Backpacks are a weighty problem for some students, according to a recent report by doctors at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Students often over pack their backpacks; they often carry their backpacks slung over one shoulder too. Those habits can result in muscle spasms, shoulder or lower back pain, tingling hands, or posture problems, university doctors say.
Kids should stay away from cheap, lightweight backpacks that have unpadded nylon straps, says Dr. Jane Benson. The universitys doctors have a few other recommendations:
Use a knapsack with well-padded straps and use both straps when carrying the knapsack.
Buy a knapsack with several compartments to better distribute the weight being lugged around.
Pack heavier items near the top of the pack. That way, the legs are carrying most of the weight. Heavy items packed at the bottom of the pack put more stress on the back.
Pack heavier items near the top of the pack. That way, the legs are carrying most of the weight. Heavy items packed at the bottom of the pack put more stress on the back.
Graphing - Invite students to weigh their individual knapsacks. Create a bar graph to show how much the knapsacks weigh.
Word Problems - Following are some sample math word problems for your students. Create additional problems for students to solve.
Gary Hopkins, editor of Education World offers some mathematical exercises that can make especially younger students know just how much toll the average backpack takes on their backs and shoulders:
Martys knapsack weighs 4 pounds. Angels knapsack weighs 5 pounds. How much do the two knapsacks weigh all together? (4 + 5 9 pounds)
How much heavier Marty’s knapsack is than Angels is? (5 - 4 1 pound)
Sandys knapsack weighs 6 pounds. Stans knapsack weighs 4 pounds. Sashas knapsack weighs 5 pounds. How much do the three knapsacks weigh all together? (6 + 4 + 5 15 pounds)
Some of the most stylish and comfortable knapsack designs are found at the Gap store. I have at least four different versions. I alternate their use so that my back and shoulders don’t get used to where the weight is. Two of them are of the sling bag version which I use only when I don’t have much to carry.
I am convinced that someday there will be findings that backpacks actually cause breast cancer. I see a lot of young schoolgirls carry backpacks filled with tons of books.
Like most commuters, I find that students who insist on keeping their backpacks on their backs while standing inside the bus are a real pest.
But when carried properly, I love backpacks, especially backpack trips to exotic destinations and staying in cost-effective hostels.
Who invented the first backpack ever? We will probably never know for sure. The backpack can easily qualify as the most practical piece of luggage ever invented by man, although some quarters insist it’s probably a female invention—as a device to lug babies around in. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Viagio Fagelo is the operator and webmaster of
which is the premier resource for backpack information. For more information go to:http://www.filebackpack.com