Promote healthy sleep habits and discuss why sleep is important for proper brain function. Use Crayola® Bright Fabric Markers and decorate a pillowcase with colorful tips for peaceful sleep!

• 1.

  Do you ever feel groggy or grumpy? Are there days when you have trouble focusing at school or don’t feel like going to soccer practice? You may not be getting enough sleep!

• 2.

  Sleep is the body’s way of recharging from all the activities and thinking it performs during the day. When you get too little sleep, or do not reach a deep sleep, your brain isn’t able to completely recover from a busy day and get ready for the next! Our brains use sleep time to sort through the days’ events, store information and memories, and replenish our bodies so we can stay healthy and fit! Think of all the things you do in a day. You learn, do homework, run and play after school, complete chores, and much more! It’s easy to see why your brain needs a break!

• 3.

  So how much sleep is enough sleep? People tend to think 8 hours of sleep each night is best. For some people, 8 hours is plenty. The truth is that everyone requires a different amount of sleep daily! Between kindergarten and 6th grade, 10-11 hours of sleep every night is recommended. How much sleep do you get on a typical night? Can you come up with some ideas to increase the amount of sleep you get? Can you think of ways to achieve a more sound sleep at night? Going to bed at the same time every night can be very helpful! Quietly reading before bedtime instead of watching TV is another routine that can prepare your mind for sleep.

• 4.

  Brainstorm with your class to make a list of suggestions and tips for healthy sleep habits. Research on the Internet or consult with your school nurse for more ideas! Select 3-5 tips that you think would be helpful to you and commit to including those suggestions in your nightly bedtime routine!

• 5.

  Create colorful designs that symbolize the tips you selected. Draw your designs on a pillowcase using Crayola® Bright Fabric Markers! For best results, use 100% cotton fabric. Place a piece of paper or recycled newspaper inside the pillowcase to prevent bleed through. Be sure to saturate the cloth when using the Bright Fabric Markers. Apply multiple layers for vivid color! Stain Advisement: Fabric markers are permanent on clothing and contain colorants that may stain household surfaces. Wear a smock to protect clothing and cover your work surface. Recap markers as soon as possible and store in a horizontal position. Do not shake markers.

• 6.

  When you are finished, ask an adult to iron your design. Set iron on cotton setting and iron on the reverse side using a back and forth motion for 4 minutes. Or place garment in the dryer for 30 minutes on the hottest setting. This will fix the color to the fabric.

Standards

• LA: Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
• LA: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
• LA: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
• LA: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
• LA: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
• SCI: Construct models and representations of body systems to demonstrate how multiple interacting subsystems and structures work together to accomplish specific functions.
• SCI: Provide explanations of how sense receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain to be processed for immediate behavior or stored as information.
• SCI: Communicate an explanation for how the storage of long-term memories requires changes in the structure and function of millions of interconnected nerve cells in the brain.
• VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.
• VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of ideas.

Adaptations

• Possible classroom resources include: Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss; A Boy and a Bear: The Children's Relaxation Book by Lori Lite; The Goodnight Caterpillar: A Children's Relaxation Story by Lori Lite
• Invite a relaxation expert, such as a yoga instructor, to visit with the class. Prior to the meeting, students compose questions for the expert. After the visit, students post learning to a class blog.
• Students investigate the stages of sleep. What happens during each stage? Doe the stages repeat during the night or occur only once? Why is each stage unique and important?
• Have students log their sleeping habits over a 2-to-4 week period. Graph data (compilation of whole class) and have students comment on what patterns emerge. Have students write a response to the data in terms of their research on sleep. Is the class healthy and ready to learn?