Should Fat Kids Get A's In PhysEd? (requirement, classroom, exam)

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by HansProof

First, there is no such thing as junk food, only oversized portions. And second, I'm just saying the bar should be held even. If gym is going to be graded on effort, so should everything else, right? You can deny it barely has anything to do with life, but in the end, it has everything to do with it.

Hard work doesn't get rewarded, only results. That is the real world.

And that the rope test wouldn't be fair? My whole point is that it isn't fair...the way it should be.

We need to stop the watering down of grades. Fat kid getting an A in gym just watered down the grade of every track athlete in the school. A complete slap in the face to every athlete who has spilt blood and tears for athletic excellence. Maybe every jock should get an A in every advanced math and language course. You know, to be "fair." Why even study...everyone gets an A.

I dunno. I'm a relative fossil, but when I was in school "Physical Education" (aside from the yearly President's fitness challenge) involved learning the rules for various sports such as basketball, soccer, etc. not just being "fit" and trim or showing 'effort'.

My middle school kids bring home 'tests' on rules of play, and practice those rules in games at gym class. There are chunky kids (or would certainly fall within the ridiculous - IMHO - fitness parameters of being 'healthy') who kick butt at basketball, baseball, and soccer at their school.

In other words, it's "education" not "competition." Extracurricular sports teams are what 'blood and tears' are worked toward aren't they?

And I agree with you about portions, but high fructose corn syrup is found in practically every food now and it is indeed little more than "junk"

[WyoNewk]

Originally Posted by HansProof

I think there is a little more to the story than getting a B/C in "one" gym class. Full ride scholarships aren't determined on one class...let alone one grade level...let alone in gym class.

Not normally, I'm sure, but in this case it did. UW automatically offered full-ride scholarships to the top 10 or 20 graduates of her high school (class of around 800). Her school gave extra credit for more difficult courses, so her gpa was something like 4.15, and she'd have been offered the scholarship with a 4.16. Something like that. It's been 20+ years so I don't remember the specific numbers.

I don't know how much it cost us, since she won scholarships and grants from the university after her freshman year anyway, but it was a lot to pay for nice smelling hair for the final hour of a semester of high school. Then again, she probably thought it was worth it....

And there you have... 'the rest of the story.'

[Dave5150]

I think what OP is overlooking here is the correct perspective. When you got a C in calculus (which is not below average by the way, C means completely average) you were graded on your ability to complete the work the way it was taught. You obviously didnt grasp all the concepts, thus the C. An A in PE/Gym is gotten by demonstrating the techniques taught. As long as you grasp on the concepts you get an A. The reason why an overweight person can get an A, even if not able to perform excellently, is the same reason that someone who got an A is calculus may have taken the longest to complete the test. Because you arent graded on your ability to perform against your peers. The guy who got an A in calculus didnt complete his test the fastest or have the neatest coursework or solve the problems the best. He just solved them, in his own time to achieve the correct answer. So the "fat" kid in PE is also not graded on running the fastest, or having the best basketball skills on the courts, he was graded on an understanding of the fundamentals of basketball and on the ability to finish the mile run.

[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by HansProof

We need to stop the watering down of grades. Fat kid getting an A in gym just watered down the grade of every track athlete in the school. A complete slap in the face to every athlete who has spilt blood and tears for athletic excellence.

Says a person who has obviously not spent a second in any way shape or form involved in high school track & field. The runners are always glad to see the throwers do well because a win in the shot put gives their team the same number of points as a win in the two mile run does. And the shot putters, as a general rule, are not a group that looks like they miss very many meals.

Some of the early season relay meets still have 'fat man' relays where the participants must also be entered in throwing events. And it often takes a fairly quick time to win those races because shot put, discus, and javelin require a surprising amount of explosiveness for success.

[ABQConvict]

Getting an 'A' in PE means fulfilling the requirements of the class which usually means participation.

A person can do that and be fat.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

Getting an 'A' in PE means fulfilling the requirements of the class which usually means participation.

A person can do that and be fat.

I don't quite get this. Getting a C means fulfilling the requirements. Getting a B means doing above average work and getting an A means doing excellent work. Now that does not preclude someone who is fat from getting an A, an A does not just mean that you fulfilled the requirements of the class.

Participation counts and knowing the subject (in this case rules of sports or health information) and getting good grades on the tests give on these subjects and sportsmanship also counts. I think that improvement might also count.

Here's an overview of grading gym classes.

How to Grade PE | eHow.com

Interestingly, my son who was good at sports was extremely annoyed by gym grades in elementary school as he had a teacher who gave everyone Cs and who would not give any student below 4th grade an A.

[ABQConvict]

So you could use the purely physical development model:

50 pushups* = A

30 pushups = B

10 pushups = C

>10 pushups = F

*substitute anything for pushups: RBIs, goals, feet of rope climbed, submissions, etc.


Or

A student could be graded on their willingness and readiness to embrace the importance of a healthy, physical lifestyle, to learn to work as a team, to develop sportsmanship, and to have a competitive spirit.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

So you could use the purely physical development model:

50 pushups* = A

30 pushups = B

10 pushups = C

>10 pushups = F

*substitute anything for pushups: RBIs, goals, feet of rope climbed, submissions, etc.


Or

A student could be graded on their willingness and readiness to embrace the importance of a healthy, physical lifestyle, to learn to work as a team, to develop sportsmanship, and to have a competitive spirit.

Thank goodness most schools choose option B.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Thank goodness most schools choose option B.

Option B sounds very nice, and I'll bet that it doesn't include eating Reese's Puffs for breakfast....

[zthatzmanz28]

Most phys ed classes here grade on whether a student dress for gym and participates.