Grade by Grade
B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active, Fit and Skilful

How Hard Am I Working? Setting Activity Goals

B2 A1.3 A1.6About 35 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can check how hard I am working using an exertion meter and the talk test.
  • I can set a personal activity goal that says what, how much and when.
  • I can help set a group goal with my family or friends.
  • I can keep track of my goal and keep trying.

Words to know

exertion
How hard your body is working.
exertion meter
A scale from easy to hard that you use to check how hard you are working.
goal
Something you plan to do or get better at.
personal goal
A goal just for you.
group goal
A goal that a few people work on together.
progress
Getting closer to your goal, a little at a time.

How hard are you working right now?

Stand up and jog on the spot for 30 seconds. Now try to sing "O Canada". Can you? Try just talking. Easier?

You just checked your exertion: how hard your body is working. In Grade 1 you learned the talk test. Now let's use it with an exertion meter.

1 EASYcan sing2 WORKINGcan talk, not sing3 HARDonly a few wordsworking harderMy exertion meter
My exertion meter: 1 Easy (you can sing), 2 Working (you can talk but not sing), 3 Hard (you can only say a few words at a time).

Using the exertion meter

  • 1 Easy: You breathe normally. You could sing a song. Example: a slow walk.
  • 2 Working: You breathe faster. You can talk but not sing. Example: a fast walk, an easy bike ride.
  • 3 Hard: You huff and puff. You can only say a few words at a time. Example: running in tag, fast skipping.

For DPA, try to spend most of the active part at 2 or 3. Warm-ups and cool-downs are at 1.

If you feel dizzy, sick or have pain, that is not exertion. Stop and tell a grown-up.

Setting a goal

A goal is something you plan to do or get better at. A good activity goal says:

  • What you will do (skip rope),
  • How much (20 skips in a row, or 10 minutes),
  • When (every day after school, by the end of the month).

Not so clear: "I want to be good at skipping."

Clear: "I will practise skipping for 5 minutes after school every day, until I can do 20 skips in a row."

A group goal is the same, but a few people work on it together. Example: "Our family will go for a 20-minute walk together 3 evenings this week."

WHATpractiseskippingHOW MUCH5 minutes, until20 skips in a rowWHENafter school,every day++A clear goal: "I will practise skipping for 5 minutes afterschool every day, until I can do 20 skips in a row."
A clear goal has three parts: what you will do, how much, and when. Put them together into one sentence.

Make it just right

A good goal is like a backpack that is just right: not too light, not too heavy.

  • Too easy ("I will skip once"): you don't learn much.
  • Too hard ("I will skip 1000 times today"): you might give up.
  • Just right: a little harder than what you can do now, with practice.
Just for fun

Try singing "O Canada" while doing jumping jacks. If it comes out as "O Can... huff... a... puff... da", you have found 3 Hard on the exertion meter!

Worked example

Let's rate some activities

Use the exertion meter. Rate: walking to the mailbox, playing tag, riding a bike at a steady speed.

  1. Walking to the mailbox: you can easily sing. That is 1 Easy.
  2. Playing tag: you huff and puff and can only say a few words. That is 3 Hard.
  3. Riding a bike at a steady speed: you breathe faster but can still talk. That is 2 Working.

Mailbox walk = 1, steady bike ride = 2, tag = 3. Your own ratings may be a little different, because everybody is different. That's okay!

Worked example

Let's make a goal clear

Noah says, "I want to get better at catching." Help him make it a clear goal.

  1. What? Catching a ball tossed by his sister.
  2. How much? Right now he catches 4 out of 10. A just-right goal: 7 out of 10.
  3. When? Practise 10 minutes after supper, 4 days a week, for 2 weeks.
  4. Track it: Each practice day, he writes how many catches out of 10.
  5. Check: After 2 weeks, did he reach 7? If yes, celebrate and set a new goal. If not yet, keep going or change the plan.

"I will practise catching for 10 minutes after supper, 4 days a week, until I can catch 7 out of 10 tosses."

Hands-on activity

My goal tracker

You need: paper, a pencil, stickers or crayons.

  1. Choose one activity skill you want to get better at (skipping, hopping on one foot, catching, cartwheels on soft grass, etc.).
  2. Test yourself today. Write down your number (for example, 8 hops on my left foot).
  3. Write a just-right goal with what, how much, when.
  4. Make a chart with a box for each practice day. Put a sticker or colour the box every time you practise.
  5. Test yourself again in 2 weeks. Celebrate your progress, even if you are not there yet!

Bonus: Make a group goal with your family, such as "We will walk to the park together 3 times this week."

Your turn

1

What number on the exertion meter means you can talk but not sing?

2

Rate running in a game of tag: 1, 2 or 3?

3

What three things should a clear goal say?

4

Is "I want to be good at sports" a clear goal? Why or why not?

5

Give an example of a group goal.

6

Do it and check: Jump on the spot for 30 seconds, then rate yourself on the exertion meter.

7

You feel dizzy while running. Is that a sign to keep going?

More practice: warm-up

1

What number on the meter is a slow walk?

2

What is a goal?

3

Should a cool-down be at 1, 2 or 3?

4

True or false: Everyone's exertion feels exactly the same in the same game.

5

Do it and check: Walk around the room slowly while singing a song.

More practice: on your own

1

Make this goal clearer: "I want to swim more."

2

Is "I will do 500 cartwheels today" a just-right goal for most Grade 2 kids? Why?

3

Lucy's DPA felt like a 1 the whole time. How could she work harder?

4

Why is it helpful to track your goal on a chart?

5

Max skips 5 times in a row now. Which goal is just right: 6, 12 or 200 skips in a row in two weeks?

Challenge

1

Write a personal goal for heart and lungs using what, how much and when.

2

Aiden didn't reach his goal of 15 catches in a row after 2 weeks. He got to 11. What should he think and do next?

3

Your family wants a group goal for winter. Make one that everyone can do, and explain why it is just right.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

On the exertion meter, what does 3 Hard feel like?

2.

Which is a clear goal?

3.

Which is a group goal?

4.

What should most of the active part of DPA feel like?

5.

You didn't reach your goal yet. What is the best thing to do?

6.

Which goal is too hard for most Grade 2 children in one day?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 2 students learn to assess their own level of exertion and to set and work toward personal and group activity goals. We use a simple three-level "exertion meter" built on the talk test (easy / working / hard). It is a learning tool, not an official medical scale.

How to help at home:

  • During family activities, ask "Are you at a 1, 2 or 3 right now?"
  • Help your child write one just-right goal and track it for two weeks. Celebrate effort and progress, not only the result.
  • Set a small family goal together; children love holding grown-ups accountable!

Common difficulties:

  • Goals that are too big. Test first, then aim a little higher.
  • Giving up when progress is slow. Point to the tracker: "Look, you went from 5 to 9!"
  • Make sure your child knows dizziness, chest pain, feeling sick or trouble breathing mean stop and get help.

Social-emotional link (strand A): perseverance and positive motivation (A1.3) and thinking critically about whether a goal is clear and just right (A1.6).