Fifth-grade students at Atkinson Intermediate School are getting into better cardio shape by enjoying a tech-savvy dancercise activity introduced by physical education teachers Christina Bivona and Timothy Thom. By combining a SmartBoard projector, Mr. Tom's personal Xbox 360 and the game "Dance Dance Revolution," students participated in an invigorating, pulse-pounding school activity that helped to fulfill the promise of Cardio Wellness Month at the school. "Dance Dance Revolution," when calibrated properly, can track the foot movements of students as they try to imitate the dance steps of the software-generated characters. When the music stops at the end of each song, the game software reveals how closely the steps and moves were imitated and presents a competitive score. While the number of participants who are scored is limited to two at a time, the entire class can participate by dancing along for fun and exercise.“When we work in unison, we get a high score. Give one hundred percent and it’ll be exciting and fun,” coaxed Mr. Thom in his explanation of the activity to the fifth-grade dual language classes who participated. Bringing the SmartBoard projector into the gym made the experience all the more unique, interesting and exciting for the students, who will do this activity three or four times during Cardio Wellness Month.
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