Set a goal to participate in aerobic exercise, such as running, walking, swimming, jumping rope, etc. for at least 20 minutes three times a week. Students can refer to two ThinkQuest entries, KidFit and Jump into a Healthy Life for suggested exercises to incorporate into their exercise program. Teach students to monitor their pulse rate before, during and after their exercise session. Using a spreadsheet program, design a fitness log for students to record the intensity, frequency, and duration of their exercise sessions. Walkers could try the Walking 2000 Excel Spreadsheet .
Students can analyze performance in their logs to determine if they are reaching their goals.
Perform a second timed run after one month and compare performance and resting heart rate with the previous run. Use a graphing program to graph improvement over time. The use of mathematical logic is one of the applications of math in everyday life. Mathematical logic puzzles are fun, and are also the kinds of activities that will help students communicate with machines more effectively. Then challenge students to use logic to complete the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' The Power of Nature Trivio-Logic and Puzzled About Animals .