Just wanted to share with you an article Amy Smith, one of the other Health teachers here at SAS, wrote for Scholastic online magazine about our cross curricular Advocacy Through Art project we recently completed.
Check it out! It’s pretty awesome our students hard work is being shared and showcased all around the world:) Ask your child about their Advocacy topic and have them show you their Public Service Announcement (PSA). Great work 7th Graders!
We all know that sleep is important, but how important is it and how much do we actually need? What are the distractions that keep us from getting the rest we need at night?
Recent studies have shown that 1/3 of teens are sleep deprived getting around 7 hours a sleep a night when you actually need 9 hours of sleep a night to function at your highest potential during the day!!! You may say to yourself, “Oh I’m definitely one of the 2/3 of teens who are getting enough sleep” but how many of you can say you consistently get 9 hours of sleep on a normal night??? Hmmm… That’s what I thought!
And we all know one of the major culprits of teens not getting enough sleep at night. What do you think it might be?? Yep, you’re right, technology. Check out the articles, “Really? Using a Computer Before Bed Can Disrupt Sleep” and Screen Time Before Bedtime you’ll learn more about how using tech before bed can lead to you getting less zzzzz’s.
A recent article in the Atlantic entitled, Sleep Deprivation Makes Us look Sad and Unattractive, talks about why sleep is called beauty sleep! When you get sleep you not only feel better and more energetic, but you look more attractive!
And kids, did you know that getting enough sleep at night can help you maintain a healthy weight? The New York Times article Lost Sleep can Add to Weight Gain gives you more insight on just how sleep can help your body.
Once you’ve read all the articles and taken notes, chose one of the benefits of sleep that you find most interesting or maybe it’s something you want to make sure you remember and create a sleep advocacy poster. You may have to do a little more research on this specific sleep benefit to ensure your poster is filled with accurate, up to date information.
Here’s the rubric so you know exactly what to include:
Interesting article just came out a couple weeks ago from CNN about kids and teens and altering the outdated screen time recommendations. Check out the link to read the article and watch some informative videos.
Another great site to get current and valid information about technology and its affects on teens is from TeenBeing website.
A new documentary coming out called, “Being 13” is making big news in the States. Check out this article called “Why Some Thirteen Year Olds Check their phone 100 Times a Day” where you will find great facts about social media and how it affects every day teens. #beingthirteen
Another study happening in New York called “Being 12: The Year Everything Changes”. It’s full of pictures, images, and some videos about this crucial year in children’s lives.
Today you’re going to create your own and demonstrate advocacy by taking your posters to a whole new level.
Project- Tech Balance Infographics
Standard 2- Analyzing the influence of technology on personal & family health.
Your task: pick one of the topics that we’ve been discussing during our technology balance unit, gather some research, and create an infographic to get your point across.
Here are some possible topics…
-Digital footprint
-Tech balance/ face-to-face communication
-impact of social media
-Digital Citizenship
-Time management/tech distractions
-The benefits of video games
-Mindfulness in a connected world
Pick a topic that interests you or another one of your choice, do some great research, and find at least four facts or statistics to include in your infographic to back up your topic.
Then use one of these easy to follow infographic programs and get started…
Hey 7th Grade Parents and Students!
Health and Happiness 