Describes an activity in which students write guided-imagery scripts that are related to works of literature. (MM)

Provides numerous ideas for helping students write about special memories in the following categories: growing up--future dreams; authors and illustrators; family history; special places; and special memories. Describes how to write a "bio poem," and includes a bibliography of children's books that enhance and enrich student learning and…

Summarizes and critiques 16 studies involving the cognitive and behavioral effects of aerobic exercise on children in both schools and clinical settings. Concludes that few studies concurrently measure physical and psychological changes that may accompany exercise in children and suggests methods for further investigation. (SW)

Explains how a teacher used Shakespeare plays to engage special needs and at-risk students with whom she had had limited success in engaging in other ways. Describes Shakespeare-related activities such as journal writing, acting, and something the teacher calls "write around," which requires students to visit different stations and write short…

Describes the work of Barrett Wendell, a composition teacher at Harvard in the late 19th century, giving particular attention to his idea of writing themes--short writing assignments on topics students choose themselves. Reviews one particular student's struggle with Wendell's writing themes. Examines Wendell's political challenges at Harvard as a…

Describes activities in which high school students exercise individual muscles or small groups of muscles to try to determine which muscles are involved, their approximate origins, and insertions. (MKR)

Reviews a motivational approach for increasing exercise and decreasing fat consumption to reduce body weight in obese individuals. Exercise motivation includes communicating the physiological benefits and self-regulating exercise intensity. Prudent eating motivation includes stopping restrictive dieting, distinguishing between hunger and craving,…

Examines current guidelines for physical fitness, noting issues that may influence the updating of the American College of Sports Medicine exercise statement. Differences between exercise prescription for fitness and physical activity for health are discussed, noting the importance of designing individualized programs with appropriate levels of…

Reviews theory and methods used by the field of biological psychology to study stress that have potential for understanding how behavioral and biological adaptations to the stress of exercise are integrated. The overview focuses on anxiety, depression, and physiological responsiveness to nonexercise stressors from the perspective of biological…

Describes an artists workshop, parallel to a writers workshop, that integrated student choice of topic and media, reading, art, and writing. Outlines the workshop routine, discusses the artists' notebooks kept by the students, and explains how writing as an essential element of the workshop reveals the thinking, planning, and discovering that…

Exercise-induced bronchospasm commonly strikes young people, keeping many away from activity. The exercise challenge test (a powerful tool in diagnosing the condition, fine-tuning treatment, and improving patient compliance) can help get patients back in action. Knowing how to interpret and use test results helps physicians expedite effective…

The effects of a variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement on pedaling a stationary exercise bicycle were examined with 3 obese and 3 nonobese 11-year-old boys over a 12-week period. The intervention resulted in systematic increases in rate of exercise for all subjects. (Author/DB)

Wellness is a lifelong process that must be updated constantly to maintain a high quality of life. Only the individual determines the path to total wellness. Restructuring lifestyle (eating habits, physical activity, attitudes) and understanding what it takes to be healthy take time. Evidence indicates that corporate wellness initiatives are…

Exercise can help patients maintain lean body mass during weight loss. Although exercise is not extremely useful in shedding excess pounds, it helps keep off weight lost through calorie restriction. This article discusses the specifics of exercise prescription, types of exercise, motivation to exercise, and special problems such as diabetes. (SM)

After a brief discussion of discovery writing, several types of writing activities are suggested that can enhance learning and critical thinking. They include free writes, journals, electronic dialogue, collaborative writing assignments, and class newsletters. (LB)