthy goals.
In this activity, your task is to create a page in your booklet about nine ways that physical movement can boost your well-being. You’ll start by looking at a list of suggested tips, such as walking for 30 minutes each day, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or playing outdoors before a big task.
Using the template provided, design your very own information page on what you think are the best nine ways to stay active and improve your mood and focus. While you can use the template and ideas provided, it’s important to also do your own research to discover more fun and effective ways to stay physically active.
Think carefully about how you present your ideas—both in design and in content. Your goal is to create a page that’s informative and visually appealing, helping others understand why movement is so important for our body and mind.
When finished, this page will be added to your "Healthy Habits" booklet, which will eventually become a special collection of your work throughout the course.
Track Your Physical Activity - See the Difference It Makes
In this activity, students will reflect on their physical activity habits by tracking how they feel each day over the course of a week. Using a provided template and comparing their reflections to a sample, students will assess the impact of regular physical activity on their mood, focus, and overall well-being.
This exercise encourages self-reflection and personal responsibility, helping students understand the connection between physical movement and well-being, while reinforcing the importance of consistency in staying active.
Now that you understand how physical movement can boost your mood, improve focus, and enhance overall well-being, it's time to see how it’s making a difference in your life.
Over the next week, you’ll track your activities and reflect on how you feel to see if your new habits are helping. Take a look at my reflection on the next page, then use the template to track your own physical activities and feelings over the next 7 days.
Let’s work together to build healthier habits and feel our best every day!
Spreading the Word - Weekly Movement Challenge
In this activity, students will select actions from a task card to apply their knowledge of physical movement in real-world contexts, focusing on helping others be more active. This encourages leadership by empowering students to independently choose and carry out tasks that promote health in their community.
The emphasis on real-world application helps foster a sense of responsibility and initiative, allowing students to learn from their experiences, whether they succeed or not. This approach nurtures independence and reinforces the value of effort in encouraging others to stay active and healthy.
Choose an action from the task card and use your new knowledge to make the lives of others better through physical activity. It doesn’t matter which action you choose—what matters is that you share your knowledge to help others stay active, healthy, and happy.
You can choose as many actions as you like from the list, such as encouraging someone to take the stairs or organising a game outside. And remember, it’s all about making an effort and having fun, not about getting perfect results!
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.
Weekly Quiz: The Power of Physical Movement
Students will take a quiz on the power of physical movement, 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, promoting consistent physical activity and its benefits.
This week, you'll be invited to take a quiz focused on the power of physical movement. After rewatching the video, your task is to correctly answer ten questions about the benefits of exercise, such as improved focus, mood, and well-being. 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!