NOTE: Underlined texts are video links!

Ms. McGrath and I have been scheming for several months now, trying to figure out how to deepen this class’s understanding of physiology using the scientific method.  That is, we wanted to do an experiment in PE.

A few weeks ago, we began the process.  We (and I should say the students, they do all the work around here) began by developing a question: Which activity – running, scooters, tumbling or resting – affects your heart rate the most?

Students then discussed their hypotheses.  In listening to their conversations I was most impressed by their usage of physiology language taught by Ms. McGrath in P.E.  In the video clip below, the students pointing are actually referencing vocabulary hung up in the gym.  Take a peek at their thinking.

Then, it was time to design the experiment, which Ms. McGrath kindly prepared for us ahead of time.  She did, however, involve students in a discussion of experimental design, specifically, why she chose to include an additional rest period in the rotation. See if you can here their thinking in this clip.

Now these students were very polite to us silly adults who asked them to sit and write an experiment plan in a gym, rather then get up and go.  So, it was time to do the experiment.  In the next clip, you can see them working at each station, and very clearly, enjoying it.  What else do you expect when you take two favorite subjects and put them together?

After each round, students gathered databy taking their heart rate.  I was impressed to see the Ms. McGrath had already taught them how to do so, just by watching the clock or using a stop watch.

And after all this work, we’re still not done.  This afternoon we finished out data collection and briefly discussed small trends we saw, but ran out of time to draw our formal, final conclusions about which activity had greatest impact on heart rate.  Never fear though, we’ll get back to you with our discoveries, so you’re not left wondering.  We would, however, be curious.  Which of the four activities do you think will have the greatest impact?