Rationale (from NESA Syllabus)
"Physical Activity and Sports Studies represents a broad view of physical activity and the many possible contexts in which individuals can build activity into their lifestyle. It incorporates a wide range of lifelong physical activities, including recreational, leisure and adventure pursuits, competitive and non-competitive games, individual and group physical fitness activities, and the use of physical activity for therapy and remediation.
This course promotes the concept of learning through movement. Many aspects of the course can be explored through participation in selected movement applications in which students experience, examine, analyse and apply new understanding. Students are encouraged to specialise and study areas in depth, to work towards a particular performance goal, pursue a formal qualification or examine an issue of interest related to the physical, emotional, social, cultural or scientific dimensions of physical activity and sport.
Physical Activity and Sports Studies also promotes learning about movement and provides students with opportunities to develop their movement skills, analyse movement performance and assist the performance of others. The acquisition and successful application of movement skills are closely related to enjoyment of physical activity and the likelihood of sustaining an active lifestyle. Students will appreciate the traditions and special characteristics associated with various physical activities and also the artistic and aesthetic qualities of skilled performance and determined effort.
Recreation, physical activity, sport and related health fields provide legitimate career pathways. This course provides students with a broad understanding of the multifaceted nature of these fields. It also introduces students to valuable and marketable skills in organisation, enterprise, leadership and communication. Students with these skills will be positioned to make a strong contribution to their community as physical activity and sport provides a major context for both voluntary and paid work across Australia."
Topics Covered
Year 9 PASS
Event Management
- Designing round robins, knockouts, tabloids
- Helping organise and run events such as school swimming, cross country and athletics carnivals (you get to wear a fluoro vest as a PASS helper)
- Planning, conducting and evaluating events
- How to make events fun and enjoyable
- Example activities: design your own Amazing Race around the school
Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Nutritional requirements for healthy eating and physical activity
- Designing nutritional plans for athletes and non athletes
- Assess fad diets and other nutritional products such as the lemon detox diet and Hollywood diet
- Energy balance for weight management
- Analyse menus and what is on your dinner plate
Physical Fitness
- What is fitness
- Benefits of fitness
- Current data on physical activity vs physical fitness
- Fitness testing procedures
- Use of school gym to design training programs
- Participate in a range of tests to determine personal level of fitness
Physical Activity and Sport for Specific Groups
- Specific groups eg disabled, hearing impaired, autism, ADD etc
- Design/invent games for people with a disability
- Sometimes the wheelchair basketball association comes out to school for one lesson as an incursion
- Problems with inactivity in Australia
- Services available to people in the community
- Watch some of the para Olympics as stimulus material
One topic per term
Year 10 PASS
Body Systems and Energy for Physical Activity
- Skeletal, muscular, circulatory and respiratory systems
- Energy systems
- Hydration
Coaching
- Level O coaching course
- Practical coaching of year 7 and 8
Technology In Sport
- The contribution of technology to participation and performance
- The impact of technology on sports today
- The ethical implications of technology in sport – access, equity, drugs in sport
- The management of technology – who has the right to control the technology in each sport?
Australian Sporting Identity
- The role of sport in shaping Australia's identity
- The impact of major events and competitions – participation in mini olympics
- Factors influencing Australia's sporting identity
- Future sport in Australia – what will it look like – Wii games etc