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A PhUn week Incursion in Australia Teaches 3–4 and 5–6 Graders Exercise Physiology
Author(s) -
Halpin Patricia A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.553.2
Subject(s) - outreach , psychology , class (philosophy) , mathematics education , medical education , medicine , computer science , political science , law , artificial intelligence
PhUn Week is an annual science outreach program in which K‐12 students learn about physiology through meeting a physiologist and performing an experiment. By performing PhUn week in Australia the previous year I was able to demonstrate this was a project worth funding and received a Summer Graduate School Fellowship to return. In Australia, primary schools grades 3 and 4 are combined in one class (3–4), as is grades 5 and 6 (5–6). To set up the outreach I made direct contact via email with the Assistant Principal. She connected me with the physical education (PE) teacher. Together, the PE teacher and I planned the event. Over the course of two days, I taught four classes of 3–4 graders, and four classes of 5–6 graders for a total of 177 students. All classes were held in the gymnasium and on the playground track. I started each lesson with asking “Does anyone know what a physiologist is”? The most common answer was “A Physiotherapist” which is called a physical therapist in the US. The Scientific Method was described and explained. A hypothesis was designed, “Exercise Increases Heart Rate”‐ and a testing method in which students would measure their heart rates, run for two laps, and measure their heart rates again. After data collection, students were urged to report their data using the format “My resting heart rate was # beats per minute and my post exercise heart rate was # beats per minute”. The students all agreed they had proved their hypothesis. We discussed heart function and explained why heart rate increases with exercise. Students then were given pedometers and calibrated them by walking 20 paces. The students performed their next experiment by estimating how many steps it would take to walk around the track. After completing the walk they then made predictions of the number of steps running around the track would be higher or lower. They performed this experiment successfully and understood why fewer steps were needed when running due to a longer stride. PhUn Week forms beneficial partnerships among educators and inspires K‐12 students to think about becoming scientists. I recommend that all physiologists participate in PhUn week both locally and while traveling outside the U.S.