The purpose of the paper is to determine why today's youth are so physically inactive by examining the role and efforts of physical education, and the state and federal governments responsibility in supporting these programs, in fighting today's obesity epidemic by creating generations of healthy and physically active children. Research led to the determination that states have failed to maintain and improve physical education resulting in a physically inactive youth. Therefore, the nation should look to federal legislation to support state-led physical education, which this paper found to be constitutional if the enactments followed the provisions established in South Dakota v. Dole. Examples of recent physical education bills, most specifically the FIT Kids Act, are briefly analyzed for effectiveness and likeliness of enactment. Lastly, the determination is made that federal legislation has failed because of the view that physical education is not a "core" subject, preventing programs from receiving Title I and Title II funding. The findings are useful in light of the numerous attempts to get children physically active.

Goats are found in almost every country and are an important source of protein and produce lactose-free milk. In South Africa, survival rates of goat kids are low, mainly due to malnutrition. Intensive goat production systems based on cultivated pastures were evaluated, at various stocking rates to evaluate the effects of improved nutrition on goat production. The pastures chosen to be evaluated for goat production were Pennisetum clandestinum (Kikuyu) and Secale cereale (Stooling rye). Kikuyu is one of the more important dryland summer pasture species in KwaZulu-Natal. Three stocking rates of goats on kikuyu were evaluated using ewes with kids. When analysing the period to weaning, the ewes lost weight in all stocking rate treatments and for both years. The years had a significant effect on weight loss (P<0.001; R²=95.7%) with a mean ADG of -0.0267 kg.animalˉ¹.dayˉ¹. There was a significant difference between ADGs between stocking rates, with ADGs of -0.0157, -0.026 and -0.0384 kg.animalˉ¹.dayˉ¹ at stocking rates of 30, 45 and 60 goats.haˉ¹ respectively (P<0.001; R²=95.7%). The analyses of the entire grazing period showed no significant difference in ewe ADGs between treatments, but a significant difference between the two years (P=0.03), with a mean ADG of -0.0205 kg.animalֿ¹.dayֿ¹. There was no significant difference between kid masses between treatments. There was a significant difference between kid performance between years (P<0.001; R²=21.8%). However, factors such as ewe start mass (P<0.001) and whether the kid was a singleton or a multiple (P=0.015) had an influence on kid ADG, while gender had no significant effect (P=0.446). Interpretation of the combined ewe plus kid weight revealed that the high stocking rate produced the highest total mass per hectare (P<0.001) with an overall mean of 2377 kg.haˉ¹. Kid ADG was positively correlated to ewe ADG (P=0.013; R²=5.8%) although this was not a strong relationship. Protein was negatively correlated to pasture height (P=0.036; R²=30.8%) and had a quadratic relationship with ADG (P<0.001; R²=48.4%) with maximum ADG occurring at protein levels of 26.17%. Rainfall was different between the two seasons, which affected pasture growth, with the stocking rates in the second year being too low, so the maximum stocking rate per hectare was not reached. Stooling rye is a pasture used predominantly in South Africa and is a good source of high quality winter feed. Four stocking rates were evaluated over winter, using pregnant ewes. Rainfall was not an important variable since supplementary irrigation was given and the difference in temperatures between the years was negligible. The rate of weight gain showed a similar response for both years with the level of weight gain varying significantly between years (P=0.001; R²=90.2%). The regressions for ADG on stocking rate were determined and were y=0.2340-0.00293x for 2001 (P=0.151; R²=58.0%) and y=0.1292-0.002198x for 2002 (P=0.137; R²=61.6%). Gain per hectare was determined, as were the stocking rates at which maximum gain per hectare were achieved and this was determined to be 40 goats.haֿ¹ during 2001 and 29 goats.haֿ¹ for 2002. The respective ADGs at these stocking rates were 0.1168 and 0.0633 kg.dayֿ¹ and daily gains.haֿ¹ were 4.672 and 1.898 kg.haֿ¹.dayֿ¹ respectively. Herbage analyses revealed that there were extremely high levels of protein in the pasture (33.87%) even though the pasture was not excessively fertilised. Average daily gain was negatively related to NDF levels (P=0.006; R²=38.4%). ADF levels (P<0.001; R²=48.4%) and NDF levels (P<0.001; R²=60.4%) showed a quadratic relationship with pasture age. Blood serum revealed that selenium levels in all treatments were lower than the normal range, while all other minerals were within the normal range. To maximise animal performance, the highest quality pasture should be offered to producing animals, namely growing animals. The seasonal variation between years has a large effect on the performance of goats on pastures. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

As a leisure time pedagogue I find it hard to have an insight into what children are playing, and how they play when it comes to free play. My experience is that in some free play, conflicts arise, which reveal hierarchies and power structures containing violations, whereas other occasions of free play suddenly come to an end as the pedagogue interferes. In this essay I investigate my responsibility as a leisure time pedagogue during children´s free play, based on two differing play situations. I also investigate the play as a phenomenon by looking into previous research on children’s play and development psychology. By reflecting on the two play situations I can further understand how to act in a more supportive way during the children´s free play, and how I should relate to the free play I have in my essay found that the free play does not handle itself and that the leisure time pedagogue´s responsibility in the free play is to be present and observe when children are playing. In that way I can get an insight into the world of the children and I can give my support when the game becomes problematic or I can back away when I notice that I have disturb a free play that works well.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-45).

xv, 149 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The present study examined the initial and follow-up effect of Strong Kids , a social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, among a sample of 106 third and fourth graders. Students were assigned by classroom to either the treatment or wait-list condition, and completed questionnaires on SEL knowledge ( Strong Kids Knowledge test) and perceived use of SEL skills (the Coping Scale, Social and Emotional Assets and Resiliency Scale) across 3 assessment periods (pre-testing, post-testing, and follow-up). The classroom teachers also completed a social functioning questionnaire (the School Social Behavior Scales-2nd edition) on each student at each assessment period. The classroom teachers implemented 12 weekly lessons across a 3-month time period and 1 booster session approximately 1 month after the last lesson. They also promoted generalization of SEL skills by providing praise and pre-correction to students on the SEL skills they were learning. Analyses revealed that the treatment group had greater positive gains across all of the dependent measures from pre-test to post-test. These gains maintained at the 2-month follow-up period, providing preliminary evidence of the preventative quality of SK . The results are discussed within the broader framework of a three-tiered model of support for SEL, and the possibility of using SK as a universal level of support within school. / Committee in charge: Kenneth Merrell, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Robert Horner, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Tary Tobin, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Lynn Kahle, Outside Member, Marketing

xiii, 126 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Given the staggering prevalence of 12-22% of school children with mental health problems and the paucity of effective mental health services available, it is essential that professionals examine alternative methods for providing social and emotional support to children (Greenberg, Bumbarger, & Domitrovich, 2001). Rather than continuing with a service delivery approach that is reactive, fragmented, and inefficient, professionals are called to consider a more preventive approach that ensures the health of all children. A public health model of intervention can provide a conceptual framework for mental health service delivery in its aim to serve an entire population and to provide multi-tiered support (universal, targeted, indicated) that increases in intensity based on the needs of individual persons (Coie et al, 2000). Members of the Oregon Resiliency Project, a research effort at the University of Oregon, have spent the last several years developing one such set of SEL curricula, appropriate for children in grades pre-k-12, the Strong Kids programs, Strong Start: K-2 , (Merrell, Parisi, & Whitcomb, 2007), is a component of Strong Kids , developmentally applicable to kindergarten through second grade students. The purpose of this study was to implement a pilot or feasibility study that examined the impact of Strong Start on first grade students' social-emotional knowledge skills, with a particular emphasis on emotion knowledge, social behavior and affect. Pretest data collection of Strong Start began in Fall 2007 in 4 classrooms in a suburban, northwestern school district. Implementation of the intervention occurred in Winter 2008 and posttest data were gathered in Spring 2008. Results indicated that Strong Start was implemented with integrity, and that significant increases in students' knowledge about emotion situations and significant decreases in students' internalizing behaviors were associated with exposure to the program. Limitations of this study as well as directions for future research are discussed. / Committee in charge: Kenneth Merrell, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Cynthia Anderson, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Elizabeth Stormshak, Member, Counseling Psychology and Human Services; John Seeley, Member, not from U of 0; Sara Hodges, Outside Member, Psychology

Today, urban children are spending time indoors more than ever before and getting away from phenomenas of the outdoor world, which creates a big concern on how they develop their senses and get physical exercise. The tools, games and devices they interact with are preventing their imagination rather than sparking, by making kids consume content rather than asking for their participation. Peek transforms the outside into an imaginary playground for children, where interacting with the natural world takes the focus and the child’s simple acts and explorations can turn into their own stories. It is an expressive digital tool that invites children to explore the outside, capture audio and visual snippets, and build stories around them. It comes together with a physical book which triggers child’s imagination through guided explorations and allows the child to keep the stories they created. The result is a play experience designed for children aged between 5 and 8 years old.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the possibility of educational and health education in the area of attention and concentration in children of primary school age through yoga exercisesand e -learning. The aim of the study was to analyze the issue, suggest, process and implement the intervention program based on yoga techniques so that children of that age group can develop attention, concentration, resilience in mental and physical realm and healthy self-confidence. The theoretical part defines the necessary concepts for this work, which are: children of primary school age, attention, yoga and computer technology. The research provides evidence of a positive response in the target group for the intervention program " Attention in us" in the spotlight. The entire intervention consisted of initial and final testing d2 test of attention and application of the intervention program, which took place both in school physical education lessons and in the form of autoedukace at home using e -learning version of the program for 3 months. The results confirm the hypothesis. Conclusions and recommendations point to the appropriateness of including yoga, breathing and relaxation exercises in the context of school education. Using modern technologies that are part of today almost every family can in an undemanding way incorporate yoga into the home environment in the context of their free time and support their health on all levels in this way.

Orientadora: Profa Dra Maria Candida Varone de Moraes Capecchi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa De Pós-Graduação em Ensino, História, Filosofia das Ciências e Matemática, 2016. / A Educação Infantil (EI) no Brasil já assumiu diferentes funções ao longo da sua história: assistencialista, compensatória e preparatória, até tornar-se primeira etapa da Educação Básica, com a publicação da Constituição Federal de 1988. Tantas transformações neste percurso, desencadearam e possibilitaram discussões pautadas em concepções de ensino que consideram a prática dialogada, como elemento vital na construção de saberes histórica e socialmente constituídos. Neste contexto e aliadas às vertentes teóricas construtivistas, as vivências individuais dos pequenos ajudaram a provocar reflexões e novas posturas, tanto para os alunos, quanto para os professores. É nesse universo de ressignificação de saberes que este trabalho se estrutura. Focamos o olhar sobre o ensino de ciências na EI, numa investigação que busca identificar indícios de Alfabetização Científica (AC) nos registros e discussões dos pequenos na escola e, também, averiguar práticas pedagógicas que favoreçam este aspecto. Para tanto, apresentamos uma sequência didática (SD) elaborada a partir de uma brincadeira do conhecimento físico, escolhida pelas crianças: bolinhas de sabão, com o intuito de favorecer a vivência prática, o questionamento e as discussões como elementos chave, na construção de aprendizagens dos assuntos das ciências. Esta é uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa e os dados foram obtidos através de múltiplas fontes, como rodas de conversa registradas em áudio e vídeo, fotos e registros produzidos pelas crianças nas quatro etapas da SD. A análise dos dados foi embasada nas competências científicas propostas por Furman (2009), nos indicadores de Alfabetização Científica elaborados por Sasseron e Carvalho (2008),) e nos tipos de conteúdo descritos por Zabala (2008). Assim, identificamos a presença de indícios de AC na EI, contemplando os três instrumentos de análise usados nesta empreitada. / The Children Education (CE) in Brazil has assumed different functions along its history: welfarist, compensatory and preparatory until become the first step on Basic Education after published of the Federal Constitution on 1988. Many transformations on this trajectory started and supported discussions based on teaching concepts that consider the dialectic practice as vital element on building of social and historical established knowledge. On this context and allied to theoretical constructive view, the living experiences of the children help to achieve reflection and new behavior from teachers and students. It is on this universe of redefinition of meaning of knowledge that this work has been based on. We focus our vision on science teaching on CE, on an investigation that seeks to identify traces of Scientific Literacy (SL) on the records and discussions of the children at school and also to evaluate pedagogical practices that support this aspect. For this purpose, we present a Didactic Sequence (DS) based on a joke of physical knowledge chosen by the children - soup bubbles - intending to ease the practical experience, the questioning and discussions, as key elements for building the Science subject learning. This is a research with qualitative approach. The data was achieved from multiple sources such as conversation groups recorded on audio and video, pictures and records produced by children on all five steps of DS. The data analysis was inspired on the indicators of Scientific Literacy made by Sasseron e Carvalho (2008), on the scientific competences proposed by Furman (2009) and on the types of content by Zabala (2008). We have identified presence of traces of Science Literacy (SL) on Children Education (CE) on the three analysis instruments used on this research.