Endurance!

Goal: Track endurance over time

1. Choose an activity to track

Each child chooses an endurance activity, such as skipping rope, running in place, or throwing and catching a ball without dropping it.  

2. Count and keep track

Children work in pairs. One child does the chosen endurance activity while the other keeps count; then they switch.

Advise children to stop the activity as soon as they begin to feel tired and not to push themselves to exhaustion or discomfort.

 

3. Record

Children record the date and their count on paper.

ENDURANCE
Skipping rope
Jose
March 1	17 times
April 2	26 times
May 1
June 2

Collect the papers so children can use them again.

 

4. Keep practicing endurance

Children decide what to record. For instance, they could record their best count each week or month.

 

Variations

Changing Conditions (Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Children investigate influences on endurance. For instance, if you are skipping rope, does it matter whether you’re barefoot or wearing shoes? What if you shut your eyes?

 

Set a Record (Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Children look for examples of endurance in stories or record books. What’s the world record for activities such as skipping rope or juggling? They gather data on what they themselves can comfortably do, and then make comparisons.

 

Hold That Note (Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Children time how long they can hold a note, a humming sound, or a whistle without stopping.

 

Books and Other Resources

Scholastic Book of World Records 2006 (Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Bay, Georgian. NY: Scholastic, 2005.

Guinness World Records: Fearless Feats (Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Calkhoven, Laurie. NY: Scholastic, 2006.

 

Spotlight

Gathering and recording data

Children will find it helpful to organize their counts, dates, and different conditions (e.g., wearing shoes, going barefoot, shutting eyes), so that they can investigate which factors might influence their times.

Children also need to consider what is reasonable to record. Recording each time they do the activity may give too much information; recording the best time of three, best time of the day, or an average might provide a more useful level of detail.

Connections

Keeping organized records

With clear and well-organized records, it’s easier to make comparisons, analyze information, share information with others, and find out what you need to know. Around the house, lists help people keep track of chores, birthdays, family schedules, medical appointments, and budgets. Organizational skills help children keep track of their homework assignments, notebooks and backpack, and money saved through allowance and chores.

Many professions—from small business owner to nurse to teacher—involve creating or using record-keeping systems.

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©2008 TERC, Cambridge, MA. All rights reserved.