Registration | Log In

Search Grants | Fulfilled Grants | More About Find It, Fund It, Florida

Share

Please share this page to help in fulfilling this grant.

Goal

The goal(s) of this request is two fold. One, to help continue to merge innovative research based physical fitness activity with brain based academic learning for all students kindergarten through fifth grade and two,this request is also submitted to continue to strive professionally and positively to promote Collier County Public Schools commitment to individually serve each student by creating versatile lessons that mentally, physically and socially develop personal, real world life long learning skill sets.  

What will be done with my students

The objective of every lesson is fueled by the fire in my brain and heart to help create and improve students mental, physical, and social well-being through applying proven research based fitness and academic concepts. Every lesson beginning day one of the new school year will be used to build upon, reinforce existing knowledge and foster upcoming learning activities that will be permanently intergrated into the physical education program. The grant will definitly enhance our current curriculum due to the unique design of the materials provided in the set.
For example one lesson I have designed promotes reading, running & vocabulary. I was inspired to create this lesson with the materials in the set based upon the book Have You Filled A Bucket Today- The Key to Being Happy by Carol McCloud & Caryn Butzke. Day one students will individually use their muscles to pick up a bucket, then step forward 1 time to begin to fill their bucket with a word or thought that begins with the letter "A" students may think of a word that makes them or someone else they know happy; the game continues as the students continue to take 2 steps or 3 hops or 4 leaps forward for each letter of the alphabet while making sure to continue to turn and toss happy thoughts (game pieces) to fill their bucket. Students will be asked a variety of questions to think of different situations that make for a healthy & happy life style. Thought provoking questions are presented as they progress through the alphabet. Questions are also designed to promote thinking for a wide variety of learning levels. Building upon this individual activity a second group activity was created inspired by the children book Grapes of Math by Greg Tang. Students will be asked and or guided to divide themselves into an equal number teams. A Movement Math & Metrics relay game will then take place. First students must arrange themselves in alphabetical order based upon the letter of their given color coded ball. When given the GO / go - or GREEN / green signal students must run 50 yards aka 42.7 meters down and back (100 yard dash aka 85.4meters) The first team to finish shouts Hurray! But wait, the game is not over yet; this is where the real impact of classroom cooperative play takes place and the positive effect it has on the brain. Now, the team that shouted hurray runs to any other team they choose to help complete their movement, math, and metrics team challenge. The game continues until all letters are in order & we all gather to shout HEY HEY TEAM! The element of time is then added to following lessons to incorporate technology and the"TIME to READ" lessons. Additional kindergarten through fifth grade math lessons will be played to instill social skills and individual Happy, Health, Me choice time. For example, color coded balls will be used to help students
"Swerve, Sway, & Solve the Problem." A green ball will be placed on a designated ring-spot on the floor. All students are allowed to slide, swerve, & sway their way to create a math sequence sentence that is greater than, lesser than, or equal to the corresponding number on the green basketball. Once a student completes a math sequence sentence they may stay to help and make new friends or choose a Happy, Health, PE & Me choice activity. This grant definitely connects to our school-wide mission to positively help students feel safe, play, and gain life skills such perseverance, teamwork, and self-control. Finally, it also helps connect a variety of ways students learn how to achieve success as well as the importance of striving to, try, try, try again which is currently known as "grit" in the education field. Brain play is an integral part of the young learners school day and additional chance to celebrate what each student brings to the table / classroom. 

Benefits to my students

The expected outcomes of these activities: students will benefit socially, mentally, & physically by interacting in a variety of cooperative and individual cognitive play situations. Students will also benefit from engaging in both large and small muscle movement activities; improve balance, flexibility, cardiovascular and perseverance skills. Equally important to the student is the variety of ways all types of learners will be able to participate, visually, verbally, kinesthetic and or auditory exposure to reading,spelling, math, and vocabulary help make for a happy healthy student. Another befit to the student is how this learning system will seamlessly augment indoor academic classroom concepts. The more ways a student is exposed to a vocabulary word and or math concept the more effective we are as educators at serving to enrich a child's happy healthy safe learning environment. Should this request be granted potentially ever teacher in the school could request use of the set to create classroom specific extended topic lessons. The cross content cuurricullum possibilities given the use of the BRAINball Physical Education System is what inspired me to create, plan and share.  

Budget Narrative

Each set includes a lesson book filled with 100 games/ activities, 100 mini basketballs, and soccer balls (size 3) in five colors-red, orange, yellow, blue and green, & equipment bags. There are 40 yellow and 40 green basketballs with letters (upper & lower case and numbers, 8 red and 8 blue soccer balls with math symbols, and 4 orange "wild card" (blank) balls.  

Items