A recording sheet for a four-round muscle fatigue test. Students squeeze a soft foam ball or a wooden clothespin for 30 seconds, with no rest between rounds, and record the count for each of four rounds. Page 2 has an empty bar graph scaled 0 to 60 by tens and three questions on why counts fall and what helps muscles recover. The answer key shows sample counts of 52, 44, 37 and 31.
“Collect data in a table and show it on a bar graph.”
Item 1 is the data table and item 2 is the four-bar graph.
“Explain that muscles tire when they work without rest and name what helps them recover.”
Questions 3 to 5 ask what happened to the count, why muscles get tired and what helps them recover.
A materials box and five numbered steps for a partner-run test, then a two-column table for Rounds 1 to 4 with a count for each 30 seconds.
Students draw four bars on a blank graph titled Muscle Squeeze Count by Round, with a scale from 0 to 60. Three questions follow on what happened to the count, why muscles get tired and what helps them recover.
A sample table of 52, 44, 37 and 31, the bar heights for that data and short model answers to questions 3 to 5.
Partner roles
Pair students so one squeezes while the other times and counts aloud. The steps have the partner record each round, so swap roles for a second run.
Predict first
Ask for a prediction before Round 1, such as which round will be lowest. Students check it against their own bars on page 2.
Compare with the key
Show the sample counts from 52 down to 31 after the class has graphed. A student whose count drops less makes a good opening for a talk about fitness and recovery.
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