Teacher sheet · Ages 6–7 · about 45–50 minutes
Move your body!
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/exercise/ages-6-7/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/exercise/ages-6-7/print/
Learning aims
- Being active is good for muscles, bones and the brain.
- Children should be active for about 60 minutes a day.
- When we exercise, the heart beats faster and we breathe faster and feel warmer.
- We should break up long periods of sitting.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: show me how you feel after running in the playground. |
| 10 min | Read the text together. |
| 15 min | Feel your heart (in the hall or playground). |
| 10 min | Play Moving or sitting still? or do the quiz. |
| 5 min | Share: what is your favourite way to move? |
Materials for the experiment
- Space to jump safely (hall or playground)
- A clock or timer for the teacher
- The worksheet and a pencil
Safety: Leave plenty of space between children and jump on a non-slip floor. Children with a health condition follow their care plan. Anyone who feels dizzy or unwell stops and sits down and tells the teacher.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| Your heart only beats when you exercise. | Your heart beats all the time; it beats faster when you are active. |
| Only sport counts as exercise. | Walking, dancing, playground games and cycling all count. |
| Getting out of breath means something is wrong. | Breathing faster is normal when you are active; it slows down again when you rest. If you feel unwell, stop and tell an adult. |
Worksheet answers
- Any active movement (running, dancing, swimming…).
- Faster.
- Any two of: heart beats faster, breathe faster, feel warmer.
Quiz answers
- About how long should children be active every day? About 1 hour (60 minutes). Children should be active for about 60 minutes a day on average.[1]
- What happens to your heart when you run? It beats faster. Activity raises your heart rate.[1]
- What happens to your breathing when you run? You breathe faster. Activity makes you breathe faster.[1][5]
- Which of these helps make your bones strong? Jumping. Jumping is a bone-strengthening activity.[1]
- Being active also helps your brain to… pay attention and remember things. Activity improves attention and memory.[3]
Going further
Make a class 'move break' list: short activities to do after sitting for a long time. Be inclusive: offer seated or adapted movements so every child can take part.
Sources used in this lesson
- [1] Physical activity guidelines for children and young people (NHS (UK National Health Service)): reliability High
- [2] Physical activity (fact sheet) (World Health Organization (WHO)): reliability High
- [3] Health Benefits of Physical Activity for Children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)): reliability High
- [5] Types of Physical Activity (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI, NIH)): reliability High
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/exercise/sources/
Privacy: the lesson pages have no ads, no tracking and no cookies. Quiz answers and game scores stay in the pupil's browser. A short video for each age is coming.