Health and Physical Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers: An Integrated Approach

In elementary schools across the United States, many teachers tasked with teaching health education or physical education have not had specific training in these areas. Health and Physical Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers: An Integrated Approach, Third Edition With HKPropel Access, is the perfect resource to equip both future and current educators with the essential knowledge and skills to teach these subjects.

Written by respected educators and health and physical education advocates, the third edition is based on the most recent national health education and physical education standards from both the National Consensus for School Health Education and SHAPE America. Along with the relevant state-specific academic standards, these standards provide critical guidelines to help educators improve lesson outcomes and empower elementary children to become healthy and active.

The third edition provides updated statistics on child and adolescent health-related indicators, and it includes new and expanded content on the following topics:

• Meaningful physical education experiences
• Universal design for learning
• Best practices for school connectedness
• Antibullying and antiharassment strategies
• Physical activity breaks and class behavior management strategies
• Healthy People 2030 indicators

Health and Physical Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers is organized into two parts. Part I focuses on the foundational knowledge needed for teaching health and physical education. It addresses risky behaviors relevant to today’s generation of students, the impact of children’s physical growth on learning and decision making, and the characteristics and benefits of a high-quality physical education program. It also includes the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model to facilitate schoolwide collaboration that connects education to wellness.

Part II emphasizes the strategies necessary for incorporating health, physical education, and physical activity into the curriculum and school day. It discusses how teachers can become advocates of healthy and active schools, identify habits that promote everyday health in the classroom, and incorporate physical activity and the national standards into each school day. It also presents teaching methods, assessment tools, and evaluation strategies to ensure teaching success.

In addition, the book features valuable lab exercises to help teachers apply the concepts and practice designing their own standards-based lesson plans. Plus, related online learning materials delivered through HKPropel include key terms and review questions, as well as sample integrated activity plans for each of the four physical education standards and each of the eight health education standards.

Health and Physical Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers, Third Edition, provides the essential knowledge and strategies to seamlessly incorporate health education and physical education into an integrated curriculum.

Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all new print books.

Retta R. Evans, PhD, MCHES, is a professor of health education in the School of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Evans has spent more than 20 years teaching and mentoring aspiring health educators at the undergraduate and graduate levels. During this time, she has also worked to improve health curricula and develop health initiatives in schools. She worked with the Alabama State Department of Education to revise the state standards for a course of study in health education and was part of a team that worked with school systems to implement comprehensive physical activity plans across Alabama.

Evans received the Health Educator of the Year Award from the Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance as well as the College/University Health Education Professional of the Year Award from the SHAPE America (formerly the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) Southern District. Evans conducts research focused primarily on schools and youth nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention.

Sandra K. Sims, PhD, is a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with more than two decades of experience as a public school teacher. Since 2005 she has taught physical education methods courses as well as a course for elementary classroom teachers that integrates physical education and health education into the classroom. Besides being named Physical Education Teacher of the Year for Alabama and the SHAPE America Southern District for two years, Sims was selected as Teacher of the Year for her school, school system, and school district. Sims was named the College/University Physical Educator of the Year by the Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance and was chosen College/University Physical Educator of the Year in the SHAPE America Southern District. Sims’ research focuses on promoting quality physical education at all levels.