Instruction in health and physical education should help students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need in order to achieve the curriculum expectations and be able to enjoy and participate in healthy active living for years to come. In health and physical education, instruction is effective if it motivates students and instils positive habits of mind, such as curiosity and open-mindedness; a willingness to think, question, challenge, and be challenged; and an awareness of the value of listening or reading closely and communicating clearly. To be effective, instruction must be based on the belief that all students can be successful and that learning in health and physical education is important and valuable for all students. When planning a program in health and physical education, teachers must take into account a number of important considerations, including those discussed below. More information on instructional approaches can be found in the "Instructional Approaches" subsection of "Considerations for Program Planning". Instruction should emphasize constructivist teaching and experiential learning. Constructivist teaching, which emphasizes the role of the teacher as co-learner and facilitator, promotes authentic experiential learning and learning through inquiry, provides engagement through student-initiated work, creates a sense of community through teamwork and collaboration, and provides options to accommodate different learning styles and intelligences. This experiential and student-centred approach is particularly important in health and physical education because it allows the teacher to respond to a range of experience, backgrounds, and abilities in physical activity settings and to respond to a range of needs and experiences when addressing healthy living topics and concepts. It is also important to have a balanced program that provides for both direct instruction in content and skills and opportunities for students to use their knowledge and skills in structured as well as unstructured activities. Student achievement is enhanced by the development of higher-order thinking skills. In health and physical education, students have the opportunity to practise and apply higher-order thinking skills while involved in physical activities as well as when making choices and decisions about factors that affect their health and well-being. Their ability to use these skills is developed through course content that increases their awareness of the ties and relationships between health outcomes (e.g., physical and mental health) and health-related behaviours (e.g., eating habits, substance use, and physical activity). In addition to providing students with opportunities to think critically and creatively about what they are learning, teachers should also encourage students to think about how they are learning. To accomplish this, teachers should support students in developing the language and techniques they need to assess their own learning. Students learn best by doing. Many of the skills emphasized in this curriculum are best taught and learned through participatory exploration experiences and hands-on activities, with numerous opportunities to practise and apply new learning. Learning by doing and group activities also enable students to develop personal and interpersonal skills as they acquire the knowledge, skills, and habits that will lay the foundation for lifelong healthy, active living. Through regular and varied assessments, teachers can give students the detailed feedback they need to further develop and refine their skills. Students should have opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities and to complete assignments that not only help them master health and physical education concepts, but also enable them to develop inquiry and research skills and provide opportunities for self-expression and personal choice. Activities should be based on the assessment of students’ individual needs, proven learning theory, and best teaching practices. Effective activities enable both direct teaching and modelling of knowledge and skills and the application of learning strategies that encourage students to express their thinking and that engage them in their learning. To be effective, instruction in health and physical education must be developmentally appropriate. Many of the expectations in the health and physical education curriculum are similar from grade to grade, to provide students with the numerous opportunities they need to explore the basic concepts and skills underlying these expectations in a wide variety of age- and developmentally appropriate ways. Although all students go through predictable stages of motor development, differences in rates of maturation and in the kinds of opportunities they have had to practise motor skills contribute to significant variability in their skills and abilities. As noted earlier, development of motor skills is age-related, not age- dependent. This is a subtle but important distinction that underscores the need for differentiated instruction and assessment. As they develop, students also pass through a number of cognitive and social/emotional developmental stages, which are described in some detail in the overviews provided in this document for Grades 1–3, 4–6, and 7–8. To meet the needs of all students at different stages of development, effective teachers provide exposure to a wide range of activities, instruction on skill progressions, opportunities for focused practice, and detailed and supportive feedback and encouragement. Instruction based on the fundamental principles of health and physical educationprovides the framework for a well-planned, inclusive, high-quality health and physical education program. The following questions may be helpful for teachers as they reflect on their implementation of each of the fundamental principles: 1. School, Family, and Community Support
2. Physical Activity as the Vehicle for Learning
3. Physical and Emotional Safety
4. Student-Centred, Skill-Based Learning
5. Balanced, Integrated Learning with Relevance to Students’ Lives
Planning and Scheduling InstructionHigh-quality instruction in health and physical education is integrated in such a way that students have opportunities to make connections between concepts and skills in all four strands of the curriculum. Planning of the health education component of the curriculum requires careful consideration of when material should be taught explicitly and when topics and concepts can be integrated with learning in physical education and linked to learning in other subjects. Teaching health sporadically or when gymnasium facilities are being used for other purposes will not provide adequate opportunities for learning. Some healthy living topics can be taught through physical education and can also be connected to learning in other curriculum areas. Thirty per cent of instructional time should be allocated to health education. Ways of managing instruction will vary from school to school, depending on student needs, timetabling, and available facilities. If more than one teacher is responsible for teaching different parts of the health and physical education curriculum, communication and collaboration between these teachers for instructional planning, evaluation, and reporting is essential. The physical education component of the curriculum should include a balance of games, dance, movement education, outdoor and recreational activities, and opportunities to focus on developing fitness, while also developing social-emotional learning skills through these activities. A mix of individual and group activities, as well as of traditional and new games and activities, provides opportunities for students to think critically and apply movement skills and concepts in different ways. Careful school-wide planning helps to ensure that students experience different kinds of activities in the different grades, with activities in each grade serving as the vehicle for broader learning connected with movement skills, concepts, and strategies, active living, fitness, and safety. Daily physical activity (DPA) is a requisite part of a comprehensive health and physical education program. It can be incorporated into the instructional day in a variety of ways – one being the inclusion of twenty minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity during a scheduled health and physical education class. However, since physical activity is only one component of a complete health and physical education program, there may be the occasional day when a health and physical education class does not include twenty minutes of physical activity. On these days (or on days when a health and physical education class is not scheduled), other opportunities for DPA must be provided. Physical activity can be integrated into other curriculum areas in a variety of ways, many of which are outlined in the ministry’s Daily Physical Activity documents for Grades 1–3, 4–6, and 7 and 8. Planning the Use of Facilities and EquipmentWhen planning the use of facilities and equipment, teachers should organize the learning environment in a way that allows for movement and ensures student comfort, accessibility, and safety. It is important to plan routines that students can follow as they move to and from the gymnasium or activity space, make transitions from one activity to another, and collect and put away equipment. Planning time and creating guidelines for changing clothes, using equipment, and other procedures can maximize student comfort and participation. In the classroom, teachers should strive to create a space that is comfortable and stimulating and that allows for flexible groupings for student discussion and activities. Displaying student work connected to healthy living discussions can help students make connections with learning in other subjects at school and with their lives outside school. Since equipment and facilities in individual schools across the province will vary, care has been taken to ensure that the expectations of this curriculum can be met in a variety of settings and using a broad range of equipment. The curriculum contains a wide assortment of examples and prompts that illustrate different ways of meeting the expectations. Teachers can use these as a source of ideas for adapting the delivery of the expectations to meet the particular needs of their students. When making decisions about equipment and facilities, teachers should ensure that they are distributed in a way that provides fair and equal access for all students, taking into account criteria such as gender and range of abilities, and that allows for a variety of activities and choice in activities. The principles and guidelines of Universal Design for Learning should also be considered when planning the use of equipment and facilities, so that the needs of all students, including those with special education needs, can be met. It is important to note that activities that help students fulfil the curriculum requirements do not necessarily require the use of a school gymnasium. The scheduling and accommodation of regular physical education classes, however, may require some creativity, especially if facilities are limited and must be shared by large numbers of students. Classes may be combined if there is sufficient space to permit students to participate safely, and hallways, portables, and outdoor spaces can also be put to use. It may be possible as well to use alternative venues, such as nearby parks, fields, and recreation centres. The use of these various settings will have the advantage of increasing students’ awareness of the facilities that are available in their communities. To support the development of specific skills and add interest to physical activities, a variety of equipment should be used. For example, an activity that focuses on students’ catching objects of various sizes and shapes is more effective if it uses a variety of objects, such as beanbags, tennis balls, beach balls, rubber chickens, and discs. When supplies are limited, teachers will have to be resourceful to ensure that each student has opportunities to use as many different kinds of equipment as possible. Teachers must provide specific instruction to students on the appropriate handling of equipment, ensure that equipment is in good repair and suitably organized, and take into account the size, ability, and age of the students when choosing the most appropriate equipment to use. Co-educational and Same-Sex ClassesAlthough all the curriculum expectations can be achieved in either co-educational or same-sex classes, addressing parts of the curriculum in same-sex settings may allow students to learn and ask questions with greater comfort. Same-sex settings may be of benefit to some students not only for the discussion of some health topics, but also for developing and practising some physical skills. Such considerations are particularly relevant in the case of adolescent learners. It is also important to have time for co-educational learning, which can encourage learning about others, and about differences and commonalities among people, and allows for the development of relationship skills. Teachers should base their decisions about teaching in co-educational or same-sex settings on students’ needs. Different strategies may be required at different times, so that students have opportunities to learn in a variety of different groupings. When planning instruction and considering class groupings, teachers should be aware of and consider the needs of students who may not identify as “male” or “female”, who are transgender, or who are gender-non-conforming. For more information about gender identity, gender expression, and human rights, see the website of the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Acknowledgement of and respect for individual differences regardless of sex, gender identity, or gender expression will encourage student participation and help students learn to collaborate with and respect others. Strategies for encouraging understanding and mutual respect among students include:
Co-curricular ProgramsWithin the context of a healthy school, the health and physical education curriculum provides all students with the skills and strategies they need to participate in a wide variety of physical activities. A supportive school environment will provide opportunities for students to continue their learning either in the school, at home, or in the community. Intramural programs allow all students to participate in activities that are informal and not highly competitive. Interschool programs offer students opportunities to participate in more organized and competitive activities. Other recreational activities and clubs also provide opportunities for students with common interests to participate in physical activities in non-competitive settings. In planning and organizing the health and physical education curriculum, schools should use community organizations, facilities, and programs as resources to provide students with additional experiences and opportunities for physical activity and healthy living. Where is the first to give physical education an important place that formed to be a major part of their educational program?The 1800s were an important time for the inclusion of physical education in schools across America. The Round Hill School, a private school established in 1823 in Northampton, Massachusetts, was the first to include physical education as an integral part of the curriculum.
Why is physical education important quizlet?Reinforces knowledge learned across the curriculum. Serves as a lab for application of content in science, math and social studies. Facilitates development of student responsibility for health and fitness. Quality physical education can influence moral development.
Which of the following is the most effective method of promoting self discipline among students regarding rules within the physical education setting?Which of the following s the most effective method of promoting self- discipline among students regarding rules within the physical education setting? Allow the students to assist in setting rules and consequences.
Why is it important for students to be exposed to a wide variety of activities and variety of skills in their physical education?Why is it important for students to be exposed to a wide variety of activities and variety of skills in their physical education class? It is the most likely way to improve the chance that the student will participate in some form of lifelong physical activity.
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