Page 9 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: Health and Physical Education, 2015 - revised

Physical Literacy
Individuals who are physically literate move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.
• Physically literate individuals consistently develop the motivation and ability to understand, communicate, apply, and analyze different forms of movement.
• They are able to demonstrate a variety of movements confidently, competently, creatively and strategically across a wide range of health-related physical activities.
• These skills enable individuals to make healthy, active choices that are both beneficial to and respectful of their whole self, others, and their environment.
Physical and Health Education Canada, “What Is Physical Literacy?”,
www.phecanada.ca/programs/physical-literacy/what-physical-literacy
Health Literacy
Health literacy involves the skills needed to get, understand and use information to make good decisions for health. The Canadian Public Health Association’s Expert Panel on Health Literacy defines it as the ability to access, understand, evaluate and communicate information as a way to promote, maintain and improve health in a variety of settings across the life-course.
Irving Rootman and Deborah Gordon-El-Bihbety, A Vision for a Health Literate Canada: Report of the Expert Panel on Health Literacy (Ottawa: Canadian Public Health Association, 2008).
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM
The health and physical education curriculum includes health and physical education
in Grades 1–8, Healthy Active Living Education courses in Grades 9–12, and specialized destination courses in Grades 11 and 12. This curriculum helps students develop an understanding of what they need in order to make a commitment to lifelong healthy, active living and develop the capacity to live satisfying, productive lives. Healthy, active living benefits both individuals and society in many ways – for example, by increasing productivity and readiness for learning, improving morale, decreasing absenteeism, reducing health-care costs, decreasing anti-social behaviour such as bullying and violence, promoting safe and healthy relationships, and heightening personal satisfaction. Research has shown a connection between increased levels of physical activity and better academic achievement, better concentration, better classroom behaviour, and more focused learning. Other benefits include improvements in psychological well-being, physical capacity, self-concept, and the ability to cope with stress. The expectations that make up this curriculum also provide the opportunity for students to develop social skills and emotional well-being. In the senior grades, three destination courses provide students with knowledge and skills related to specialized areas that they may choose to pursue after graduation. The practical, balanced approach adopted in all courses in this curriculum will help students move successfully through secondary school and postsecondary education or training, and into the workplace. In health and physical education, students will learn the skills needed to be successful in life as active, healthy, and socially responsible citizens.
INTRODUCTION
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