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Level 6: Health and sports science

Development of the course

The following course was designed for a group of level 6 students who hada keen interest in health and sports science. Several of them were studying physical education and sports management. Some hoped to go on to work in the health sector.

Suggested length of course: Full-year.

Resource requirements: Access to a physiotherapist or sports medicine professional; athletes; a dietician; a whānau ora navigator; and Māori health providers.

Focus question 1: How does an athlete’s body work?

Students recognise that humans share common life processes with every other form of life (MRS GREN) by analysing the diet and training regime of an athlete preparing for a major event (as the context for investigating organs, systems, etc.).

They investigate:

  • the structure and function of the skeletomuscular system and the associated nervous system that controls movement and balance, by:
    • dissecting model organisms such as beef joints (if culturally appropriate)
    • experimenting with each other to find whether vision is needed for balance
  • the gastrointestinal system, by:
    • relating the digestion and absorption of food to respiration in cells
    • exploring energy input/output
    • comparing the ease of digestion of simple and complex carbohydrates
    • considering hydration needs of athletes
  • the human circulatory system, including heart and lungs, by dissecting a sheep pluck to explore the heart–lung connections.

Students critically evaluate how models are used to explain human physiology. (Examples are the heart as a pump; a pipe model of the circulatory system; “pacman” enzymes; and rubber-band muscles.)

They explore connections between interrelated systems in humans (such as the relationships between support, movement, and sensitivity; carbon dioxide levels and breathing rate; diet and blood sugar levels as examples of homeostasis), by:

  • constructing models or diagrams of feedback mechanisms in humans
  • investigating the science behind “carbo-loading” before a strenuous event.

Focus question 2: How does an athlete keep a healthy body?

Students investigate how:

  • changes in an environmental factor affect specific life processes, by:
    • looking at the interaction between heart rate and breathing rate when the level of exercise changes
    • researching the impact of Type 2 diabetes on glucose balance for Māori and Pasifika
    • exploring genetic factors such as lactose intolerance (enzyme malfunction)
    • researching the short- and long-term effects of performance-enhancing drugs in sports (including ethical considerations)
  • scientific information about health and well-being is communicated to the general public, by:
    • critically reviewing TV/Internet advertising clips to unpack science ideas
    • designing a presentation or poster for a specific audience on a human health issue (for example, the use of performance- enhancing drugs, diabetes).

Students understand what happens when organs malfunction, by:

  • investigating the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of peptic ulcers
  • interviewing a physiotherapist about the diagnosis and treatment of soft-tissue injuries
  • exploring the medical imaging methods used to diagnose organ malfunctions and/or sports injuries.

Focus question 3: How much do genes count?

Students investigate:

  • variation between humans by:
    • comparing factors such as resting pulse rates and height. How much of the observed variation is genetic and how much is environmental?
  • mechanisms and patterns of genetic inheritance in humans by:
    • tracking discrete human traits through generations.

They relate genotype and phenotype by:

  • recognising DNA/genes/proteins as the source of phenotype
  • exploring the role of proteins such as myosin, collagen, amylase, insulin, haemoglobin, and fibrin in humans.

They how science knowledge raises social issues, by:

  • considering the ethics of human genetic screening.

Possible assessment

Possible assessments for this course include:

  • AS90925 Biology 1.1: Carry out a practical investigation in a biological context, with direction (4 credits, internal)
  • AS90926 Biology 1.2: Report on a biological issue (3 credits, internal)
  • AS90929 Biology 1.5: Demonstrate understanding of biological ideas relating to a mammal as a consumer (mammal (human) as a consumer) (3 credits, external)
  • AS90936 Physics 1.2: Demonstrate understanding of the physics of an application (2 credits, internal)
  • AS90948 Science 1.9: Demonstrate understanding of biological ideas relating to genetic variation (4 credits, external)
  • AS90949 Science 1.10: Investigate life processes and environmental factors that affect them (4 credits, internal)
  • AS90956 Home economics 1.1: Demonstrate knowledge of an individual’s nutritional needs (5 credits, internal)
  • AS90972 Health 1.2: Demonstrate understanding of influences on adolescent eating patterns to make health-enhancing recommendations (4 credits, external)

Possible career links

Possible career links are health sciences, and sports science and management in Māori, Pakeha, and Pasifika contexts.

Last updated December 12, 2012



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