How the Orbiter works with MyPyramid is the "The Orbiter Launch":
Orbiter Launch helps students make the connection between calorie consumption, energy expenditure, healthy eating, and weight control. The game is based on an electronic lap counter (the Orbiter) which utilizes a chip timer, ‘radio frequency’ technology, and tags students wear on wrist bands. It automatically tracks students’ physical activity and calculates individualized performance as they run/walk around a school track or other identified course. The Orbiter is easily programmable and tracks times and distances of either groups (or teams) or individuals.
Many schools already incorporate Orbiter games and lessons into physical education class, but the Orbiter Launch game integrates MyPyramid healthy eating lessons with physical activity. In this game, students literally “climb” the MyPyramid by walking or jogging. RFID ‘food tags’, shaped, colored and illustrated to represent foods within the six MyPyramid food groups, clip onto wristbands the students wear. Each tag is imprinted with MyPyramid guidelines for the specific food the tag represents including: total calories per serving, servings per day, and serving size (see attached tag examples).
At the start of class, kids will randomly select a food tag (“I’m a carrot!” or “I’m an egg!”), review the food information on the tag, and then form teams by selecting other kids whose tags, when combined, add up to a healthy day’s diet (or week, or meal…). Choosing appropriate team members will require students to study the food tag information and apply the MyPryamid guidelines. Each team will then run or walk the distance it takes to expend the calories of the food represented by their team’s tags. Each time they pass the Orbiter (which is shaped like a pyramid and displays the MyPyramid graphic), the Orbiter tag-reader counts their lap and will display the number of laps required to expend calories for their particular food tag (and their team).
After class or at the start of the next, teachers can print and share student or team-specific performance reports generated by the Orbiter software. The software calculates progress over a series of classes and generates improvement targets based on each student’s particular fitness capabilities. Thus, personal and realistic goals can be established for each student regardless of their initial activity ability. Teachers value the ability the Orbiter to generate immediate and individualized feedback because instant feedback motivates and stimulates the desire to learn. Orbiter Launch incorporates technology into the class and is fun, but mostly it helps students make the connection between calorie consumption, expenditure, healthy eating, and weight control.
Goals of Orbiter Launch:
- Incorporate technology into class
- Teach students the relationship between calorie consumption, expenditure, and weight control applying lessons that can be applied over the lifespan
- Motivate students to move more each day and understand why daily activity is important
- Motivate students to learn about and incorporate healthy food choices into their lifestyle
- Associate fun with eating healthy foods and being physically active
- Provide a mechanism for immediate feedback on individual and team progress
- Promote teamwork and cooperative learning
