Stress the importance of the different types of pressure our mind and body experience in a lesson about how certain types of stress are actually necessary and good for our bodies. As astronauts and people with injuries can attest, not using muscles for even a short period of time can cause them to shrink and can also weaken bones. Give your class a simple conditioning activity to do every other day over two weeks; as they track their data, they should see that regular use of muscles, even in small amounts, builds stamina and strength. Tip: The extension activity should be completed as part of the lesson; it incorporates graphing, which reaches both Common Core math standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

Concepts

bones, muscles, exercise

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Additional Tags

science

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Pros

• Long-term experiment shows the value of a small physical stress over time
• Data tables are provided, saving valuable class time
• Using the graphing extension activity involves math skills and allows learners to visually represent their data

Cons

• Investigation takes two weeks to complete (although only about five minutes of time on most days)

Common Core

RST.6-8.3 RST.9-10.3 RST.11-12.3