Stop and Think

• Safety: Allow enough space to move freely and minimize collisions. Determine boundaries that are a safe distance from obstacles and walls.
• Determine how you will group learners, using best practice guidelines from the Teacher's Guide.
• Be prepared to demonstrate fitBoost activity and fitFlow yoga.

Begin with a fitBoost.

Say: Show your choice after I read a “Would you rather?” question.

1. If the weather outside is warm, would you rather jump into a swimming pool or march in a parade? Do jumping jacks for the pool or high knees for marching.
   
   
2. If you are feeling silly, would you rather make up a dance or run backwards? Dance in a circle or turn around and run in place.
   
   
3. If you are camping with your family, would you rather sit by the fire and tell stories or go on a nature walk? Do a butterfly stretch for storytelling or walk slowly in place for the nature walk.

When we did the "Would You Rather?" activity, you decided between fit choices. Today we will learn how a person, place, thing, or mood can influence your fit choices.

An influencer can help you make fit choices, or they can prevent you from making fit choices.

For example, your family is an influencer that helps you make fit choices when you eat healthy meals together or set a bedtime. Your school is an influencer, too. Schools provide recess and recess equipment to give you something to do rather than just stand around.

Your feelings and emotions can be influencers too. If you are feeling bored, you may want to sit and do nothing. If you are feeling excited, you may want to jump in the air!

The number one thing you need to know is that if you stop and think about influencers, you can help yourself make fit choices.

Let’s practice recognizing things that influence our choices!

1. Practice actions for influencer statements.
   
   
2. Do star jumps for influencers that help you to make a fit choice:
    • Squat down until thighs are parallel to the floor.
    • Jump up and stretch hands and feet out like a star.
    • Land softly on your feet in the starting position.
   
   
3. Do a duck walk for influencers that make it difficult to make a fit choice.
    • Squat down until thighs are parallel to the floor.
    • Flap arms while walking in a small circle. (Option: point thumbs down.)
   
   
4. Learners begin to move around the perimeter of the activity area using a teacher-selected locomotor movement while music plays. Learners determine their pace, fast or slow.
   
   
5. After 20–30 seconds, pause music and ask  learners to find a partner by going toe to toe (see Teacher's Guide section for grouping learners). Encourage  positive social behavior by asking learners to find a new partner each time the music pauses.
   
   
6. Read an influencer statement aloud (see #8). Partners work together to identify the influencer.
   
   
7. If the influencer is one that helps to make a fit choice, learners do a star jump and shout, “I’m a fit kid!” If the influencer makes it difficult to make a fit choice, the learners do the duck walk.
   
   
8. Read aloud the following scenarios. Influencers and choices are in bold text:
   
   You and your family decide to play a game instead of watching TV before bedtime.
   
   You are hungry, so you decide to eat a piece of fruit.
   
   You and your friends decide to play basketball at recess.
   
   You are watching TV, and you want to eat a candy bar that you saw on a commercial. (Point out that the fit choice would be to think of a snack that doesn’t have a lot of sugar.)
   
   You feel bored, so you decide to play a video game. (Point out that the fit choice would be to get active or call a friend to play a game outside.)
   
   You are thirsty, so you drink a glass of water.
   
   You feel upset, so you will not talk to your friend. (Point out that the fit choice would be to tell a friend or trusted adult why you are upset.)
   
   It is raining outside, so you build a fort indoors.
   
   It is almost bedtime, so you find a comfortable spot to read quietly.
   
   
9. Once all of the scenarios have been read and discussed, you may repeat the activity with a different locomotor  movement between scenarios or challenge partners to make up their own scenarios.

1. Partner learners.
   
   
2. Do fitFlow yoga sets: Select a fitFlow card and work in partners to complete the poses.
   
   
3. Partners do a think-pair-share or turn-and-talk to review lesson. Ask partners to think about different influencers, like mood, or places, family, friends, television, and even the weather! Next, turn and talk about a person, place, thing, or mood that can influence fit choices.
   
   
4. Assess understanding with the following questions:
   
   Q: What influences you?
   A: Can learners name people, things, and feelings?
   
   Q: How do they influence you? 
   A: Listen for examples of  how influencers help or hinder fit choices.
   
   Q: How would you explain influencers to a friend?
   A: Influencers are a person, place, thing, or mood that  help you make fit choices. Influencers can also make it difficult to make a fit choice.
   
   
5. Use the Assessment Rubric (see Teacher's Guide) as a checklist to  assess understanding, skill development, and personal responsibility. Encourage learners to identify influencers at home, in the community, and at school.