Minds On

Motivate and activate

Brainstorm

Brainstorm

Think about what motivates you to be active.

  • What motivates you to be active at school?
  • What motivates you to be active at home?
  • What motivates you to be active in your community?

For example, it could be joining an intramural team at lunch, joining an after-school club, or enjoying music to move to.

Examine the pictures below and think about whether there are similarities in your motivations and that in the images.

Press ‘Motivation’ to access definitions of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation means it comes from within us. For example, people are active because it makes their bodies and mind feel good. But people also need things that are extrinsic to motivate them as well.

Extrinsic motivation is a motivation that comes from outside: we do an activity because we want to receive an award, for example.

Action

Activate and participate

Being part of a school team or a community club can motivate us to be active. It helps us make friends, get support and encouragement, and provides us with opportunities to do different activities. Let us create an obstacle course that can support others be active together.

Obstacle course creation

In this activity, you will have the opportunity to work independently or with a partner. Your goal is to come up with an idea for the most amazing obstacle course possible.

Explore the following carousel of images for some possible ideas for your obstacle course. As you create, think about the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that motivate you.

Complete the My Obstacle Course in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

My Obstacle Course

Press the Activity button to access the My Obstacle Course.

Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)

Pause and Reflect

Pause and reflect

  • How did it feel to create your course?
  • How do you think others will feel when they participate in this activity? Why?
  • Do you think you can create it in real life?

Spending time with others

Spending time encouraging and helping others can be motivating to be active.

Safety

Before you begin:

Check out this video entitled “Power Up: Super Hero 5” to learn more about ways to be active. Follow along if possible and alter any activity as you please.

Pause and Reflect

Pause and reflect

  • How did your body feel when you were following along?
  • Think about the types of exercises that you enjoy doing. What would you include in your own video about being active?
  • What would make you want to participate in the video? Would you prefer having others doing the activity with you? Would you want to include music in with the activity?

Consolidation

Student Success

Think-Pair-Share

What motivates you to be active? What are your intrinsic and extrinsic motivations? If possible, share your ideas with a partner

Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.

Consider a new way in which you could be active: a new activity, a new way to get from one place to another, learn a new sport, etc. What would motivate you to begin?

Record one of the factors that would motivate you. How different are they from the motivations of the children you explored in Minds On?

Complete My Motivation in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

My Motivation

I already enjoy doing:

My intrinsic motivation for this activity is:

My extrinsic motivation for this activity is:

I am interested in trying:

My intrinsic motivation for trying this activity is:

My extrinsic motivation for trying activity is:

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access My Motivation. 

Activity (Open PDF in a new window)

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.

You can now take the obstacle course that you recorded in Action and produce it in your learning space.

First, identify the space you have to design your course. Are you creating it inside or outside? Put together a list of objects which you can use to make your course even more incredible. Perhaps you will use some stuffed toys to weave around and pillows to jump over. If you are heading outside, make sure that it is with a trusted adult, and use the nature that is around you. Move around the trees, go over rocks, let your imagination go wild. If you can, encourage a partner to create the course with you, and race against each other.

Some other questions that you can ask yourself as you develop your obstacle course are:

  • What materials do you need?
  • How will you ensure that everyone is safe?
  • How will you motivate people to participate?
  • How many people can participate at the same time?
  • Is there an award for the winner?