By Nicole L. Garneau PhD and Tanya Breeling
Classroom Energizer!
Name of Activity: Colorful Colorado
Developed by Nicole Garneau and Tanya Breeling at the Denver
Museum of Nature & Science, and modeled after "California
Dreaming" http://activeacademics.org/LessonIdea.asp?ID=109
http://restlesswestjournal.com/2010/08/01/putting-colorful-colorado-on-my-head/
Content Area(s): Classroom Energizers, Science,
Geography, History, Math
Suggested Grade Level(s): 4, 5
Content Standards:
- Comprehensive Health - Std 23 Emotional and Social
Wellness in Health
- Physical Ed - Std 3, Emotional and Physical Wellness in
Physical Education
- Social Studies - Std 1, History (4th grade that does
COHistory)
Purpose of Activity (objectives, etc.):
Students will be lead on a virtual tour of Colorado and learn about
landmarks and things to do in Colorado.
Materials/Equipment (Needed): None
Description: Teacher leads the class on a
virtual tour of Colorado. Students can also think about places
they'd like to visit. Students move at least 30 seconds for each of
the actions listed below:
- Let's take our resting heart rate before we start (30 seconds,
times 2 for beats per minute)
- Pike's Peak or Bust! It's 1859 and the Colorado gold rush has
begun, ride your horses and wagons to the west. When you get there
start panning for gold in the streams and digging for gold veins in
the mountains.
- Ride your bike to City Park in Denver for the farmer's market;
pick out yummy fresh fruits and veggies. What's your favorite?
- Heading to a concert at Red Rocks, climb the stairs until you
get to your seat and then jam out to music. How many steps can you
take in 15 seconds?
- At the Pepsi center in down town Denver, just like the Nugget's
captain Aaron Afflalo, fake left, fake right, dribble between your
legs and put up a three pointer! The crowd goes wild. If you shoot
5 three pointers and make them all, how many points did you
score?
- Nothing better than winter in Colorado, at Arapahoe Basin,
named for the Native American tribe that originally called Colorado
home, practice your ski turns, hit a jump!
- Way down in the southwest corner of Colorado you can show off
your mountain biking skills among the beautiful scenery in
Durango.
- Now traverse one of the world's highest suspense bridges at the
Royal Gorge, hope you aren't afraid of heights, it's 956 feet in
the air! (include velocity of a dropped camera for older ages)
- And what's below it? The raging Arkansas River, jump in your
kayak and paddle through the rapids. The Arkansas River starts in
Colorado from snow melt, what states does it pass through on its
way to joining the Mississippi River and going to the gulf of
Mexico?
- Phew, you made it, let's head way west to Grand Junction and
hike around the Colorado National Monument, if you are brave you
can peak over the edge and see all the amazing colors of the
rocks.
- Finally, it's back to Denver for the National Western Stock
Show, show off your rodeo moves, lasso and try to stay on the bull
for 8 seconds!
- Ok let's take our heart rate again and see if we got our hearts
beating faster to supply our bodies with the oxygen it needed
for moving!
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