Physical Education

Unit 1: Bodies in motion

In this unit students explore how the musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory systems work together to produce movement. Through practical activities students explore the relationships between the body systems and physical activity, sport and exercise, and how the systems adapt and adjust to the demands of the activity. Students investigate the role and function of the main structures in each system and how they respond to physical activity, sport and exercise. They explore how the capacity and functioning of each system acts as an enabler or barrier to movement and participation in physical activity.

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

• Collect and analyse information from, and participate in, a variety of practical activities to explain how the musculoskeletal system functions and its limiting conditions, and evaluate the ethical and performance implications of the use of practices and substances that enhance human movement.
• Collect and analyse information from, and participate in, a variety of practical activities to explain how the cardiovascular and respiratory systems function and the limiting conditions of each system, and discuss the ethical and performance implications of the use of practices and substances to enhance the performance of these two systems.

Practical Component 

This subject will involve practical lab reports. Students will also be attending excursions that will incur a fee, such as gym visits and VIS tour. 

Unit 2: Physical activity, sport and society

This unit develops students’ understanding of physical activity, sport and society from a participatory perspective. Students are introduced to types of physical activity and the role participation in physical activity and sedentary behaviour plays in their own health and wellbeing as well as in other people’s lives in different population groups.

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

• Collect and analyse data related to individual and population levels of participation in physical activity and sedentary behaviour to create, undertake and evaluate an activity plan that meets the physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines for an individual or a specific group
• Apply a social-ecological framework to research, analyse and evaluate a contemporary issue associated with participation in physical activity and/or sport in a local, national or global setting

Unit 3: Movement skills and energy for physical activity

This unit introduces students to principles used to analyse human movement skills and energy production from a biophysical perspective. Students use a variety of tools and coaching techniques to analyse movement skills and apply biomechanical and skill-acquisition principles to improve and refine movement in physical activity, sport and exercise. They use practical activities to demonstrate how correctly applying these principles can lead to improved performance outcomes.

Students consider the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems and the roles of each in supplying oxygen and energy to the working muscles. They investigate the characteristics and interplay of the 3 energy systems for performance during physical activity, sport and exercise. Students explore the causes of fatigue and consider different strategies used to postpone fatigue and promote recovery.

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

•  Analyse primary data collected from participation in physical activity, sport and exercise to develop and refine movement skills from an individual and coaching perspective, by applying biomechanical and skill-acquisition principles.
• Use data collected in practical activities to analyse how the major body and energy systems work together to enable movements to occur; explain the factors causing fatigue; and recommend suitable recovery strategies.

Unit 4: Training to improve performance

In this unit, students’ participation and involvement in physical activity will form the foundations of understanding how to improve performance from a physiological perspective. Students analyse movement skills and fitness requirements and apply relevant training principles and methods to improve performance at various levels (individual, club and elite).

Improvements in performance, in particular fitness, depend on the ability of the individual and/or coach to gain, apply and evaluate knowledge and understanding of training. Students assess fitness and use collected data to justify the selection of fitness tests based on the physiological requirements of an activity, including muscles used, energy systems and fitness components. Students then consider all physiological data, training principles and methods to design a training program. The effectiveness of programs is evaluated according to the needs of the individual and chronic adaptations to training.

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

• Undertake an activity analysis to justify the physiological requirements of an activity that informs an appropriate assessment of fitness.
• Participate in a variety of training methods that design and evaluate training programs and explain performance improvements that occur due to chronic adaptations, depending on the type of training undertaken.
• Integrate theory and practice that enables them to analyse the interrelationships between skill acquisition, biomechanics, energy production and training, and the impacts these have on performance.

Video presentation