Sample unit of work: Personal Development, Health and Physical Education – Stage 4
Sample for implementation from 2019
Unit title
Do I or don’t I?
Stage
4
Duration
10 weeks
Unit overview
Students explore positive and negative risk and the factors that influence risk-taking and decision-making in a variety of contexts. They learn about safe and unsafe
behaviours and environments. Students explore the self-management and interpersonal skills required to promote their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing.
Student choice is embedded in the unit. Students select learning experiences to be active participants in their education. They are provided with opportunities to choose
how they direct and demonstrate their learning, including a group research project.
Outcomes
A student:
 recognises how contextual factors influence attitudes and behaviours and proposes strategies to enhance health, safety, wellbeing and participation in physical
activity PD4-6
 investigates health practices, behaviours and resources to promote health, safety, wellbeing and physically active communities PD4-7
 demonstrates self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations PD4-9
 applies and refines interpersonal skills to assist themselves and others to interact respectfully and promote inclusion in a variety of groups or contexts PD4-10
PDHPE skills
The following Self-management skills (S) are focused on in this unit:
The following Interpersonal skills (I) are focused on in this unit:
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Strengthening personal identity
– self-evaluation
Self-awareness
– developing greater control and responsibility for our actions, feelings and
behaviours
– reflective practice
Emotion and stress management
– recognising emotions
Decision-making and problem-solving
– information-gathering
– finding solutions to problems
– analysis
Help-seeking
– recognising when help is needed
– accessing support and support networks.
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Communication
– verbal and nonverbal communication
– listening, eg active
– expressing feelings
Collaboration, inclusion and relationship-building
– recognising and using their own abilities and strengths and those of others
– assessing their own abilities and contributing back to the group
Social awareness
– perspective forming
– perspective taking.
PDHPE Stage 4 Sample Unit: Do I or Don’t I?
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Syllabus content
Students:
 examine factors that influence
health and wellbeing
– investigate reasons why
young people choose to
engage in risk-taking
behaviour, eg nominating
for a leadership position,
online communication
– examine risk-taking
scenarios and discuss the
outcome of positive and
negative risk behaviour on
health and wellbeing, eg
trying out for a sporting
team, drinking alcohol at a
party I
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Inquiry question: What positive actions contribute to the health, safety, wellbeing and participation in physical
activity levels of the wider community?
Learning intentions: discuss these with students and make them visible. They should focus on student
knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to the outcome(s). For example:
 I know the contextual factors that can influence my attitude and behaviours and how this can be both
positive and negative and that it’s important to examine the outcomes before engaging in risk-taking
behaviour (knowledge).
 I understand the reasons why young people choose to engage in risk-taking and the possible outcomes
(understanding).
 I can recognise the possible outcomes of risk-taking scenarios and stop and think of the skills I need to
enact in order to make positive decisions (skills).
Understanding risk
Introduce the concept of ‘risk’ by asking students the following questions:
 What is risk?
 Do you enjoy taking risks?
Students may respond verbally, with a show of hands, or using ICT polling tools such as Poll Everywhere,
Socrative or Mentimeter. Chart the responses to prompt further class discussion, for example:
 What is the difference between a risk and a danger?
 Are risks positive or negative?
Reasons for risk-taking – PMI chart
In small groups, students brainstorm the reasons why young people choose to engage in risk-taking
behaviour. They complete a PMI chart to classify each reason as either positive or negative, in terms of the
effect it can have on health and wellbeing. If groups do not reach a consensus, they classify the reason as
interesting. Groups share their responses with the class. Sample reasons may include:
 Seeking independence from parents/carers
 trying new things out for themselves
 peer pressure
 trying to stand out from the crowd
 peer acceptance
 establishing an identity
 sense that harm will not happen to them
 thinking that potential harm is too far in the future to consider (eg smoking)
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Syllabus content
Teaching, learning and assessment
 an opportunity to make new friends
 an opportunity to learn new things about themselves
 an opportunity to improve their leadership skills
 instant gratification outweighs the risk.
Classifying degree of risk
In pairs, students view pictures of young people participating in different activities. Provide pictures to illustrate
the following risk-taking activities/scenarios:
 online communication
 nominating for a leadership position
 passenger without a seatbelt
 parkour
 riding a bicycle without a helmet
 gambling on a sporting match
 starting a relationship
 sunbaking
 smoking a cigarette
 walking home alone after dark
 drinking alcohol at a party
 meeting someone from an internet chat
 dangerous driving
 trying out for a sporting team
 volunteering in the community
 setting a fitness challenge, eg competing in a fun run.
Registration
For each picture, students:
 rank the activity/behaviour from ‘least’ to ‘most’ risky
 classify the activity/behaviour as either a positive risk or a negative risk
 discuss whether they would participate in the activity/behaviour, providing a reason for their choice.
Students view a video about risk-taking, for example:
 YouTube – Jeb Corliss ‘Harnessing Fear’ TED talk
 YouTube – Hillary Clinton discusses the benefits of taking risks
 YouTube – Teens taking risks – inside your brain
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Syllabus content
Teaching, learning and assessment
 YouTube - Joel Thompson shares his story for Yarn safe
Registration
Making connections: Visible Thinking routine
Students explore concepts raised in their chosen video by completing the 4Cs Visible Thinking routine:
1. Connections – What connections do you draw between the video and your own life and learning?
2. Challenge – What ideas, positions or assumptions from the video do you want to challenge or argue?
3. Concepts – What key concepts or ideas do you think are important or worth holding onto from the video?
4. Changes – What changes in attitudes, thinking or action are suggested by the video, either for you or
others?
Students choose three scenarios from the above list of risk-taking activities/scenarios. Using a graphic
organiser, they outline the positive and/or negative effect of each scenario on the health and wellbeing of
young people. Students share responses with the class.
Assessment as and assessment of learning
Students consider the interpersonal skills required to help navigate each scenario. They review and refine their
initial definition of risk. Students choose one of the following quotes and compose a persuasive text to argue
the benefits of positive risk-taking to the health and wellbeing of young people.
 ‘To know what life is worth you have to risk it once in a while’ Jean-Paul Sartre
 ‘It (life) is constantly changing, and yet it remains the same’ Jan Hawkins
 ‘The biggest risk is not taking any risk’ Mark Zuckerberg
 ‘The only person who never makes mistakes is the person who never does anything’ Unknown
 ‘Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is’ Unknown.
Students:
 propose and develop protective
strategies to effectively manage
their own personal health, safety
and wellbeing (ACPPS073)
–
–
recognise the importance
of trusting their own
feelings, thoughts and
reading of different
situations S
analyse how emotions,
strengths and decisionmaking can affect
Inquiry question: How can I effectively manage my own and support others’ health, safety, wellbeing and
participation in physical activity?
Learning intentions: discuss these with students and make them visible. They should focus on student
knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to the outcome(s).
Protective strategies: summation
Students read the Forbes article, ‘4 strange ways your emotions influence the risks you take’. They summarise
the article by completing the following sentences:
1. This article is mostly about …
2. The important parts are …
3. The key lesson is …
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Syllabus content
outcomes in different
scenarios S
– examine and develop
strategies for safe practices
in outdoor environments,
eg farm safety, exposure to
sun, water environments
Teaching, learning and assessment
Think, pair, share
Students choose one risk-based activity/scenario from the activity ‘Classifying degrees of risk’ and complete
the following:
 Think – individually, students brainstorm how feelings and thoughts can influence risk-taking.
 Pair – students then share and discuss their responses with a partner to decide on the three most
important ways feelings and thoughts can influence risk-taking.
Pairs choose one decision-making model/process and apply it to their activity/scenario/situation. They
consider how emotions and strengths can affect the outcome. For example:
Stop, Think, Do
7 steps to effective decision-making
 Share – each pair shares with the class how they worked through their activity/scenario/situation based on
a decision-making model and justify the decision they came to. Students choose how they share their
decision-making model with the class, eg discussion, charades/improvisation/role-play or a presentation
using ICT tools.
Registration
Reflection
In response to the presentations, students reflect on the benefits of working through the decision-making
process to manage their own personal health, safety and wellbeing. They summarise their reflections by
completing the following framed paragraph:
 One key idea was … this is important because …
 Another key idea … this matters because …
Strategies for safe practices: inquiry learning
Students choose one of the following outdoor environments: road, farm, sun or water. They examine strategies
that reduce risk. Refer to Appendix 1. Students propose additional strategies for safe practices for young
people in their chosen outdoor environment. For example:
 road-user behaviour – NSW Centre for Road Safety: staying safe , Indigenous road safety video – Being
Safe, not sorry
 farm safety – Farmsafe
 exposure to sun – Cancer Council: sun protection recommendations
 water environments – Water safety: a NSW government initiative , Indigenous Aquatic Safety Training
Students share their proposed strategies with the class.
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Syllabus content
Teaching, learning and assessment
Assessment of learning
 Three facts they learnt about emotions, risk and decision-making.
 Two positive actions to counter potentially unsafe risk-taking activities, situations or behaviour.
 One thing they will do differently as a result of this lesson.
Students:
Inquiry question: What positive actions contribute to the health, safety, wellbeing and participation in physical
activity levels of the wider community?
 recognise potentially unsafe
environments and describe
strategies to promote their own
and others’ health, safety and
wellbeing in a variety of real-life
situations:
– examine strategies and
develop plans to keep
themselves and others safe
in the following real-life
scenarios: at a party,
chatting or sharing
information online,
travelling alone, getting in a
car with a drunk driver,
swimming at night,
experiencing unwanted
sexual behaviour, feeling
depressed S
Registration
Learning intentions: discuss these with students and make them visible. They should focus on student
knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to the outcome(s).
Elevator pitch
Students recall the decision-making models and safety strategies/plans from previous lessons. They choose
one real-life scenario and develop an elevator pitch (strategy and plan) that reduces risk and keeps
themselves and others safe. The video 6 elevator pitches for the 21st century will help students understand the
importance of being able to speak succinctly and use strategies to engage their audience in different contents.
The elevator pitch should outline in 60 seconds or less:
1. Why is the idea beneficial? Justify why any alternative solution is not recommended.
2. Who is the target audience?
3. What is the new idea?
4. How is the idea unique?
Scenarios include: at a party, chatting or sharing information online, travelling alone, getting in a car with a
drunk driver, swimming at night, experiencing unwanted sexual behaviour, feeling depressed.
(Teacher note: Remind students of the sensitive nature of some of these scenarios. Ensure students have
strategies to manage disclosure relating to any of these sensitive issues.)
Students present their elevator pitch to the class. (Teacher consideration: ensure a variety of scenarios are
covered by the class.)
Assessment of learning
 ‘What’ they learned.
 ‘So what?’ (why is it important and what are the implications).
 ‘Now what?’ (how to apply it or do things differently).
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Syllabus content
Students:
 recognise potentially unsafe
environments and describe
strategies to promote their own
and others’ health, safety and
wellbeing in a variety of real-life
situations:
– classify drugs and describe
the short-term and longterm effects of drug use on
health, safety and
wellbeing I
 examine influences on peoples’
behaviours, decisions and
actions (ACPPS074)
– discuss the influence of
contextual factors on
individual decisions and
actions, eg response to
emerging world issues,
sexual relationships, drug
use, preventive sexual
health practices I
 explore the relationship between
various health, safety and
physical activity issues affecting
young people and assess the
impact it has on the health,
safety and wellbeing of the
community

assess the impact of drug
use on young people’s
decisions and behaviours
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Inquiry question: What positive actions contribute to the health, safety, wellbeing and participation in physical
activity levels of the wider community?
Learning intentions: discuss these with students and make them visible. They should focus on student
knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to the outcome(s).
Potentially unsafe environments
The teacher displays an image of a legal drug product without any explanation, for example alcohol. In pairs,
students interpret the image and consider:
 What is the drug?
 Why is the drug used?
 Is it risky to use this drug?
Students share their responses with the class.
In pairs or small groups, students list scenarios/situations when drug use is a positive risk and a negative risk.
Scenarios/situations may include:
Drug use – positive risk (+)
Drug use – negative risk (-)
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Diabetic medication
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Binge drinking at a party
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Antibiotics for a virus
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Using illegal drugs
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Painkillers for a sports injury
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Getting in a car with a drunk driver
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Antihistamines for allergic reactions
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Misusing over the counter (OTC) drugs
Justification
Students share their list with the class. Referring to their list of examples, students justify why they consider
drug use to be a positive and/or negative risk.
Research project
In small groups, students work collaboratively on a research project to answer the following driving question:
’How does drug use affect health, safety and wellbeing?’
As part of the research process, students respond to the following direct questions to guide their research:
1. How are drugs classified?
2. What are the short-term and long-term effects of drug use? Provide examples.
3. What is the impact of drug use on young people’s decisions and behaviours? Provide examples.
4. What is the influence of contextual factors (see syllabus glossary) on individual decisions and actions
relating to drug use?
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Syllabus content
in various contexts and
predict how this might
affect the future health,
safety and wellbeing of
individuals and the
community, eg sexual
decisions, road-user
behaviours S
Teaching, learning and assessment
5. Analyse how drug use might affect the future health, safety and wellbeing of individuals and the
community.
Registration
Groups use a KWHL chart to gather information, document their learning process and respond to the driving
question. At conclusion of the research process, students present their research findings and learnings to an
audience.
Refer to Appendix 2 for KWHL research process and instructions.
Assessment of learning
Students reflect on the research process, considering:
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Contributions they made to the group and project success.
Obstacles to success during the research process. How did they solve these?
What they will do differently when working on their next project and why.
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Assessment for, as and of learning
Assessment for, assessment as and assessment of learning are approaches that enable teachers to gather evidence and make judgements about student achievement.
These are not necessarily discrete approaches and may be used individually or together and formally or informally.
Some examples of assessment FOR learning in this unit include:
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Clear learning goals or intentions for the learning activities.
Self-assessment and peer-assessment, eg reflection, scenarios and role-plays, video feedback.
Some examples of assessment AS learning in this unit include:
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Inquiry-based learning that encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning, eg researching health services and strategies for safe practices.
Students using peer feedback to refine their work, eg scenarios and role-plays, elevator pitch, visible thinking routine.
Some examples of assessment OF learning in this unit include:
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Questioning/discussion strategies to assess students’ knowledge and understanding to plan for future learning, eg Gallery walk, physical barometer, pinwheel
discussion, affinity mapping, visual mapping, concentric circles, conver-stations, fishbowl, snowball discussions, talk moves, think-pair-share, mini whiteboards,
online quizzes.
Observation of students’ knowledge, understanding and skills through their work and participation in activities, eg persuasive text.
Exit cards/slips.
Research project. In small groups, students complete a research project to answer the following driving question: ‘How does drug use affect health, safety and
wellbeing?’
Unit evaluation – please tick (✓)
Unsatisfactory
Satisfactory
Good
Excellent
Not applicable
……………………………….
Date: ………….
Comments/suggestions for
improvement
The unit adequately addresses syllabus
outcomes.
The unit reflects the needs, interests and
abilities of students.
The unit provides opportunity for students to
demonstrate what they know and can do.
The unit includes a variety of teaching and
learning activities, and resources to address
the learning needs of all students.
Teacher Name: ………………………………………………….
Signature:
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Propositions
Comment and suggest opportunities for improvement
This unit has the following propositions
embedded in teaching, learning and
assessment:
 educative purpose
 strengths-based approach
 value movement
 health literacy
 critical inquiry approach.
Resources
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Australian Government - Indigenous Road Safety - https://infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/indigenous_road_safety/index.aspx
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Cancer Council – sun protection recommendations: www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-prevention/sun-protection/be-sunsmart/
Elevator pitch: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/elevator_pitch
Farmsafe: farmsafe.org.au/Children-On-Farms
Four strange ways your emotions influence the risks you take:
www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2016/06/04/4-strange-ways-your-emotions-influence-the-risks-you-take/#734af4ef3e8d
Graphic organiser: www.iccb.org/iccb/wp-content/pdfs/adulted/tdl_bridge_curriculum/tdl_context_reading/tdl_reading_resource_file/Positive_Negative_Chart.pdf
KWHL chart: olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms2/data/ck/sites/1943/files/KWHL Chart(1).pdf
Mentimeter: www.mentimeter.com/
NSW Centre for Road Safety – staying safe: roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/index.html
Persuasive text: www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/persuasion%20map.pdf
PMI chart: www.globaleducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/pmi.pdf
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Poll everywhere: www.polleverywhere.com/
Royal Life Saving Australia: Indigenous Aquatic Safety Training - https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/programs/community-development/indigenous-programs
Seven steps to effective decision-making: www.umassd.edu/media/umassdartmouth/fycm/decision_making_process.pdf
6 elevator pitches for the 21st century: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvxtC60V6kc
Socrative: www.socrative.com/
Stop, Think, Do: www.fulhmgdnps.sa.edu.au/docs/policies/stop_think_do.pdf
The 4C’s Visible Thinking routine: www.academicenglishlearners.com/uploads/1/6/8/5/16850748/4croutine.docx.pdf
YouTube – Jeb Corliss ‘Harnessing Fear’ TED talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU7iz1Y36DU&t=248s
YouTube – Hillary Clinton discusses the benefits of taking risks: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr2SLAPeYU4
YouTube – Teens taking risks – inside your brain: www.youtube.com/watch?v=phbAHP6T5c8
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
YouTube - Joel Thompson shares his story for Yarn safe: https://headspace.org.au/yarn-safe/

Water safety – a NSW government initiative: www.watersafety.nsw.gov.au/
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APPENDIX 1
Examine strategies for safe practices in outdoor environments
Choose one of the following outdoor environments: road, farm, sun or water. Using the template below:
1. Examine the strategies that reduce risk in this environment.
2. Propose additional strategies for safe practices for young people in their chosen outdoor environment.
3. Share your proposed strategies with the class.
The following websites will assist your inquiry:
Road-user behaviour: NSW Centre for Road Safety: staying safe
Farm safety: Farmsafe
Exposure to sun: Cancer Council: sun protection recommendations
Water environments: Water safety: a NSW government initiative
Outdoor environment selected: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Interesting information
Important information
Insert information here
Insert information here
Big idea from each strategy
Insert information here
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APPENDIX 2
KWHL research process and instructions
‘How does drug use affect health, safety and wellbeing?’
K
W
What do we
know?
Students consider what they already know about drug use and health. For example:
 Explore prior knowledge, what can they recall?
 Share interesting facts and/or insights.
 Brainstorm words, terms or phrases they associate with drug use.
Teacher consideration: students may suggest information that is not accurate. These
statements should be turned into questions and added to the ‘W’ column.
What do
we
wonder?
Students direct their thinking towards the directed questions:
 How are drugs classified?
 What are the short-term and long-term effects of drug use? Provide examples.
 What is the impact of drug use on young people’s decisions and behaviours? Provide
examples.
 How do contextual factors impact on individual decisions and actions relating to drug
use?
 Predict how drug use might affect the future health, safety and wellbeing of individuals
and the community.
Students continue to add questions to this column during the research process.
Teacher consideration: continual provision of feedback during this stage.
Students document how they will learn more to answer the driving question. They determine
which resources will best help them answer the driving question. Students evaluate sources
and select the ones most appropriate for the research task.
H
L
How do we
find
information?
What we
have
learned?
Teacher provides guidance and feedback during this stage. Suggested resources include:
 Positive Choices positivechoices.org.au/students/
 Alcohol and Drug Foundation adf.org.au/drug-facts/
 National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource-type/
fact-sheets
 Australian Government Department of Health
www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/drugtreat-pubs-front6wk-toc~drugtreat-pubs-front6-wk-secb~drugtreat-pubs-front6-wk-secb-3~drugtreatpubs-front6-wk-secb-3-1
 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) 2016
www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/ndshs-2016-key-findings/contents/
summary
Groups conduct research. Students add information gathered to this column, recording their
findings and what was learned. To make learning visible, groups present their research
findings and learnings. This includes:
Research findings
Groups choose how they report on research findings to answer the driving question. For
example, a poster, website, brochure, blog, infographic or news article.
Presentation of learning
Groups present what they learned to an audience (eg class, Year group, school) in the format
of a mini trade show, conference or exhibition. This should include:
 The topic and content (research findings).
 Reflections about how they learn, how their group functioned, new content knowledge
gained while working on the project.
 The biggest takeaway from the project. What is the most important thing learned?
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