Site Review: Active Academics

Site URL: ActiveAcademics.org

Content:  This resource for classroom teachers provides practical physical activity ideas that can be integrated into regular classroom lessons.

Design:  Active Academics is all about movement and physical activity, and those themes come across nicely in the site’s design. Everything is vibrant and conveys a sense of movement, despite the fact that page content is static. Users can easily find the information they need, thanks to well-placed and logical navigation and internal links.

Review:  With this site, teachers can get students up and moving while still engaged in the learning process. Active Academics’ standards-based activity ideas align to both the Common Core State Standards and a variety of national standards for PreK through fifth-grade classrooms. Activities include:

• Active lesson ideas to enhance the learning of content in math, reading/language arts, health, physical education, science and social studies
• Classroom Energizers that give students a "moving break" from classroom activities
• Recess and lunchtime break activities that take little instruction and are appropriate for large groups in large spaces
• Physical education enhancement activities for the classroom teacher

The site is an ongoing project, with a built-in mechanism that allows teachers to continually submit lesson ideas that are reviewed by a panel of experts before being published (if approved).

Criteria for approval include:

• Developmentally and instructionally appropriate practices
• Meeting standards in subject areas/grade levels indicated
• Duration of less than 10 minutes

Bottom Line:  With the techniques provided at Active Academics, help support students’ healthy, active lifestyles.

Article by Jason Tomaszewski, EducationWorld Associate Editor
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