Dance Dance Revolution to Promote Active Living and Fight Obesity

I'm thinking about bringing Dance Dance Revolution into my Intermediate classroom.

Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is a video game by Konami that was released in the arcades of Japan in 1998 and is now available across several home entertainment systems, including Playstation, Wii, and Xbox.

Players stand on a dance platform with arrows pointing up, down, left, and right. By listening to the music and watching a computer screen, players need to tap the corresponding arrows on the beat.

There are different levels of difficulty, so game play can range from simple to challenging. On the Nintendo Wii, Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party includes the use of the wii remote. Up to 4 players have to move both their hands and feet to the beat.

Overall, DDR is a high-interest, low-skill activity that appeals to the video-game generation, and as a teacher who continually looks for innovative ways to achieve curriculum expectations through technology, DDR is in my sights.

In April 2007, the NY Times reported on how some Physical Education classes are using Dance Dance Revolution to get Grade 7 students moving.

* A projected 1,500 schools in West Virgina are expected to be using the game by the end of the decade.

* "At least 10 states" in the US are using DDR as a "regular part of their physical education curriculum" to fight obesity.

* DDR appeals to school boards and educators as a non-competitive form of movement (compared to traditional sports.)

You could use DDR as an extra-curriculuar club, to meet daily physical activity (DPA) requirements, or as part of a phys-ed program.

* Most students will be watching the screen and practicing moving to the beat while they wait for their turn on the mats.

* Depending on how much you're willing to spend, you could have up to 4 people actually playing on the videogame system.

* You can set the difficulty level for each player independently, which means that an expert and a beginner could be playing at the same time.

If you're ready to start a classroom blog, we're here to help at http://blog.classroomteacher.ca where you'll find this information and more detailed information about how to use Dance Dance Revolution in the classroom.

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