I currently teach jr. high health and am working on my PE endorsement. I've taught health at our school for nine years and was wondering if anyone has successfully integrated the heart rate monitor or pedometer information that students get in PE classes into the health education classes? I feel that the health and PE curriculums in my school should be worked together more and this seems like a great place to start.

I'll answer my own question with information I just got this week. Upon further research I found that McGraw Hill has a Glencoe book for educators called Fitness Zone: Heart Rate Activities. This is an amazing book with tons of lesson suggestions for PE and health teachers to use with students. All of the lesson ideas and activities incorporate the use of heart rate monitors. There are lesson plans that can be used with jr. high and high school students. This book is an excellent teaching tool!

I use Impact Technologies heart rate monitor in my middle school PE program. It is the cheaper version of Polar Heart Rate Monitors - the key is the heart rate monitors go on the forearm so I do not have to deal with the chest straps. They seem more accurate than the watch only strap. We monitor THR - Calories every Wednesday.

Leo,
I like the idea of the wristband versus the waist. Are there any grants that you are aware of that can cover the cost of buying an entire classroom set?

No - I went through a local chapter here in Reno to buy my first set. I have moved schools and took half of them with me. I am currently in the process of talking to Impact Sports Technology about their new EPULSE 2 monitors. Going to buy 50 more and hope to get the cost down to $100 each. Planning on a fundraiser this spring. I run a Poker Ride on Bikes and have raised over $3,000 each year. Just need to bump up the riders.

On a side note - kind of forgot to check the board the past two weeks - sorry about the delay.

Our new Polar heart rate monitors (watch and chest strap) just arrived and we are eager to test them out. Another school in our district has been using with lots of success over the last few years. The PE teacher told me that the students scan their watches at the end of the class and will record their data. He mentioned to watch out for students tapping on the chest strap as it can give false readings in the students favor.