

Year 12 Physical Education Units 3 and 4
Overview
Unit 3: Movement skills and energy for physical activity, sport and exercise
This unit is split into two areas of study, ‘How are movement skills improved?’ and ‘How does the body produce energy?’. In the first area of study, you will be examining biomechanical, coaching, feedback, practice and psychological principles that can be applied to improve movement skill development, participation and performance. In the second area of study, you will be exploring the various body systems and mechanisms involved with the production of energy required for human movement. In both areas of study, you will be participating in a range of different activities, and making links with theoretical knowledge by reflecting on and learning through movement.
Unit 4: Training to improve performance
This unit is split into three areas of study, ‘What are the foundations of an effective training program?’, ‘How is training implemented effectively to improve fitness?’ and ‘Integrated movement experiences’. In the first area of study, you will analyse the information required to form the foundations of an effective training program. You will do this through conduction of an activity analysis to justify the important physiological requirements of different activities, as well as the selection of fitness tests. In the second area of study, you will focus on the correct application of training principles and methods to participate in, design, evaluate and critique effective training programs to improve performance. In the final area of study, you will reflect on your experiences from practical activities done throughout the year to analyse the interrelationships between different concepts across both Unit 3 and 4.
Who is it for?
Physical Education is an excellent subject choice for individuals who have a passion for sport and physical activity. It is particularly suited to students who are eager to deepen their understanding of how the human body functions during exercise, sport, and physical activities. Engaging in VCE Physical Education provides a strong foundation for those interested in pursuing further studies at the tertiary level or in vocational education and training. This course is especially relevant for careers in exercise and sport science, health science, education, recreation, sport development, coaching, health promotion, and other related fields. Through this subject, students gain valuable insights and skills that are essential for both academic and professional success in these areas.
What do you do?
- Participate in a variety of practical activities, including, practicing movement skills of your own choosing, valid and reliable fitness testing, and training sessions using a variety of different training methods (such as HIIT and resistance training)
- Reflect on experiences from practical activities, and making links to theoretical content covered in both Unit 3 & 4
- Analyse primary data collected from practical activities to investigate, ‘how movement skills are improved’, ‘how the body produces energy’, ‘what are the foundations of an effective training program’ and ‘training to improve performance’
- Learn key knowledge and skills through a variety of newly developed interactive resources on VSV Online, participation in online lessons delivered by experienced teachers and collaboration with other students through attendance of on-site seminar days
What skills do you need?
There is no prerequisite knowledge required to complete Unit 3 & 4 Physical Education, however you do need:
- A willingness to participate in a variety of physical activities
- A commitment to attending and participating in weekly online lessons
- A commitment to learn new content each week, and demonstrate understanding of key knowledge and skills through weekly activities
- Demonstration of the school values of empathy, respect, collaboration and growth when engaging with the course content, teachers and other students in a variety of learning scenarios
What skills do you develop?
Key skills you will develop in Unit 3 and 4 PE include the ability to,
- Recall, identify and outline key concepts covered throughout the course
- Explain the application of concepts such as coaching, feedback, practice, psychological strategies and biomechanics to improve the performance of movement skills
- Analyse primary data to investigate how the body produces energy during a range of different types of physical activity (referring to concepts such as energy system interplay, acute physiological responses, oxygen consumption and nutritional and hydration strategies)
- Conduct an activity analysis to identify the important physiological requirements of different types of physical activity, as well as justify selection of valid and reliable tests to assess fitness
- Design, evaluate and critique effective training programs to improve performance
- Discuss the interrelationship between different concepts when reflecting on practical activities conducted through Unit 3 & 4
Things to think about
- Consider your participation in the prescribed physical activities and if you require any modifications to suit your needs.
- If you are able to regularly attend online lessons and remain in communication with your teacher when you need assistance.
- Creating a list of subject specific terminology and key concepts regarding the Knowledge and Skills of Unit 1 and 2 VCE PE.
- Allocating time for assessments, submissions and gathering feedback each week from your teacher.
Things you can do now
- Download the Physical Education Study Design
- Read the Study Design to become familiar with the key knowledge and skills and assessments of Unit 3 & 4
- Download the VCE Physical Education Glossary
- Use VCE Physical Education Glossary to create flashcards for the key terms for Unit 3 & 4 PE. You can make your own physical flashcards or use Quizlet to create virtual ones!
Things to have a look at
Unit 3 PE Overview
Unit 4 PE Overview
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