Curriculum

(Ontario Curriculum -Overall & Specific Expectations) Health and Physical Education

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10

1999

Introduction

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Health and Physical Education, 1999 will be implemented in Ontario secondary schools starting in September 1999 for students in Grade 9 and in September 2000 for students in Grade 10. This document replaces the sections in The Common Curriculum: Policies and Outcomes, Grades 1–9, 1995 that relate to health and physical education in Grade 9, and the parts of the curriculum guideline Physical and Health Education: Curriculum Guideline for the Intermediate Division, 1978 that relate to Grade 10.

This document is designed for use in conjunction with its companion piece, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000, which contains information relevant to all disciplines represented in the curriculum.

The Place of Health and Physical Education in the Curriculum

The health and physical education curriculum has been designed to provide learning experiences that will help students realize their potential in life. Students will develop:
 * an understanding of the importance of physical fitness, health, and well-being and the factors that contribute to them;
 * a personal commitment to daily vigorous physical activity and positive health behaviours;
 * the skills and knowledge they require to participate in physical activities throughout their lives.

The expectations outlined in this document concentrate on the development of personal fitness, competence, skills, attitudes, and knowledge that will help students deal with the variety of personal, social, and workplace demands in their lives. The primary focus of this curriculum is on helping students develop a commitment and a positive attitude to lifelong healthy active living and the capacity to live satisfying, productive lives.

Healthy active living benefits both individuals and society in many ways: for example, by increasing productivity, improving morale, decreasing absenteeism, reducing health-care costs, and heightening personal satisfaction. Other benefits include improved psychological well-being, physical capacity, self-esteem, and the ability to cope with stress. The expectations within this curriculum promote healthy active living through the development of physical, social, and personal skills. This practical, balanced approach will help students to move successfully beyond secondary school.

Many of the expectations in health and physical education courses, such as those related to healthy living, active participation, and movement skills, are fully emphasized only in this curriculum. For example, such expectations as participation in physical activities for sustained time periods, knowledge of guidelines for safe participation in physical activities, and informed decision making related to healthy sexuality are central to this curriculum. The health and physical education curriculum provides students with learning opportunities that will help them make positive decisions about all aspects of their health and encourage them to lead healthy, active lives.

The health and physical education curriculum also promotes important educational values and goals such as tolerance, understanding, excellence, and good health. These values are reinforced in other curriculum areas, as well as in society itself. Parents, schools, health-care agencies, peers, businesses, government, and the media are all vital partners in helping promote these values to students. Working together, schools and communities can be powerful allies in motivating students to achieve their potential and lead safe, healthy lives.

There are clear connections between the expectations in health and physical education and those in other subject areas, such as guidance and career education, science, and social science. For example, all of these subject areas share the goals of developing life-management skills, identifying social realities, interacting positively, working independently and collaboratively, enhancing healthy lifestyles, and examining contemporary social issues. The unique expectations of the health and physical education curriculum help improve student learning in all subjects. Subject matter from any course in health and physical education can be combined with subject matter from one or more courses in other disciplines to create an interdisciplinary course. The policies and procedures regarding the development of interdisciplinary courses are outlined in the interdisciplinary studies curriculum policy document.

The elementary curriculum for health and physical education is organized into three strands – healthy living, fundamental movement skills, and active participation – with living skills integrated within those strands. The secondary curriculum builds on these three strands, while grouping living skills in a separate fourth strand that explicitly addresses many of the singular needs and challenges confronting adolescents as they move towards adulthood.

In the transition from elementary to secondary school, the expectations and learning experiences in each strand change to meet the evolving needs of students. For example, the physical activity strand refines and advances the movement patterns introduced in the elementary curriculum under fundamental movement skills, while the active living strand, which replaces the elementary curriculum's active participation strand, increases the emphasis on the promotion of lifelong participation in physical activities and greater responsibility for personal learning, behaviour, fitness, and health.

The Program in Health and Physical Education

Overview

The health and physical education program promotes healthy active living, and enjoyment and regular, enthusiastic participation in physical activity. The courses will help students understand how their personal actions and decisions will affect their health, fitness, and well-being. All courses in this curriculum address relevant health issues and provide students with a wide variety of activities that promote fitness, the development of living skills, and personal competence.

The health and physical education courses in Grades 9 and 10 are made up of four strands: physical activity, active living, healthy living, and living skills. In each course, students will develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and to build a commitment to lifelong participation in physical activity. The focus on positive, responsible personal and social behaviour in physical activity settings encourages students to make safe and wise choices.

These courses emphasize regular participation in a variety of enjoyable physical activities that will enhance students' fitness, health, and personal competence, and that will promote lifelong active living. Students will be encouraged to pursue physical activities outside the school program for fun, personal fitness, and health. In the living skills component of these courses, students will learn and apply decision-making, conflict resolution, and social skills. Issues investigated in the healthy living component include healthy growth and sexuality, mental health, personal safety, and injury prevention.

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A Note About Courses and Credits. All courses offered in health and physical education are open courses, which comprise a set of expectations that are appropriate for all students. (See The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000 for a description of the different types of secondary school courses.)

Courses offered in health and physical education may be delivered as half-courses, each earning a half-credit. Half-credit courses, which require a minimum of fifty-five hours of scheduled instructional time, must adhere to the following conditions:
 * Courses offered as half-credit courses must include a selection of learning expectations from all strands and must reflect the balance among strands that characterizes the full course.
 * A course that is a prerequisite for another course may be offered as two half-courses, but the student must successfully complete both parts of the course to claim the prerequisite.
 * The title of each half-credit course must include the designation Part 1or Part 2. A half- credit (0.5) will be recorded in the credit-value column of both the report card and the Ontario Student Transcript. Students are not required to complete both Part 1 and Part 2 unless the course is a prerequisite for another course that the student wants to take.

The learning expectations of the Healthy Active Living Education courses outline the knowledge and skills that students are expected to demonstrate by the end of each course. Schools may develop their Grade 9 and/or 10 course(s) to focus on a particular group of physical activities as the vehicle through which students will attain the expectations. The possible groupings (with their corresponding course codes for Grade 9 and Grade 10 courses, respectively) are as follows: Personal and Fitness Activities (PAF1O, PAF2O), Large-Group Activities (PAL1O, PAL2O), Individual and Small-Group Activities (PAI1O, PAI2O), Aquatics (PAQ1O, PAQ2O), Rhythm and Movement (PAR1O, PAR2O), and Outdoor Activities (PAD1O, PAD2O). In the course description for these courses, a statement about the group of activities on which the course will be focused should be added to the relevant Healthy Active Living Education course description given in this document. (Some schools may wish to add a sixth character to the course codes to identify courses planned for co-educational, male, or female enrolment.) Schools may offer more than one Healthy Active Living Education course in Grades 9 and 10. A student may take more than one Healthy Active Living Education course for credit in the same grade.

All components of the health and physical education curriculum help students develop a healthy active lifestyle while in high school and the ability to maintain it after graduation. Nevertheless, on the written request of a parent, or of a student aged eighteen or older, the right to withdraw from any component of a health and physical education course shall be granted, where such a component is in conflict with a religious belief held by the parent or student. Where such withdrawal involves a significant portion of the course time, an equivalent component of work in health and physical education shall be scheduled for the student.

Curriculum Expectations

The expectations identified for each course describe the knowledge and skills that students are expected to develop and demonstrate in their class work, on tests, and in various other activities on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated.

Two sets of expectations are listed for each strand, or broad curriculum area, of each course. The overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students are expected to demonstrate by the end of each course. The specific expectations describe the expected knowledge and skills in greater detail.

The specific expectations are organized under subheadings. This organization is not meant to imply that the expectations in any one group are achieved independently of the expectations in the other groups. The subheadings are used merely to help teachers focus on particular aspects of knowledge and skills as they plan learning activities for their students.

Many of the expectations are accompanied by examples, given in parentheses. These examples are meant to illustrate the kind of skill, the specific area of learning, the depth of learning, and/or the level of complexity that the expectation entails. They are intended as a guide for teachers rather than as an exhaustive or mandatory list.

Strands

The expectations in health and physical education courses are organized into four distinct but related strands: physical activity, active living, healthy living, and living skills.

Physical activity is concerned with refining and combining students' personal locomotor, manipulation, and stability skills. The curriculum expectations for this strand are designed to help students learn how to participate in a wide variety of activities, while developing the personal movement proficiency necessary to enjoy life fully.

Active living focuses on active participation, physical fitness, and safety. This strand addresses the knowledge and skills related to lifelong participation in a variety of sport and recreation activities.

Healthy living addresses the knowledge and skills that students need to make informed decisions related to healthy growth and sexuality, mental health, and personal safety and injury prevention. The topics included in this strand are "healthy growth and sexuality", "substance use and abuse", "personal safety and injury prevention", and "healthy eating".

Living skills helps students develop a positive "sense of self", as well as effective decision-making, conflict resolution, communication, and interpersonal skills. This strand includes the topics of "decision making", "conflict resolution", and "social skills". Expectations such as demonstrating active listening to de-escalate conflict, expressing feelings to help resolve problems, and demonstrating behaviour that is respectful and sensitive to others help students make the transition to adulthood. Through the expectations for living skills, students learn to develop and take responsibility for their decisions and behaviour, thereby enhancing their personal competence and well-being. The development of these abilities is particularly important during adolescence, a time of testing and risk taking, when students need to refine, practise, and apply their knowledge and skills to make healthy, safe, and wise choices. There are consistent and significant reductions in unhealthy behaviour when school-based health programs focus on living skills.

Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 9, Open (PPL1O)

This course emphasizes regular participation in a variety of enjoyable physical activities that promote lifelong healthy active living. Students will learn movement skills and principles, ways to improve personal fitness and physical competence, and safety and injury prevention. They will investigate issues related to healthy sexuality and the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and will participate in activities designed to develop goal-setting, communication, and social skills.

Physical Activity

Overall Expectations

By the end of the course, students will:
 * demonstrate personal competence in applying movement skills and principles;
 * demonstrate knowledge of guidelines and strategies that enhance participation in recreation and sport activities.

Specific Expectations

Movement Skills and Principles

By the end of the course, students will:
 * use and combine movement skills in a variety of physical activities (e.g., apply locomotion/travelling, manipulation, and stability skills to a specific activity);
 * demonstrate understanding of the importance of movement principles in performing isolated or combined movement skills (e.g., manipulation, loco-motion, and stability);
 * identify appropriate movement principles (e.g., that the production of maximum velocity requires the use of joints from largest to smallest) in learning and refining movement skills (e.g., an overhead clear in badminton);
 * demonstrate improvement in their skills.

Sport and Recreation

By the end of the course, students will:
 * demonstrate understanding of specific rules and guidelines for participation in recreation and sport including team, group, dual, and individual activities (e.g., the scoring rules in rugby, etiquette such as allowing faster participants to pass on a cross-country ski trail);
 * identify the requirements, including basic equipment standards, preparation (e.g., warm-up and cool-down exercises, training requirements), and specific safety issues that maximize performance and participation in recreation and sport activities;
 * explain appropriate strategies or tactics that enhance performance in specific situations and conditions (e.g., passing versus dribbling a basketball against a defender, shifting gears in cycling to adjust to changing conditions);
 * describe career opportunities related to sport and recreation.

Active Living

Overall Expectations

By the end of the course, students will:
 * participate regularly in a balanced instructional program that includes a wide variety of enjoyable physical activities that encourage lifelong participation;
 * demonstrate improvement in personal health-related physical fitness;
 * demonstrate safe practices regarding the safety of themselves and others.

Specific Expectations:

Active Participation

By the end of the course, students will:
 * participate regularly in physical activities, choosing a wide range of activities (e.g., individual, small- and large-group, outdoor, and aquatic activities);
 * demonstrate positive, responsible personal and social behaviour (e.g., striving for personal best, practising regularly, encouraging others, playing fair) in physical activity settings;
 * identify the factors that affect choices of activities with potential for lifelong participation and enjoyment.

Physical Fitness

By the end of the course, students will:
 * monitor personal plans for daily, health-related fitness activities (e.g., self-designed or computerized programs) that reflect their personal fitness goals;
 * participate in personal health-related fitness programs;
 * maintain or improve personal fitness levels by participating in vigorous physical activities for sustained periods of time (e.g., a minimum of two ten-minute time periods or one twenty-minute time period for a minimum of four times a week);
 * monitor exercise intensity (e.g., using a manual or computerized heart-rate monitor, breath sound check, talk test);
 * describe the benefits of each health-related fitness component and its relationship to active living (e.g., the relationship of cardiovascular fitness to increased stamina and lower risk of heart disease; the relationship of healthy eating to improved well-being).

Safety

By the end of the course, students will:
 * apply guidelines and procedures related to safe participation in physical activity (e.g., using equipment correctly, wearing appropriate attire, using appropriate facilities, meeting expectations regarding supervision, using proper posture to minimize injury);
 * demonstrate behaviour that minimizes risk to themselves and others (e.g., participating in warm-up and cool-down exercises, checking ice conditions prior to skating, spotting for weight training);
 * identify strategies to deal with emergency situations related to physical activities;
 * demonstrate understanding of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (e.g., one-person adult CPR).

Healthy Living

Overall Expectations

By the end of the course, students will:
 * identify the factors that contribute to positive relationships with others;
 * explain the consequences of sexual decisions on the individual, family, and community;
 * demonstrate personal strategies to deal effectively with the social influences that contribute to the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (e.g., cannabis);
 * identify strategies to minimize potentially dangerous situations (e.g., violence prevention, injury prevention).

Specific Expectations

Healthy Growth and Sexuality

By the end of the course, students will:
 * identify the developmental stages of sexuality throughout life;
 * describe the factors that lead to responsible sexual relationships;
 * describe the relative effectiveness of methods of preventing pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., abstinence, condoms, oral contraceptives);
 * demonstrate understanding of how to use decision-making and assertiveness skills effectively to promote healthy sexuality (e.g., healthy human relationships, avoiding unwanted pregnancies and STDs such as HIV/AIDS);
 * demonstrate understanding of the pressures on teens to be sexually active;
 * identify community support services related to sexual health concerns.

Substance Use and Abuse

By the end of the course, students will:
 * identify facts and myths related to the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (e.g., cannabis);
 * explain the effects of the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs;
 * identify the major factors (e.g., environmental influences such as peer pressure, media influences, adolescent attitudes) that contribute to the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs;
 * identify the school and community resources involved in education, prevention, and treatment with respect to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs;
 * demonstrate and use both decision-making and assertion skills with respect to media influences and peer pressure related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Personal Safety and Injury Prevention

By the end of the course, students will:
 * describe specific types of physical and non-physical abuse (e.g., manipulation, intimidation, sexual harassment, verbal abuse);
 * assess the impact of non-physical abuse on victims;
 * identify the causes of abuse and violence;
 * describe solutions and strategies to address violence in the lives of young people;
 * explain how the school, the local community, and other community agencies are involved in developing strategies (e.g., a school's code of conduct) to prevent or end the violence in young people's lives;
 * demonstrate effective personal strategies to minimize injury in adolescence.

Living Skills

Overall Expectations

By the end of the course, students will:
 * use appropriate decision-making skills to achieve goals related to personal health;
 * explain the effectiveness of various conflict resolution processes in daily situations;
 * use appropriate social skills when working collaboratively with others.

Specific Expectations

Decision Making

By the end of the course, students will:
 * identify personal strengths and areas for growth;
 * demonstrate how they have achieved short-term goals based on a personal vision;
 * demonstrate understanding of the impact of parents, the media, and culture on values and goals related to healthy active living;
 * produce sequential action plans to achieve personal health goals.

Conflict Resolution

By the end of the course, students will:
 * demonstrate understanding of personal values that can lead to conflict;
 * use assertiveness techniques to avoid escalating conflict;
 * demonstrate active listening skills (e.g., identifying non-verbal feelings expressed by others, paraphrasing the message, asking questions for clarification) when managing conflict;
 * demonstrate the appropriate steps of conflict resolution in situations encountered in class, at school, with friends, and at home;
 * demonstrate understanding of the triggers of conflict (e.g., defensive behaviour in a group situation) to prevent escalation;
 * identify coping skills (e.g., involvement in physical activity, talking it out, participating in alternative activities or hobbies) to deal with the internal conflict and stress that often accompanies change.

Social Skills

By the end of the course, students will:
 * contribute to the success of the group verbally and non-verbally (e.g., by completing a fair share of the group task, by acknowledging others' contributions to the task);
 * explain the benefits and disadvantages of working with others;
 * give and receive assistance (e.g., through peer mentoring);
 * use appropriately a variety of methods for reaching group agreement (e.g., through consensus, by taking votes in which the majority rules).

Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 10, Open (PPL2O)

This course emphasizes regular participation in a variety of enjoyable physical activities that promote lifelong healthy active living. Student learning will include the application of movement principles to refine skills; participation in a variety of activities that enhance personal competence, fitness, and health; examination of issues related to healthy sexuality, healthy eating, substance use and abuse; and the use of informed decision-making, conflict resolution, and social skills in making personal choices.

Physical Activity

Overall Expectations

By the end of the course, students will:
 * demonstrate personal competence in applying movement skills and principles;
 * demonstrate knowledge of guidelines and strategies that can enhance their participation in recreation and sport activities.

Specific Expectations

Movement Skills and Principles

By the end of the course, students will:
 * demonstrate the use and combination of motor skills in a variety of physical activities (e.g., moving towards the ability to perform skills on their own);
 * demonstrate understanding of the importance of movement principles in performing isolated or combined movement skills (e.g., manipulation, loco-motion, and stability);
 * describe appropriate movement principles (e.g., maximum force requires the use of all the joints that can be used) in learning and refining movement skills (e.g., in an overhead serve in volleyball);
 * demonstrate personal skill improvement.

Sport and Recreation

By the end of the course, students will:
 * demonstrate understanding of specific rules and guidelines for participation in recreation and sport including team, group, dual, and individual activities (e.g., the travelling violation in basketball, scoring rules in orienteering, etiquette such as replacing divots when playing golf, fair play);
 * describe the requirements, including basic equipment standards, preparation (e.g., warm-up and cool-down exercises, training requirements), and specific safety issues that maximize performance and participation in recreation and sport activities;
 * explain appropriate strategies or tactics that enhance performance in specific situations and conditions (e.g., tipping rather than spiking against an effective blocker in volleyball, hitting the ball to one side of the fairway to compensate for cross-wind conditions in golf);
 * identify community sport and recreation opportunities related to personal interests;
 * describe career opportunities related to sport and recreation.

Active Living

Overall Expectations

By the end of the course, students will:
 * participate regularly in a balanced instructional program that includes a wide variety of physical activities that encourage lifelong participation;
 * demonstrate personal health-related physical fitness;
 * demonstrate responsibility for personal safety and the safety of others.

Specific Expectations

Active Participation

By the end of the course, students will:
 * participate regularly in physical activities, choosing from a wide range of activities (e.g., individual, small- and large- group, outdoor, and aquatic activities);
 * demonstrate positive, responsible personal and social behaviour (e.g., striving for personal best, practising regularly, encouraging others, modelling positive behaviour, playing fair) in physical activity settings;
 * demonstrate leadership (e.g., leading an in-class activity such as a warm-up or cool-down activity);
 * identify the factors (e.g., social interaction, enjoyment, relaxation, self-esteem) that will affect their choice of activities with potential for lifelong participation and enjoyment.

Physical Fitness

By the end of the course, students will:
 * review and make appropriate revisions to their personal plans for daily, health-related fitness activities (e.g., self-designed or computerized programs);
 * participate in revised personal health-related fitness programs;
 * maintain or improve personal fitness levels by participating in vigorous physical activities for sustained periods of time (e.g., a minimum of two ten-minute time periods or one twenty-minute time period for a minimum of four times a week);
 * assess the effectiveness of various activities for maintaining or improving health-related fitness (e.g., cross-country skiing versus downhill skiing).

Safety

By the end of the course, students will:
 * apply guidelines and procedures related to safe participation in physical activity (e.g., using equipment correctly, wearing appropriate attire, using appropriate facilities, meeting expectations regarding supervision, using proper posture to minimize injury);
 * demonstrate behaviour that minimizes risk to themselves and others (e.g., participating in warm-up and cool-down activities, checking ice conditions prior to skating, spotting for weight training);
 * describe resources and community agencies that assist in emergency situations related to physical activity.

Healthy Living

Overall Expectations

By the end of the course, students will:
 * explain strategies to promote positive lifestyle choices and relationships with others;
 * demonstrate understanding of the factors affecting human sexuality as it relates to themselves and others;
 * demonstrate understanding of the issues and coping strategies related to substance use and abuse;
 * explain how healthy eating fits into a healthy lifestyle.

Specific Expectations

Healthy Growth and Sexuality

By the end of the course, students will:
 * describe environmental influences on sexuality (e.g., cultural, social, and media influences);
 * explain the effects (e.g., STDs, HIV/AIDS) of choices related to sexual intimacy (e.g., abstinence, using birth control);
 * identify available information and support services related to sexual health concerns;
 * demonstrate understanding of how to use decision-making skills effectively to support choices related to responsible sexuality.

Substance Use and Abuse

By the end of the course, students will:
 * describe the factors that lead to substance dependence;
 * describe the physiological and sociological effects of substance use;
 * demonstrate knowledge of the legal aspects of substance use and abuse (e.g., regarding under-age drinking, impaired driving, the Tobacco Control Act).

Healthy Eating

By the end of the course, students will:
 * explain how healthy eating is beneficial to various physical activities (e.g., sports, school);
 * explain the risks of dieting and other unhealthy eating behaviours for controlling weight;
 * analyse the relationships among healthy eating, physical activity, and body image;
 * make appropriate revisions to personal plans of action (e.g., using self-designed or computerized programs) that promote healthy eating and physical activity;
 * explain strategies and ideas for focusing on a healthy lifestyle rather than on body weight;
 * identify the relative effectiveness of different types of resources and support services related to healthy eating.

Living Skills

Overall Expectations

By the end of the course, students will:
 * identify ways of taking appropriate action in new situations based on knowledge of positive decisions related to healthy active living;
 * demonstrate understanding of conflict resolution, anger management, and mediation;
 * use appropriate social skills and positive attitudes when interacting with others.

Specific Expectations

Decision Making

By the end of the course, students will:
 * identify short- and long-term goals for personal growth (e.g., using a student planner);
 * analyse the impact of media and culture on decision making;
 * produce a sequential action plan (e.g., using the IDEAL model) to achieve personal goals related to new situations (e.g., those requiring time management);
 * explain their reasoning for their personal choices and actions related to health and well-being.

Conflict Resolution

By the end of the course, students will:
 * demonstrate understanding of the varied dynamics of conflict (e.g., the context, escalators, perception);
 * describe different styles of handling conflict and their effectiveness in different situations;
 * describe the benefits of developing anger management strategies;
 * identify techniques for dealing with angry disputants;
 * describe the impact of non-verbal (e.g., body language) and verbal responses;
 * identify the characteristics of an effective mediator;
 * describe the phases of mediation;
 * explain the difference between mediation and adjudication.

Social Skills

By the end of the course, students will:
 * demonstrate behaviours that are respectful of others' points of view (e.g., listening actively, showing appreciation, criticizing ideas not people);
 * describe their own contribution to and effectiveness within a group.

Some Considerations for Program Planning in Health and Physical Education

Teachers who are planning a program in health and physical education must take into account considerations in a number of important areas. Essential information that pertains to all disciplines is provided in the companion piece to this document, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000. The areas of concern to all teachers that are outlined there include the following:
 * types of secondary school courses
 * education for exceptional students
 * the role of technology in the curriculum
 * English as a second language (ESL) and English literacy development (ELD)
 * career education
 * cooperative education and other workplace experiences
 * health and safety

Considerations relating to the areas listed above that have particular relevance for program planning in health and physical education are noted here.

Education for Exceptional Students. Health and physical education provides exceptional students with opportunities to enhance their understanding of personal capabilities, challenges, and potential. Appropriate modifications can enhance motor skills, motivate participation, improve self-worth, and provide physical and therapeutic benefits. Participation in health and physical education provides a unique vehicle for exceptional students to develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that promote lifelong healthy active living.

When including exceptional students in activities, it is important to understand any limitations they may have, as well as any corresponding needs they may have for program adaptations and support services, as set out in their Individual Education Plan. Once the nature of these needs and limitations and all the safety considerations have been identified and are understood, adaptations to provide opportunities for students' successful participation in a range of activities such as aquatics, games, dance, gymnastics, individual and team activities, and outdoor pursuits may be made.

In health and physical education, meeting the needs of exceptional students may involve making a variety of adaptations both to the program itself and to the learning environment. These adaptations should include:
 * equipment adaptations that enable all students to perform to their full potential;
 * program adaptations to promote integration and safety (e.g., altering the method of instruction, using alternative facilities, modifying the rules and guidelines of physical activities);
 * assessment and evaluation strategies that accommodate a variety of learning styles and needs;
 * encouraging as much student participation as possible in planning, instruction, assessment, and evaluation;
 * using support systems extensively (e.g., specialists in the exceptionality, physiotherapists and other personnel with expertise in adaptive activity programs, educational assistants, and peer assistance).

The Role of Technology in the Curriculum. Technology will offer ways for students to monitor themselves and become self-directed learners. For example, technology provides students with opportunities for personal health skills analysis and fitness assessment through the use of video techniques and electronic monitoring. In health and physical education, traditional sources and emerging technologies (e.g., computerized ergometers, video disks, CD-ROMs, interactive television, and information on the Internet) will give students access to a comprehensive collection of resources. The variety of multimedia resources will enhance opportunities for students to research, analyse, and communicate within the discipline and within real-life contexts.

English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD). Health and physical education provides students with unique opportunities for fundamental language development and expression. It also minimizes language barriers by providing ESL students with opportunities to express themselves non-verbally in some activities through body movements. Adaptations to meet the needs of ESL students may emphasize visual learning to help them achieve the required expectations of the healthy living strand. Educators should provide learning opportunities for all students to recognize and develop a sensitivity to cultural differences as they relate to health and physical education.

Career Education. The active participation component of health and physical education provides an excellent vehicle to address the interpersonal and work-related skills required to succeed in a given career. Students will develop coping skills and feelings of personal accomplishment. Employability skills (e.g., problem solving, goal setting, demonstrating self-esteem) are addressed directly in this curriculum. The promotion of these skills is an integral part of every strand within the curriculum and will assist graduates as they move into further education and/or the workplace.

Cooperative Education and Other Workplace Experiences. The interpersonal, team work, and leadership skills that are emphasized in the health and physical education curriculum can enhance the success of students in work settings. Work experiences can introduce students to a number of career and job opportunities (e.g., athletic trainer, private recreation entrepreneur, recreation professional, activities director, health educator, sports writer, researcher, teacher, fitness trainer).

Potential partners in cooperative education include community organizations and private recreation centres. Partnerships can facilitate students' commitment to lifelong activity and health. They can also encourage students to access community agencies for service, research, and employment.

Health and Safety. The creation of challenging and exciting learning environments in health and physical education must also reflect a concern for safety, as physical activity always involves some element of risk. The primary responsibility for the care and safety of all students rests with the school board and its employees. School board policies and procedures must be developed to help prevent or minimize the risk of injuries or accidents. Safe programming also requires safety awareness by the teacher.

Planning for health and physical education activities should include safety considerations related to equipment, clothing, footwear, facilities, student abilities, special rules or instructions, and supervision. Students are expected to assume increasing responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others.

The Achievement Chartfor Health and Physical Education

The achievement chart that follows identifies four categories of knowledge and skills in health and physical education – Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, and Application. These categories encompass all the curriculum expectations in courses in the discipline. For each of the category statements in the left-hand column, the levels of student achievement are described. (Detailed information on the achievement levels and on assessment, evaluation, and reporting policy is provided in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000.)

The achievement chart is meant to guide teachers in:
 * planning instruction and learning activities that will lead to the achievement of the curriculum expectations in a course;
 * planning assessment strategies that will accurately assess students' achievement of the curriculum expectations;
 * selecting samples of student work that provide evidence of achievement at particular levels;
 * providing descriptive feedback to students on their current achievement and suggesting strategies for improvement;
 * determining, towards the end of a course, the student's most consistent level of achievement of the curriculum expectations as reflected in his or her course work;
 * devising a method of final evaluation;
 * assigning a final grade.

The achievement chart can guide students in:
 * assessing their own learning;
 * planning strategies for improvement, with the help of their teachers.

The achievement chart provides a standard province-wide method for teachers to use in assessing and evaluating their students' achievement. Teachers will be provided with materials that will assist them in improving their assessment methods and strategies and, hence, their assessment of student achievement. These materials will contain samples of student work (exemplars) that illustrate achievement at each of the levels (represented by associated percentage grade ranges). Until these materials are provided, teachers may continue to follow their current assessment and evaluation practices.

To ensure consistency in assessment and reporting across the province, the ministry will provide samples of student work that reflect achievement based on the provincial standard, and other resources based on the achievement charts. As these resources become available, teachers will begin to use the achievement charts in their assessment and evaluation practices.

To support this process, the ministry will provide the following:
 * a standard provincial report card, with an accompanying guide
 * course profiles
 * exemplars
 * curriculum and assessment videos
 * training materials
 * an electronic curriculum planner

When planning courses and assessment, teachers should review the required curriculum expectations and link them to the categories to which they relate. They should ensure that all the expectations are accounted for in instruction, and that achievement of the expectations is assessed within the appropriate categories. The descriptions of the levels of achievement given in the chart should be used to identify the level at which the student has achieved the expectations. Students should be given numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate their achievement of the expectations across the four categories. Teachers may find it useful to provide students with examples of work at the different levels of achievement.

The descriptions of achievement at level 3 reflect the provincial standard for student achievement. A complete picture of overall achievement at level 3 in a course in health and physical education can be constructed by reading from top to bottom in the column of the achievement chart headed "70–79% (Level 3)".

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Explanatory Notes

The following definitions of terms are intended to help teachers, parents/guardians, and students use this document. Abstinence A conscious decision to refrain from sexual intercourse.

AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Breath sound check An assessment tool in which participants can monitor the intensity of an exercise. When participants can "hear their own breathing", the intensity of the activity is moderate to vigorous and their heart rate will be between 55 and 85 per cent of their maximum heart rate.

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

F.I.T.T. Fitness, intensity, time (a minimum of two ten-minute time periods or one twenty-minute period), and type. Health-related physical fitness Based on the assessment of the following: cardio- respiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

HIV Human immuno-deficiency virus

IDEAL A decision-making model based on identifying the problem or issue, discussing the options and their consequences, evaluating the options and deciding on one, acting on the best choice, learning from the experience. Living skills Lifetime skills that enhance personal well-being. Living skills include decision-making, conflict resolution, and social skills. Locomotion skills Skills used to move the body from one point to another. Manipulation skills Movement skills that involve giving force to objects (e.g., throwing, kicking, punting, dribbling, volleying, striking) or receiving force from objects (e.g., catching). Movement principles The seven biomechanical principles used to analyse movement (i.e., the principles of stability, of maximum force, of maximum velocity, of impulse, of the direction of the application of force, of the production of angular motion, of the conservation of angular momentum). Movement skills The movement skills of locomotion/travelling, manipulation, and stability form the foundation of all physical activity. Peer mentoring Students assisting other students with school work and in other areas. Safe practices Following the safety rules and procedures defined for each activity in the instructional program. Stability skills Movement skills that involve maintaining the position of the body in place or in space with possible movement around the body's horizontal or vertical axis (e.g., bending, stretching, twisting, turning).

STDs Sexually transmitted diseases. Talk test An assessment tool used to evaluate aerobic activity during moderate to vigorous exercise. Vigorous physical activity The degree to which an activity is vigorous is directly related to its ability to raise the heart rate, to improve fitness, and to maintain this increase for a sustained period of time. Vigorous physical activities are aerobic in nature, enhancing the health of the heart and lungs dependent on frequency, intensity, and time.

The Ministry of Education and Training wishes to acknowledge the contribution of the many individuals, groups, and organizations that participated in the development and refinement of this curriculum policy document.

ISBN 978-1-4249-5793-4 (PDF)

ISBN 978-1-4249-5794-1 (TXT)

07-289 (revised)