Health Alliance: Mens Sana in Corpore Sano (LS-HR-537)
Background info
Maintaining physical, mental and emotional well-being can be really challenging, especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns all over Europe. Comparing practices of different countries to maintain their physical, intellectual and emotional fitness – this scenario organizes students in teams that will actively change their daily practices, learn cooperatively about another country’s sport and culture, and present their conclusions in class after three weeks. It can be implemented in an online or blended classroom, as well as in the physical one.
Through the course of three weeks, students engage in a chosen sports activity on a daily basis and keep a personal workout log. They also learn how to make a new dish. Teams choose a country they will focus on and learn something from (and about) – its sports, cultural events, food, most read book(s) and other practices for mental well-being during times of isolation. The scenario brings together Physical Education, Psychology, Literature, ICT, English language and Culinary Arts. Activities require an open mind, extensive research online, reading and writing skills and critical thinking. They foster skills such as literacy and digital literacy, physical and emotional well-being, and boost cultural awareness. During the time of implementation, students will monitor the influence of different activities on their well-being.
Activities
Individual activities include: keeping a daily physical activity log, completing the WEMWB scale form twice in three weeks to monitor the influence of physical activity on physical and mental well-being. During the course of the implementation, students will also work within a team.
Team activities gradually introduce four aspects of a healthier lifestyle: Sport, Culture, Healthy Eating, and Reading. Each team has four members, and each member of the team becomes responsible for presenting one of the aspects.
Teams start off by choosing a country to become their health ally on Europeana. Then members agree on the name of the team, colour a team emblem chosen from Sporting Heritage Colouring Book, and discuss the task distribution. Then students’ online research begin, carried out mostly at home.
One lesson of 45 minutes is reserved for bringing to attention each aspect of well-being respectively. Members will have organized their research findings using a chosen digital tool. During the lessons, they give presentations of the material found and participate in discussions. In the last few lessons, students work together on drawing conclusions, comparing individual workout logs, making comparisons, and creating a “ticket-out” game for the other teams. They also create an end-product together as a team – a Padlet or an interactive presentation in another tool displaying previous finds and presentations.
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CC BY 4.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland.