Food and wellbeing: Health and Physical Education

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Health and Physical Education

Food and nutrition is one of the focus areas in the Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum and includes developing knowledge, understanding and skills that will support students to make healthier choices. Students learn about food and nutrition by exploring the influences on these choices and developing skills to access and assess nutritional information to support healthy choices. In HPE, students learn about different stages of life and take increasing responsibility for their own growth and development by exploring and learning how to manage the many factors that influence their identities. They also develop a practical understanding of how connections to friends, family, other people, culture and society influence what we eat and drink.

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Years 9 and 10

Personal, social and community health

Being healthy, safe and active

Content descriptions with elaborations

Evaluate factors that shape identities and critically analyse how individuals impact on the identities of others (ACPPS089)

  • analysing how societal norms, stereotypes and expectations influence the way young people think about their bodies, abilities, gender, sexuality, food, physical activity, sexual health, drugs and/or risk-taking behaviours
  • examining how diversity and gender are represented in the media and communities, and investigating the influence these representations have on identities
  • analysing the role of family, friends and community in supporting an individual’s identities, and proposing strategies to enhance their own and others’ wellbeing
  • investigating how cultural beliefs and practices surrounding transitions to adulthood differ between cultures

Examine the impact of changes and transitions on relationships (ACPPS090)

  • practising skills to deal with challenging or unsafe situations, such as refusal skills, communicating choices, expressing opinions and initiating contingency plans
  • asserting their stance on a situation, dilemma or decision by expressing thoughts, opinions and beliefs that acknowledge the feelings of others'
  • assessing behavioural expectations in different relationships and social situations, and examining how these expectations can influence decisions and actions

Plan, rehearse and evaluate options (including CPR and first aid) for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety and wellbeing may be at short or long term risk (ACPPS091)

  • critiquing the appropriateness and effectiveness of help and support services available for young people in the local community

Propose, practise and evaluate responses where external influences may impact on their ability to make healthy and safe choices (ACPPS092)

  • critiquing images and messages in the media that portray what it means to have a good time and be fun to be around, and evaluating how these images can be interpreted
  • examining local fast-food options, making healthy selections and advocating healthy choices to peers
  • evaluating the influence of personal, social, environmental and cultural factors on decisions and actions young people take in relation to their health, safety and wellbeing

Communicating and interacting for health and wellbeing

Content descriptions with elaborations

Investigate how empathy and ethical decision making contribute to respectful relationships (ACPPS093)

  • investigating the characteristics of positive, respectful relationships and the rights and responsibilities of individuals in relationships
  • investigating how the balance of power influences the nature of relationships and proposing actions that can be taken when a relationship is not respectful
  • comparing own decisions with those of others and acknowledging others’ right to act differently and to change their mind

Evaluate situations and propose appropriate emotional responses and then reflect on possible outcomes of different responses (ACPPS094)

  • proposing strategies for managing emotional responses and resolving conflict in a family or social situation or online environment
  • evaluating situations where an individual may react with extreme emotion and reflecting on the impact that this response may have on the situation and/or their relationships
  • analysing interactions where emotional responses may not be immediately apparent and reflecting on the possible consequences of not recognising the emotions involved

Critically analyse and apply health information from a range of sources to health decisions and situations (ACPPS095)

  • critiquing and selecting the most suitable and reliable sources of health information according to the decision that needs to be made
  • examining actions to take greater responsibility in relation to their own health
  • critiquing services that provide advice and support on health-related issues, and investigating ways to store and share contact information of these services with other young people

Contributing to healthy and active communities

Content descriptions with elaborations

Plan and evaluate new and creative interventions that promote their own and others’ connection to community, natural and built environments (ACPPS097)

  • designing and critiquing a strategy to involve family, friends and members of the community in cultural celebrations to promote a sense of connection with and belonging to the community
  • designing and adopting actions which promote healthy, active and sustainable lifestyles

Critique behaviours and contextual factors that influence the health and wellbeing of diverse communities (ACPPS098)

  • examining social, cultural and economic factors that influence the health behaviours of people in their community
  • investigating community health resources to evaluate how accessible they are for marginalised individuals and groups, and proposing changes to promote greater inclusiveness and accessibility
  • analysing the implications of attitudes and behaviours such as prejudice, marginalisation, homophobia, discrimination, violence and harassment on individuals and communities, and proposing counter-measures to prevent these behaviours
  • investigating the role that extended family and broader community play in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples