HEALTH EDUCATION
At the current time students must successfully complete a minimum of one physical education/health education credit in Grade 9 and one in Grade 10, as listed in the following table.
*Physical education and health education are currently optional courses in Grade 11 and in Grade 12. However, as of September 2008, as recommended by the report of The Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures All-Party Task Force released in June 2005, students will be required to complete one additional PE/HE credit in Grade 11 and another in Grade 12. Because this is a transition year, students entering Grade 12 in 2008 will be required to earn the Grade 12 PE/HE credit in 2008-09 without being required to complete the Grade 11 PE/HE credit in order to graduate.
Grades 9 and 10 (as of September 2007) and grades 11 and 12 (as of September 2008) could include an OUT-of-class delivery option as part of physical education and health education courses.
Further information about graduation requirements is available.
The combined physical education/health education curriculum develops the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for maintaining physically active and health lifestyles. The curriculum focuses on making healthy decisions related to physical activity participation, healthy eating, substance use, sexual reproductive health, and injury prevention. It encourages schools to involve parents in planning for implementation of content that might be sensitive in some communities.
In grades 11 and 12, a minimum of 50% of the course (i.e., 55 hours) will be required for the Physical Activity Practicum that focuses on participation in physical activity. Based on the model chosen by the school, this could be achieved through IN, OUT, or a combination of IN and OUT time.
All K-12 schools are expected to use the combined physical education/health education curriculum as of September 2005. The aim of the curriculum is to provide students with planned and balanced programming to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for physically active and healthy lifestyles.
The following are the content highlights for Grade 9 outlined according to the five general learning outcomes (GLOs) titled Movement, Fitness Management, Safety, Personal and Social Management, and Healthy Lifestyle Practices.
| General Learning Outcomes (GLOs) | Content Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1. Movement | |
| The student will demonstrate competency in selected movement skills and knowledge of movement development and physical activities with respect to different types of learning experiences, environments, and cultures. | Students participate in a variety of physical activities that includes more lifetime pursuits such as badminton, ultimate, aerobics, cross country skiing. They learn how to analyze and adapt the associated concepts and skills to guide their practicing and help contribute to their personal success. They learn officiating skills where applicable. |
| 2. Fitness Management | |
| The student will demonstrate the ability to develop and follow a personal fitness plan for lifelong physical activity and well-being.
|
Students continue to learn about the health and fitness benefits of physical activity, muscular system and principles of training and conditioning. They assess and analyze their own skill- and health-related fitness components and participate in an individualized fitness plan. They use heart rate monitoring techniques to determine their response to activities of different intensities (e.g. mild, moderate, vigorous). They examine factors that may affect their personal fitness planning and development and look at ways to help overcome these barriers. Designing effective warm-up and cool down routines related to selected sports/physical activities is required. |
| 3. Safety | |
| The student will demonstrate safe and responsible behaviours to manage risks and prevent injuries in physical activity participation and in daily living. | Students are expected to show an understanding of safety rules and procedures, risk factors, common injuries, reasons for appropriate dress related to equipment and facilities for selected indoor and outdoor activities. As well, students are required to demonstrate safe behaviours in class activities and basic first aid. As part of the health education component, students gain an understanding of the issues related to community safety laws and policies, accessing valid health information, and dealing with abusive and violent situations. |
| 4. Personal and Social Management | |
| The student will demonstrate the ability to develop self-understanding, to make health-enhancing decisions, to work cooperatively and fairly with others, and to build positive relationships with others. | As part of learning about personal and social management, students examine personal strengths and qualities, career choices, and skills for employability in preparation for setting personal goals for the future. They design, implement, and evaluate a personal action plan of their choice. They also learn about behaviours or skills for developing healthy relationships, achieving success, and dealing with conflict, anger, or dangerous situations. They will have the opportunity to discuss and apply these skills in different case scenarios. |
| 5. Healthy Lifestyle Practices | |
| The student will demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions for healthy living related to personal health practices, active living, healthy nutritional practices, substance use and abuse, and human sexuality. | Students examine the healthy practices related to developing close relationships, substance use and abuse prevention, addictions, sexual reproductive health, healthy pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS as well as community agencies and resources available to help. They also learn about making health-enhancing decisions related to substance use and responsible sexual behaviour |
Note: In Grade 9, the health topics that contain potentially sensitive content are personal safety in GLO 3, as well as substance use and abuse prevention and human sexuality in GLO 5. Prior to teaching the content, schools are expected to communicate appropriate information to parents, including a parental option. A parental option means that parents may choose a school-based or alternative delivery (e.g., home, professional counselling).
All K-12 schools are expected to use the combined physical education/health education curriculum as of September 2005. The aim of the curriculum is to provide students with planned and balanced programming to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for physically active and healthy lifestyles.
The following are the content highlights for Grade 10 outlined according to the five general learning outcomes (GLOs) titled Movement, Fitness Management, Safety, Personal and Social Management, and Healthy Lifestyle Practices.
| General Learning Outcomes (GLOs) | Content Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1. Movement | |
| The student will demonstrate competency in selected movement skills and knowledge of movement development and physical activities with respect to different types of learning experiences, environments, and cultures. | Students participate in a variety of physical activities that includes more lifetime pursuits such as tennis, golf, dance, walking. They learn how to analyze and refine the activity-specific concepts and skills for personal improvement. Where applicable, they learn officiating skills. |
| 2. Fitness Management | |
| The student will demonstrate the ability to develop and follow a personal fitness plan for lifelong physical activity and well-being.
|
Students expand their knowledge of the principles of training and conditioning, examine how different physical activities contribute to fitness development and disease prevention, and look at factors that affect adherence to their personal fitness plan. They assess and analyze their own fitness levels (including heart rate monitoring) and participate in different types of training and conditioning activities that contribute to a personal fitness plan. |
| 3. Safety | |
| The student will demonstrate safe and responsible behaviours to manage risks and prevent injuries in physical activity participation and in daily living. | Students are expected to explain safety rules and procedures, risk factors, exercise techniques, and reasons for appropriate dress to minimize the risk to themselves and others for all class activities. As well, they are required to demonstrate safe behaviours in class activities and CPR. As part of the health education component, students learn about the hazards in the community and recreational facilities, and gain an understanding of global health and sustainable development. |
| 4. Personal and Social Management | |
| The student will demonstrate the ability to develop self-understanding, to make health-enhancing decisions, to work cooperatively and fairly with others, and to build positive relationships with others. | To increase their understanding of personal and social management, students analyze factors that affect personal goal-setting and decision-making, look at communication skills for getting along with others, building relationships, emotional health, loss and grief, and stress management. As well, they learn how Sport and The Arts contribute to social and cultural development. Students design, implement, evaluate and revise an action plan that includes personal goal-setting. They also discuss and apply communication skills and stress management strategies in a variety of case scenarios. |
| 5. Healthy Lifestyle Practices | |
| The student will demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions for healthy living related to personal health practices, active living, healthy nutritional practices, substance use and abuse, and human sexuality. | Students examine healthy practices related to use of technology and illness/disease prevention, including mental health, active living, nutrition, substance use and abuse, addictions, personal relationships, sexuality, reproduction, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV/AIDS, as well as accessing community agencies and resources. Students design a plan for active living and healthy eating that includes food label information. As well they apply the decision-making/problem solving process in case scenarios related to substance use and abuse, building healthy relationships, and responsible sexual behaviour. |
Note: In Grade 10, the health topics that contain potentially sensitive content are substance use and abuse prevention and human sexuality in GLO 5. Prior to teaching the content, schools are expected to communicate appropriate information to parents, including a parental option. A parental option means that parents may choose a school-based or alternative delivery (e.g., home, professional counselling).
In Grade 11, physical education and health education are currently optional courses but will become mandatory as of September 2008. The design of the new course will allow for schools and students/parents/guardians to determine how the learning outcomes of the curriculum will be achieved, that is, through a teacher-directed delivery model during IN-class time and a student-directed model as part of the OUT-of-class time. A minimum of 50% of the course (i.e., 55 hours) will be required for the Physical Activity Practicum that focuses on participation in physical activity.
The Grade 11 Physical Education/Health Education curriculum is currently under development. The Department is also developing general guidelines for managing risk in OUT-of-class activities as well as selected safety checklists for participation in many common physical activities.
In Grade 12, physical education and health education are currently optional courses and will become mandatory as of September 2008. The course design will allow for schools and students/parents/guardians to determine how the learning outcomes of the curriculum will be achieved, that is, through a teacher-directed delivery model during IN-class time and a student-directed model as part of the OUT-of-class time. A minimum of 50% of the course (i.e., 55 hours) will be required for the Physical Activity Practicum that focuses on participation in physical activity.
The Grade 12 Physical Education/Health Education curriculum is currently under development. The Department is currently also developing general guidelines for managing risk in OUT-of-class activities as well as selected safety checklists for participation in many common physical activities.
