AEPA Physical Education (NT506) key terms

Basic movement patterns such as running, jumping, throwing, and catching that form the foundation for more complex physical activities and sports.

Movements that transport the body from one place to another across space, including walking, running, hopping, skipping, jumping, galloping, and sliding.

Movements performed in place without traveling, such as bending, twisting, turning, pushing, pulling, stretching, and balancing, used to build body control and stability.

Motor skills involving handling or controlling objects, such as throwing, catching, kicking, striking, dribbling, and rolling, which require hand-eye or foot-eye coordination.

Growth of the ability to interpret sensory information and respond with coordinated movement, integrating visual, auditory, tactile, and proprioceptive input with motor actions.

Understanding where the body is in relation to objects, other people, and boundaries, enabling safe and effective movement through personal and general space.

Knowledge of body parts, their positions, and how they move, which helps learners control movements and develop coordination during physical activities.

Maintaining stability while the body is moving or while recovering from a disturbance, such as walking on a beam or landing a jump.

The progression of skill acquisition from cognitive, effortful movement attempts to automatic, refined performance, often described as cognitive, associative, and autonomous stages.

The influence of prior movement experience on learning or performing a new skill, which can be positive when similar patterns help or negative when habits interfere.

Ideas describing how movement is performed, including space, direction, levels, pathways, effort, force, speed, and relationships with objects or people.

Open skills are performed in unpredictable, changing environments, while closed skills occur in stable settings where the performer controls the timing and sequence.

The five dimensions of fitness linked to health-cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition-that contribute to overall well-being.

Fitness abilities that enhance athletic performance, often called performance components: agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed, which support success in sports.

A framework for designing exercise programs that specifies frequency, intensity, time, and type of activity to achieve fitness goals safely and effectively.

The training principle that the body adapts only when exercise demands exceed accustomed levels, requiring gradual increases in workload to improve fitness.

The training principle that adaptations are specific to the type of exercise performed, so training must match the desired fitness outcome or sport demand.

A desired range of heartbeats per minute during exercise that promotes cardiovascular improvement, often calculated using age, resting heart rate, and intensity percentages.

The relative proportions of fat mass and lean mass in the body, used as a health-related fitness indicator and assessed through methods such as skinfolds or bioelectrical impedance.

Recommendations that children and adolescents engage in at least sixty minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, including muscle- and bone-strengthening activities.

A multidimensional state of well-being encompassing physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, and environmental health, beyond merely the absence of disease.

A curriculum organized around clear learning standards that specify what students should know and be able to do, guiding instruction and assessment.

A plan outlining what content is taught (scope) and the order in which it is presented across grade levels (sequence).

Adjusting content, process, or product based on students' readiness, interests, and learning profiles so all learners can access physical education.

Ongoing checks for understanding during instruction, such as observations, exit tickets, or peer feedback, used to adjust teaching and improve learning.

End-of-unit or end-of-course evaluation of student learning against standards, such as a final skills test, written exam, or performance project.

A scoring guide that describes levels of performance on specific criteria, helping teachers evaluate skills consistently and communicate expectations to students.

Evaluation tasks that require students to apply skills in realistic settings, such as game play, fitness plans, or peer coaching, rather than only recalling facts.

Breaking a complex skill into smaller, sequential components so each part can be taught, practiced, and assessed before combining them into fluent performance.

Short, memorable phrases that focus learners on key technical elements of a skill, such as 'step and throw' or 'bend your knees.'

Placing students with disabilities in general physical education with appropriate supports, modifications, and accommodations so they can participate meaningfully alongside peers.

Strategies for establishing routines, expectations, and consequences that create a safe, orderly, and respectful learning environment in physical education settings.

Identifying potential hazards and implementing preventive measures, such as equipment checks, supervision plans, and safety rules, to reduce injuries during physical activity.

A teacher's legal obligation to provide reasonable supervision and safe conditions; negligence occurs when that duty is breached and injury results.

A written protocol specifying responses to injuries or emergencies, including communication, evacuation, first aid, and access to emergency medical services.

Ongoing learning activities, such as workshops, conferences, and collaboration, that help teachers maintain and improve their knowledge and instructional practice.

Promoting physical education's value to students, families, administrators, and policymakers through active communication, evidence, community partnerships, and long-term program support.

Protecting students' personal, health, and educational information from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with laws such as FERPA and professional ethics.

A set of procedures for recognizing suspected head injury, removing the athlete from play, and requiring medical clearance before return to activity.

Instruction that recognizes and incorporates students' cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to create inclusive, engaging, and relevant physical education learning environments.