OSAT Physical Education/Health/Safety key terms

A fundamental movement in which the body travels from one place to another, such as walking, running, hopping, skipping, jumping, galloping, or sliding. These form the base for later sport-specific patterns.

A movement performed in place without transferring body weight to a new location, such as bending, twisting, turning, swinging, pushing, or pulling. Also called stability or axial movements.

A movement that involves giving force to or receiving force from an object, such as throwing, catching, kicking, striking, dribbling, or trapping. These are central to games and sport performance.

A basic, generalizable movement form that develops in childhood and later serves as a building block for specialized sport skills. Mastery of these patterns underlies physical literacy.

The motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding needed to value and take responsibility for lifelong engagement in physical activity. It is a common outcome goal of quality physical education.

A relatively permanent change in a person's capability to perform a motor skill, produced by practice or experience and inferred from improved performance that persists over time.

The progressive, age-related change in movement behavior across the lifespan, influenced by biological maturation, environment, and experience. Teachers use it to match tasks to students' readiness.

Information a learner receives about a movement attempt. Intrinsic feedback comes from the performer's own senses; extrinsic (augmented) feedback is supplied by a teacher, coach, peer, or device.

The influence of prior practice on the learning of a new skill. Positive transfer helps a new task; negative transfer interferes with it, often when similar cues demand different responses.

A motor skill performed in a predictable, stable environment where the performer controls the timing of the action, such as a free throw or a golf drive. Contrasts with an open skill.

A motor skill performed in an unpredictable, changing environment where the performer must adjust timing and movement to external events, such as returning a serve or dribbling past a defender.

The study of forces acting on and within the body and the effects these forces produce on movement. It informs technique analysis, equipment choice, and injury risk reduction.

The point at which the body's mass is evenly distributed and through which gravity acts. Lowering it and widening the base of support increase stability during balance tasks.

The area beneath and between the parts of the body in contact with the ground. A larger base of support generally improves stability, while a smaller one favors mobility.

A rigid bar that rotates around a fixed point, called the axis or fulcrum, when force is applied. Bones act as levers, joints as axes, and muscles supply the force.

A push or pull that can change an object's motion or shape, measured in newtons. In movement, force is produced by muscle contraction and by contact with the ground or equipment.

The components of fitness associated with good health: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. These are the primary targets of school fitness education.

Components of fitness that support athletic and sport performance: agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed. Also called performance-related fitness.

A framework for designing exercise programs based on Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type of activity. Teachers use it to help students build safe, progressive personal fitness plans.

The training principle that the body adapts only when the workload is gradually increased beyond its current capacity. Increases should be modest to allow adaptation and avoid injury.

The rate at which work is done, or force multiplied by velocity. In sport, it is the ability to exert force quickly, as in jumping or throwing, and is a skill-related fitness component.

A predetermined heart rate range intended to guide exercise intensity, often calculated from estimated maximum heart rate. It helps students monitor whether activity is moderate or vigorous.

The study of how the body's systems respond and adapt to acute and chronic physical activity. It explains training effects such as increased stroke volume and improved oxygen uptake.

A nutrient needed in large amounts to supply energy and building material: carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Balance among them supports growth, activity, and overall health.

A vitamin or mineral needed in small amounts for normal body functions such as metabolism, bone health, and immunity. Deficiencies can impair growth and physical performance.

The relationship between calories consumed from food and calories expended through metabolism and physical activity. A sustained positive balance promotes weight gain; a negative balance promotes loss.

A screening ratio of weight to height used to classify weight status in populations. It does not measure body fat directly and should be interpreted cautiously, especially for children and athletes.

The standardized panel on packaged food showing serving size, calories, and amounts of key nutrients. Teaching students to read it builds skills for informed food choices.

The ability to obtain, understand, and use health information and services to make sound decisions. It is a core outcome of comprehensive school health education.

A framework explaining why people adopt or avoid health behaviors, used to design effective instruction and interventions. Examples include the health belief model and social cognitive theory.

A person's perception of what peers typically do and what they approve of. Correcting exaggerated peer norms is a common strategy in substance-use and sexual health education.

Infection-control practices applied to all blood and body fluids regardless of presumed status, including gloves, hand hygiene, and barriers. They protect both the responder and the injured person.

A written, practiced protocol specifying who calls emergency services, who provides care, and where equipment and exits are located. Every activity setting should have one before participation begins.

Immediate, temporary care given to an ill or injured person until professional help arrives. It includes assessing the scene, checking responsiveness, controlling bleeding, and summoning help.

A traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body that disrupts brain function. Any suspected concussion requires removal from play and evaluation by a health professional.

Matching instruction, equipment, and expectations to students' physical, cognitive, and social development. It keeps tasks challenging yet achievable and reduces frustration and injury risk.

Deliberately varying content, process, product, or environment in response to learner readiness, interests, and profiles. In physical education it often means modifying space, equipment, rules, or grouping.

Designing learning so that every student, regardless of ability, background, or identity, can participate meaningfully and safely. It goes beyond placement to active, equitable engagement.

The legal principle that students with disabilities should be educated with peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, with supplementary aids and services as needed.

Ongoing checks of learning used to adjust instruction and give feedback while a unit is in progress. Examples include skill checklists, exit tickets, and peer observation.

Evaluation of student learning at the end of a unit or term, used to judge achievement against standards. Examples include final skill tests, written exams, and fitness portfolios.

Assessment that asks students to perform realistic tasks resembling real-world activity, such as game play or designing a fitness plan. It emphasizes application over recall.

The legal obligation of teachers to act reasonably to protect students from foreseeable harm. It requires adequate supervision, safe equipment, and prompt response to hazards.

Failure to exercise the degree of care a reasonable professional would provide, resulting in injury or loss. Courts generally consider duty, breach, causation, and damages.

A United States federal law protecting the privacy of students' education records, including grades and assessment data, and limiting disclosure without consent or a permitted exception.