Kinds of Time
Begin by asking students to think about all of the things that they do before and after school.
This would include focused activities (piano lessons, hockey practice, homework) as well as more casual ones (watching TV, playing toys with friends, riding bikes around the neighbourhood).
Co-create a list through discussion and then allow students to use this as a resource.
The goal of this first section is that students will be able to create a list of activities that fill their waking hours.
Next, draw a large circle on the board and divide it into thirds. Tell students that each part of the circle stands for a different kind of activity:
Active Time, which involves moving around and getting exercise;
Learning Time, which is about learning or creating new things;
and Screen Time, which is time spent watching screens (TV, movies, video games, computers, tablets, etc.).
Ask students for one example of an activity to put in each part of the circle.
Now lead a discussion about the impact of different activities on a person’s life.
Make sure students consider the following questions:
Why might we sometimes not feel like doing active or learning activities?
Too tired, bad weather, etc.
Are there things about media activities that might make us spend more time on them than other activities?
They can be “easier” because in many cases all we have to do is watch; they often have a story that we’re being told or that we’re part of; a lot of times the things we watch lead to other things to watch – TV shows are on one after the other, online videos link to similar videos.
Are any of these activities better than the others?
No – each one can give us different things: for example, playing basketball builds our strength and coordination, while playing an online game can build our reflexes or our thinking skills. However, it’s important that screen time be balanced by other activities.
