Safety in Action
Health • 50 • 30 students • Created with AI following Aligned with Australian Curriculum (F-10)
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Teaching Instructions
Create lesson on Participating with Safety Part 2
Learning Intention: identify safety equipment and other factors that keep you safe during physical activity.
Create a do it now activity on the topic to start the lesson
During the lesson:
- Preventing injuries during physical activity There are risks involved in every physical activity. Some sports, such as diving, surfing or gymnastics, have a higher risk, and many safety steps need to be taken to ensure safe participation. This should not prevent you from trying the activity, but simply act as a factor to think about before and during them.
We learn skills for use in many different environments. While at the pool, we learn to swim, dive and rescue others. On a football field, we learn to sidestep and tackle. In gymnastics, where there is a variety of apparatus, learning skills can be quite challenging. Including safety checks and advice for safe behaviour can promote an environment in which injury risk is minimised.
No matter what sport we play, accidents might happen. Usually, accidents are the result of:
lack of knowledge — for example, not being able to identify a rip in the surf an unsafe environment — for example, holes in the field or faulty equipment lack of skill — for example, letting go of a bat while striking, causing injury to the catcher unsafe behaviours — for example, attempting a somersault without mastering the basic skill of falling, tucking and rolling unsafe attitudes — for example, a lack of concern for others’ safety.
- The role of rules The first and simplest way to be safe during physical activity is being aware of the rules of games and playing within them. Rules are designed to promote safety. Some examples are:
Rugby League: you are not allowed to tackle above the shoulders softball: the catcher must wear a protective face mask basketball: contact is to be avoided; intentional contact (fouls) are penalised and, in serious cases, the player is removed from the court. Beyond following the rules, your safety depends on managing three interconnected factors: protective equipment, environmental factors and individual factors. These elements work together to affect your safety.
- Protective equipment Protective equipment is the physical tools you use to protect yourself.
- Environmental factors These are things around you in your environment that can affect safety, including weather, surface and lighting.
- Individual factors These are personal things that affect how safe you are, including your fitness level, health conditions and skill level.
- DISCUSSION
- How might a student's fitness level affect how safely they can participate in a sport they have just started?
- Think of a time when environmental conditions (weather, surface, lighting) changed the way you approached an activity.
- What did you do differently?
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Safety posters Aquatics, athletics, dance, games and gymnastics are some of the activities in which you will participate while developing your physical activity skills. There is a risk of injury in each of these, particularly if safety precautions are not taken.
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Exit Ticket
Divide the class into five groups and allocate one of the movement areas, including aquatics, athletics, dance, games or gymnastics. Each group assesses risky elements or potential for danger in their movement area and compiles a list of issues that relate to safe behaviour. You may need to do research to make sure all areas, such as warm-ups and the checking and handling of equipment are included. Safety rules such as wearing head protection in softball, how to carry javelins, how to dive into swimming pools and having spotters in gymnastics also need to be included. Include at least two examples each of protective equipment, environmental factors and individual factors specific to your allocated activity. Create a printed or digital infographic or fact sheet that outlines the safety risks and procedures for your activity. Share the poster with each person in the class and spend time before each new activity ensuring all students are aware of the safety issues.
Year Level
Year 8
Duration
50 minutes
Class Size
30 students
Curriculum Links (NSW PDHPE Year 8)
- Personal Health and Wellbeing: Assess and apply strategies to manage changes and challenges related to puberty, growth and development; understand safety in physical activity contexts.
- Movement Skill and Performance: Apply safety awareness in physical activities through identifying and using appropriate protective equipment, rules, and environmental awareness to prevent injury.
- Resources: NSW PDHPE Syllabus 2018 links with Year 8 outcomes on safety and participation including managing risks and making informed decisions in physical activity environments.
Learning Intention
Students will identify safety equipment and other factors that keep them safe during physical activity, developing awareness of risk management to prevent injuries in a variety of sporting and physical contexts.
Success Criteria
By the end of the lesson students will be able to:
- List different types of protective equipment and explain how they function to keep athletes safe.
- Recognise environmental and personal factors influencing safety during physical activities.
- Explain the role of rules in promoting safety and give examples from different sports.
- Analyse and evaluate safety risks within assigned movement areas (aquatics, athletics, dance, games, gymnastics).
- Collaborate to create safety posters summarising safety strategies relevant to specific physical activities.
Resources Needed
- Whiteboard and markers
- Projector for displaying safety rules and equipment visuals
- Printed or digital template for safety posters/infographics
- Access to class devices for research (optional)
- Sample protective equipment (helmet, mouthguard, shin pads, knee/elbow pads) if available
- Copies of safety checklists
- Timer or clock
Lesson Outline
| Time | Activity | Description & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mins | Do It Now Activity | Quick written or oral brainstorm: "List any safety equipment or safety rules you know for your favourite sport or physical activity." Students share responses briefly. This primes thinking about safety. |
| 10 mins | Prevention of Injuries - Discussion & Mini Lecture | Introduce key injury causes: lack of knowledge, unsafe environment, lack of skill, unsafe behaviours/attitudes. Use examples (e.g., diving risks, football tackles) and emphasise not avoiding activities but thinking about safety. Highlight the role of rules with examples from Rugby League, softball and basketball. Interactive Q&A to engage students. |
| 10 mins | Protective Equipment, Environmental & Individual Factors | Present the three main interconnected factors affecting safety: |
- Protective Equipment (helmet, mouthguard, shin pads, knee/elbow pads) — show images or real examples if possible. Explain function per type.
- Environmental Factors (weather, surface, lighting) — mention relevant risks and protective strategies (linking to the table on environmental hazards and protective strategies).
- Individual Factors (fitness, health conditions, skill level, attitude) — discuss why personal readiness matters.
Group brief reflective discussion: How might fitness level affect safe participation? Share anecdotes about environmental factors influencing activity approach. | | 15 mins | Group Activity: Safety Posters | Divide class into 5 groups: Aquatics, Athletics, Dance, Games, Gymnastics. Each group researches and compiles: - Risky elements or potential dangers
- Safety rules and procedures
- Examples of protective equipment, environmental and individual factors specific to their activity
Students create a digital or printed infographic/fact sheet summarising their findings to share with class. Teacher circulates to assist research and check accuracy. | | 8 mins | Group Presentations and Class Sharing | Each group briefly presents their safety poster to the class. Posters are shared digitally or printed for ongoing classroom reference, especially before related practical activities. Teacher highlights key points and clarifies misconceptions. | | 2 mins | Exit Ticket | Each student writes a quick response: "Name one safety equipment, one environmental factor, and one personal factor that affects safety in physical activity." Collect for formative assessment of understanding. |
Differentiation and Inclusion
- Provide printed templates and sentence starters for students needing support.
- Encourage students with higher skills or English proficiency to assist peers during group research/presentation.
- Adapt tasks for students with health conditions by modifying activities or roles (e.g., researcher, presenter).
- Use visual aids and real equipment to support diverse learning styles.
Assessment for Learning (Formative)
- Observation of participation during discussions and group work.
- Review of group safety posters for understanding of safety and risk factors.
- Exit tickets to assess individual grasp of protective equipment, environmental and personal safety factors.
- Teacher questioning to clarify concepts during lesson.
Teacher Notes & Tips
- Use the cool, calm colour palette (light blue, teal) for the safety posters in line with the professional aesthetics seen in uploaded images to maintain consistency and engagement.
- Incorporate the detailed tables from the source materials to help guide discussion on risks and protective strategies (e.g., fitness level fatigue, need for warm-ups, weather hazards).
- Encourage real-world connections by asking students to recall recent sports or physical activities where safety was a concern or factor.
- Reinforce that injury prevention is about empowerment and informed participation, not fear.
- Use this lesson as a foundation for ongoing safety awareness before practical sports lessons or interschool competitions.
By following this plan, students develop important safety literacy related to physical activity, aligned with NSW PDHPE curriculum requirements for Year 8, supporting their wellbeing in sport and active lifestyles.
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