Energisers
Movement energises and integrates the body and brain for optimal learning. If you choose to incorporate energisers into your classroom, they can be used to focus the mind and trigger curiosity for what the class is about to learn. They can greatly enhance the impact of learning because they focus the learner on the lesson and raise the energy level of the class.
Evidence is mounting that each person's capacity to master new and remember old information is improved by biological changes in the brain brought on by physical activity.
Dr John Ratey, A User's Guide to the Brain
Use energisers to:
- Promote readiness for learning
- Create excitement
- Overcome the effects of fatigue and drowsiness
Guidelines for successful energisers:
- Involve all students
- Adapt the activity to the age, interests and comfort level of the class
- Ensure energisers are quick and sharp
- Use music, if relevant, to increase interest
- Have fun
- Thank the students for participating
With time, encourage students to bring new activities to class and experiment with students conducting the energisers with their peers.
Energiser ideas:
Action-Packed Science - Molecules in Motion
Purpose: Demonstrate the characteristics of molecules and states of matter.
Materials required: Large open space and markers
Safety Considerations: When students are moving around the space, reinforce that they are not to bump into one another.
Directions:
- Use the markers to delineate a large space.
- Assemble the class within the space.
- Announce that they are molecules that that molecules always move. Tell them they can move any way they want, but they cannot bump into one another.
- Have the students move as quickly as possible for a period of time without bumping into each other.
- Stop the activity and decrease the space by half. Instruct them to move again without bumping into each other.
- Stop the activity and decrease the space until they are all in a very small area. Have them move as best they can, without bumping into each other.
- Explain the principles of molecules - gases, liquids, solids. Discuss their observations of the activity in relationship to what they have just learned.
Action-Packed Maths - Jumping and Hopping Hoops
Purpose: Reinforce basic math skills
Materials required: 6 - 10 hoops per group of eight students and dice.
Directions:
- Break students into groups of eight.
- For each group, arrange a set of hoops on the floor so that they are all touching (creating a path of hoops).
- Roll 2 dice and ask a student volunteer to total the number.
- As a class, determine if the number is odd or even.
- If the number is odd, students follow the leader hopping on one foot through each hoop in the path as fast as they can. If the number is even, students follow the leader jumping with both feet through each hoop.
Variations:
- Change the way students travel through the hoops, for example, giant strides, frog hopping, jogging.
- Create challenge by altering the questions posed, for example, if the number is divisible by 3.
Jumping Numbers
Purpose: Practice addition and subtraction skills.
Materials required: One rope per student and open space.
Directions:
- Distribute a skipping rope to each student.
- Ask students to find their own space.
- Call out a problem requiring addition or subtraction appropriate to the class 's skill level.
- Have all students call out the answer and then jump the rope until they reach that number, counting aloud as they go.
Variations:
- Add other direction to how they jump the rope, such as backwards, with crossed arms, on one foot etc.
- Change to multiplication, division.
- Increase complexity of the problems in line with the class's ability.
Clockwise Craziness
Purpose: Review the concepts of clockwise and counter clockwise
Materials required: 12 paper plates with the numbers 1 to 12 written on them; metre rulers (to act as hands of the clock); large open area
Directions:
- Conduct a quick review of clockwise and counter clockwise with the class.
- Arrange the numbers 1 to 12 in a large circle to represent the clock face. Place the metre rulers at the centre of the circle like clock hands as a point of reference.
- Have students spread out around the clock face.
- Have students move (skip, hop, walk fast, jog etc) in either a clockwise or counter clockwise direction until a signal is given.
- Provide different movement directions for the task and continue until the students are comfortable with the difference between clockwise and counter clockwise.
Variation:
The following variations can be adapted to increase difficulty and complexity of the task.
- The activity can be adjusted so that students are able to practice telling the time.
- Add simple instructions, such as, all students stand at an odd number to begin - move clockwise - on the whistle, stand at a time that would be divisible by 2.
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