Evaluating sources

Worksheet
8. A student has started planning points for a body paragraph of the essay in question 2. Use
the Split function in View to read the points and answer the questions.

Essay question
A recent report from the World Health Organisation (2019) pointed out that only 70% of
children in Australia are getting the 60 minutes of physical activity they need every day.
Outline the reasons why some children are not getting enough exercise, and discuss
possible solutions to this problem.
 
a. What is the reason for children’s lack of exercise this student is making notes about? Click
on the line next to a and write your answer.

Body paragraph
Reason: a. ___________________________
- a lot of homework – 3-4 hours a night
- need to spend time with friends on social media – important for
kids
- b. __________________________

b. Can you think of another point that might support this reason? Click on the line next to b
and write your answer.
c. Share your answers with a partner and the class.

9. Answer these questions about the text.

a. Section A is a general introduction to the topic. Read the other sections quickly. Write the
appropriate heading below in the space provided in the text.
i. Busy parents
ii. Full schedules
iii. A balanced approach
b. Which section or sections do you think would be useful for the body paragraph in question
8?
c. Share your answers with a partner and the class. Give reasons for your answers.

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Text

A. Aussie kids don’t get enough exercise

Australia is famous for its active outdoor lifestyle, so it might come as a surprise to find out the
vast majority of children are not spending enough time being active.

Despite having excellent parklands, facilities, sporting fields and cycle-ways, one in five Australian
kids aged between five and 17 get far less than the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a
day, according to the 2017 Children’s Physical Activity Report Card.

There are so many reasons why kids need to be physically active. It improves fitness, helps with
weight control, strengthens muscles and bones and reduces their risk of heart disease and type 2
diabetes later in life. Regular physical activity has also been found to help children be more
confident, have better concentration, and to be better able to cope with stress and control their
emotions.

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 B.
Parents, schools, government policy and excess screen time are often blamed for kids' lazy
lifestyles. The report card suggests that each of these play a role, but Dr Natasha Schranz, the
report card's lead researcher, says parents organise too much of their children's time.

Dr Schranz understands parents are keen to give their children as many opportunities as possible
such as language classes, piano lessons or chess club. But this often means less free time to just
play outside. She points out that even when children take part in organised sports — such as
cricket, soccer, hockey or netball — a lot of that time isn't actually spent being active. They spend
a lot of time taking instruction from the coach or waiting for their turn to be involved.

"We need to give kids time for unstructured play without rules, limits and scheduling by adults,"
she says. "They need to be able to explore and try new things, rather than think of physical
activity as just something you have to schedule in."

C.
Trying to work this activity into family life is not always that simple - as many busy parents would
argue. Magdalena Wahab is a working mum with a six-year-old daughter. She organises as much
for her daughter as she can, on top of school commitments. But there are only so many hours in a
day.
60 minutes every day
"Parents work such long hours; it's hard to meet all  can be accumulated throughout the
the kids' needs on top of cooking dinner and helping day
with homework," she explains. "My daughter does a  some moderate - fast walking, riding,
few activities during the week, then we squeeze in scootering
as much as possible on weekends. But there just
 some vigorous - running, playing or
isn't enough time for all the fun, enjoyable things ball sports like soccer
like playing with friends during the week."
 limit screen use to 2 hours per day
 3 times a week do muscle and bone
Plus, when you finally get 10 minutes to yourself at
strengthening exercise (climbing,
night after dinner, homework, washing and
jumping, martial arts).
preparing for the next day, "sometimes it's easier to
let them play on the iPad than jump on the bike".

D.
Dr Schranz agrees that life and parenthood are difficult to balance. "So in my house, we prioritise
the trip to and from school," she says. "Above everything else, we walk, cycle or scoot there. It's
free and something we have to do five days a week, back and forth."
She says even if you don't live within a few kilometres from school, there are always options: park
your car a few kilometres away and walk, or get off public transport a few stops earlier.

Clearly, it takes more than parents to raise a child, Dr Schranz says. She and the other authors of
the report card say this 'physical inactivity pandemic' requires a coordinated response. "It really
needs parents, teachers and schools to share the load in teaching kids these skills," she said.

Cassie White is a Sydney-based personal trainer, yoga coach and health journalist.

Adapted from White (2019) https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-03-07/kids-physical-activity/8328920

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10. Work with a partner. Follow the instructions to make notes for the paragraph in question 8.
a. Read through section B and highlight the relevant point or points in yellow.
b. For each highlighted point in the text, complete these steps.  
i. Underline the key words.  
ii. Consider the meaning of these words.  
iii.  Explain the writer’s point in your own words.  
iv. Write this explanation in your notebook.  
v. Include a citation to show where this idea has come from.  
c. In your notebook, write a citation for your end of text reference list.
d. Share your answers with the class.

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