MiniPage activities meet many state and national educational standards. This week’s standards:

MiniPage activities meet many state and national educational standards. This week’s standards:

Students understand the characteristics of animals. (Science: Life Science) Students understand how physical, social and emotional environments influence personal health. (Health: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention)

Activities:

1. Use modeling clay to create a horse, a rider and a therapy helper. Show your clay figures to a friend or family member. Use your clay figures to act out a story about the rider, horse and helper.

2. Draw a picture of a horse in the center of a piece of paper. Then cut out newspaper words that are related to horses. Be sure to look in the sports pages for team names. Paste your words around the picture of your horse.

3. Make a list of the knowledge, skills and personal qualities a hippotherapist should have. Write a classified ad for a hippotherapist using your list.

4. How can hippotherapy help improve riders’ (a) muscle development, (b) language skills, (c) self-confidence and (d) emotional well-being?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn about how horses are part of the Olympics. Use these questions to guide your research: Which Olympic events include horses? What is the history of horses in Olympic events? What is the historical basis of the skills riders and horses have to demonstrate in Olympic events? Write a paragraph discussing your findings.