Part One

Peter Ellis, Canberra Cavalry..., 201, Wikipedia

Content Descriptions and Unit Rationale and Goals

Please examine the content descriptions in the Health, Outdoor and Physical Education Course you are teaching

Content descriptions describe the student's learning entitlement. Through the course of the unit, students should engage with learning activities related to all of the content descriptions, and that should culminate in an assessment task.

The level of thinking required in relation to the Content Description is indicated by the verb at the opening of the content description, the Achievement Standards, and/or in the unit goals.

Teachers will illuminate or exemplify the content descriptions for students by choosing topics, texts, contexts, case-studies etc. and explaining to their colleagues and themselves the links to the Content Descriptions in their program of learning.

General Capabilities

Course developers have integrated the General Capabilities into the Content Descriptions and Achievement Standards wherever possible. When planning to for General Capabilities across the fours semester of the course, consider the alignment of the Content Descriptions and Achievement standards as opportunities for emphasising different General Capabilities.

Teachers are encouraged to:

• model the general capabilities within a variety of contexts

• identify connections between the learning area/subject and the general capabilities

• provide a variety of learning activities that support development of the general capabilities

• provide opportunities for students to practise the general capabilities as authentic elements of the learning area/subject

• provide feedback to students about their progress toward developing the general capabilities.

Consider the OECD research on in-demand skills- OECD Skills For Jobs

Cross-curriculum Priorities

Course developers have proposed ideas about cross-curriculum priorities in the examples suggested and in the content descriptions. Consider those in planning for covering the priorities across the four units of study.

provide students with the tools and language to engage with, and better understand, their world
provide national, regional and global dimensions
addressed through learning areas -not curriculum on their own
applied in content descriptions
considered and focused content that fits naturally within learning areas

Activity 1.1

Take these two content descriptions for Outdoor and Environmental Education - Discover Outdoor Environments

critically analyse theories of outdoor education, such as, neo-Hahnian theory, Neil’s growth = challenge + support theory, nature theory, biophilia hypothesis, eco-cultural theory (OEET01)

Consider the following questions:

What work would students need to do address this content description?
What case studies could the students engage with to address each this content description?
How could the choice of texts and work include the General Capabilities and/or Cross Curriculum Priorities?
How could this work support completion of a typical Outdoor and Environmental Education practical assessment task such as a reflection or an expedition plan?

Picture: https://www.figoholidays.com/experiences/waterfall-abseiling/

Levels of Thinking

Read this on critical analysis by the University of Wollongong.

Read this on levels of thinking.

Blooms Taxonomy from Colorado College

Solo Taxonomy with New Zealand Aotearoa Council for Educational Research

Consider the information in the BSSS online learning on Differentiating Levels of Thinking here..

Activity 1.2

a) Consider the conclusions from Lab Reports below.

Please them in a rank order of levels of thinking .

(Extract adapted from Monash University, "Writing a Lab Report", Research and Learning Online- Monash University, Accessed 20-1-21. )

Example One

The average concentration from the tablets was 3001.1+/-4.36 mg, which is too much. There should be a law. We tried hard to be accurate and careful, but maybe our Math was wrong. We're not sure. It would be better to have the experiments replicated to be sure. If students can use this method, companies can use this method too.

Example Two

We examined the concentration of salicylic acid in aspirin. The average concentration from the tablets was 301.1+/-4.36 mg, which is good. The results for tablets depended upon variables. Paying closer attention to details might further improve the accuracy of the results. These findings show that our method was pretty good. This is important in many industries to make medicine safe.

Example Three

The concentration of salicylic acid in commercially available aspirin tablets was determined through UV spectroscopy. The mean concentration from three different tablets was determined to be 301.1+/-4.4 mg per tablet, which is within commercially permitted limits. The results for individual tablets were found to be dependent on the accuracy of measurements during the process, and the purity of the other reagents. Standardised solutions might further improve the accuracy of the results. These findings show that analytical chemistry techniques such as spectrometry can be used for fast, accurate determination of compound composition. This is important in many industries, where consistency is crucial for effective use of the product, or is vital to the safety of the product.

Example Four

The concentration of salicylic acid in aspirin from shops was seen in UV spectroscopy. A mean of 301.1+/-4.4 mg per tablet from three brands was determined. That is legal. It really depended on how accurate the concentration of the reagent chemicals was, if the regent was wrongly labelled, our calculations could be way off. We needed to be careful with reagents. This is a really good technique for testing medicines fast and keeping us all safe from bad medicines.

Activity 1.3

Reflect on one of your own units of work, or Program of Learning, for a Health, Outdoor and Physical Education Course course.

a) Consider how is it meeting the Content Descriptions and Achievement Standards? Do any changes need to be made?

b) Are the general capabilities and Cross Curriculum Priorities accounted for?

c) How will the students reach the required level of thinking?

c) Will you make any changes?

Write a paragraph on each question.

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