News Item
New walking program uses interdisciplinary approach to fitness
Monticello’s Elementary schools have begun a district-wide program where Physical Education classes will use instruction in a “heart healthy” activity to reinforce skills in mathematics and knowledge in geography and history. The interdisciplinary program will use pedometers to teach and reinforce certain math skills, while also “walking” to local points in history. This will help build a solid cross curriculum learning style designed to partner U.S. History and Physical Education.
In keeping with a goal of
promoting lifelong wellness and teaching the concept that
walking can be a healthy, lifetime activity, the Physical
Education classes will provide instruction about the benefits
and mechanics of rigorous walking. Pedometers will be used to
reinforce certain math skills and to keep track of how many
miles each class and school accumulates. Those miles will be
used to “travel” to historic sites across the United States. For
instance, students may learn how the U.S., in it infancy, was
saved from certain doom just a scant 37 miles away in Newburgh,
NY by an aging General George Washington or how Anthony Wayne
Recreation Area draws its name from a daring military leader
that earned his moniker (Mad Anthony Wayne) near the present-day
Harriman State Park.
In early March, Cooke Elementary School students with their
Physical Education teachers Gena Frey, Kevin O’Shea and Joe
Ebeling clocked enough miles to have walked from the Statue of
Liberty in NY City to the White House in Washington D.C. to
visit President Obama (228 miles).
In mid-March, they continued their walk and trekked from the
White House to Orlando, Florida for some sun and fun at Disney
World. This part of the journey took a few weeks because they
have to walk 873.56 miles!
Photo: Dennis Law's 4th grade class at the Chase Elementary
School walked to the spot where General George Washington and
his troops crossed the Delaware River in Trenton, NJ. Led by
their Physical Education teacher, Peter Wysochanski, the trip is
part of a district-wide program that focuses on reinforcing
information and skills from the students’ U.S. history and math
curriculum while teaching the health benefits of rigorous
walking. The new interdisciplinary program was initiated in
early 2009 and will be integrated into the year’s PE activities.
Click here to read this story as it appeared in the Times Herald-Record.