Australia · ACARA Content Descriptions
Year 9 HPE
This curriculum integrates physical performance with health literacy to foster resilient and active teenagers. Students analyze social influences on health while refining specialized movement skills in competitive and collaborative environments.
Mastering the Game
Students refine tactical awareness and specialized movement skills within diverse sporting contexts. This unit focuses on the transfer of skills between sports and the application of fair play.
Analyzing patterns of play to create scoring opportunities and defensive structures. Students learn to adapt their movements based on the positioning of opponents.
Identifying how motor skills from one sport can be applied to another. Students focus on the biomechanics of striking, throwing, and leaping.
Exploring the roles of captains, coaches, and officials in maintaining the integrity of sport. Students practice conflict resolution and inclusive leadership.
The Resilient Mind
A deep dive into mental health literacy and emotional regulation. Students develop strategies to manage stress and support their peers during transitions.
Identifying physiological and psychological signs of stress. Students build a toolkit of coping mechanisms for academic and social pressures.
Challenging common misconceptions about mental illness. Students map out local and digital resources for seeking help.
Understanding the neuroplasticity of the brain and the power of persistence. Students reflect on their own responses to failure.
Fueling for Life
Students evaluate nutritional information and the social factors influencing food choices. This unit emphasizes the link between diet, energy levels, and long term health.
Critically analyzing food labels and advertising techniques. Students investigate how companies target teenagers with processed foods.
Exploring the role of macronutrients and micronutrients in physical activity. Students design meal plans for different athletic requirements.
Examining how family, culture, and peer groups influence eating patterns. Students discuss the social significance of sharing meals.
Lifelong Fitness
Focusing on personal fitness programming and the physiological benefits of various exercise modalities. Students learn to monitor and adjust their own training loads.
Understanding overload, specificity, and reversibility. Students apply these principles to create a personalized four week fitness plan.
Identifying major muscle groups and their functions. Students learn exercises that improve posture and everyday movement efficiency.
Evaluating the accuracy and usefulness of fitness trackers and apps. Students analyze their own biometric data to assess health trends.
Healthy Relationships
Students explore the dynamics of respectful relationships, including consent, power imbalances, and digital safety. The unit emphasizes empathy and communication.
Defining enthusiastic consent in various social contexts. Students practice assertive communication and setting personal boundaries.
Investigating how gender, sexuality, and culture impact relationship expectations. Students discuss the importance of inclusivity and diversity.
Learning techniques to de-escalate arguments and reach compromises. Students analyze the difference between healthy debate and toxic conflict.
Community Health Heroes
Students investigate local health issues and design advocacy campaigns. This unit connects classroom learning to real world community action.
Identifying the most pressing health concerns in the local area. Students use data to understand community needs.
Developing a campaign to promote a specific health message. Students learn how to use social media and school platforms for positive change.
Connecting local issues to global health trends like climate change and food security. Students explore the concept of 'think global, act local'.