Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: What does it take?

20 minutes

Find Out: Case studies

25 minutes

Take Action: Give it a go!

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

explore environmental factors that might prevent them from being physically active.

Success criteria

Students can:

identify environmental barriers to participating in physical activity
create and implement strategies to increase participation in physical activity.

Preparation:

This lesson includes some sensitive topics, including inequality. Please consider your cohort and, if necessary, allow for time and support after discussing these topics. Some discussions may involve personal experiences and feelings, so it may be helpful to set some ground rules prior to discussing.

Tune In: What does it take?

Step 1

Explain to students that they will focus on different factors that affect participation in physical activity. Lead a class discussion on the question: What does it take to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games?

Note down student responses on a whiteboard so students can track their thinking.

Suggested responses:

skills
practice
equipment
attitude
determination
resources
time
assistance.

Step 2

Explain to students that some of these factors are intrinsic and come from inside us, and others are extrinsic, which are things we need in our environment.

Discuss the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic with your students. Intrinsic motivation means doing something because you enjoy it or find it interesting (for example, reading a book because you love the story), whereas extrinsic motivation means doing something because you will get a reward or avoid a punishment (for example, cleaning your room because your parents promised you a treat).

Redirect students to think about the ideas listed in the previous step and categorise if they are intrinsic or extrinsic factors by circling or underlining intrinsic factors in 1 colour and extrinsic factors in another.

Step 3

Lead a class discussion with your students, and ask them:

If we don’t have access to these extrinsic factors, can we still be an athlete?

Find Out: Case studies

Step 1

Read through the case studies with your class and direct students to respond to the questions on the Student Worksheet after reading each case study below. Each case study focuses on how these athletes overcame their lack of resources and succeeded in becoming athletes.

Case studies:

Eileen Cikamatana	Eileen Cikamatana is a remarkable weightlifter who made history by becoming the first woman to win individual gold medals for 2 different countries at the Commonwealth Games. She achieved her first gold for Fiji in the 90kg weight division at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and later won another gold in the 87kg weight division in Birmingham. As the youngest member of Australia’s weightlifting team in Birmingham, Eileen broke several Games records. Eileen grew up in a small village in Fiji and began weightlifting at the suggestion of a school teacher. At 15, she moved to New Caledonia to train with top Pacific athletes. In 2019, Eileen moved to Sydney to continue training with coach Paul Coffa, and accepted an offer to compete for Australia. After Eileen switched her allegiance to Australia, she won gold at World Cup events in 2019 and 2020 for Australia and broke 2 junior world records in 2019 in China. However, she was still ineligible to represent Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. She is coached by Paul Coffa at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in Noumea, but frequently travels to Sydney for training. Eileen set her personal best in clean & jerk (155kg) in August 2019 and her personal best in snatch (120kg) and total (272kg) in March 2021, an effort that would have won her the world title. Source: (commonwealthgames.com.au/athletes/eileen-cikamatana/)
Percy Hobson	Percy Hobson was an incredible athlete and an inspiring figure in Australian sports history. Percy was a proud Gundabooka man from Bourke, New South Wales. Born in 1942, Percy was 1 of 10 children. He started high jumping at 13 during school carnivals. Percy's dedication never wavered despite many challenges, such as travelling long distances for training and competitions. Percy would leave Bourke on a Friday afternoon train and arrive in Sydney on Saturday morning to compete. He would catch the train home on Sunday and arrive on Monday morning in Bourke before going straight to work, travelling over 1500 km in 32 hours. He trained in his backyard, using a bar made by his cousin, Frank. His coach, Doug McBain, guided him through letters because he lived far away. Percy's hard work paid off when he won gold in the men's high jump at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, becoming Australia's first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gold medallist. His employer, Tancred's Meat Works, supported him by giving him time off to train and compete, and Airlines of NSW provided cheaper airfares. Percy set records and cleared high bars throughout his life, inspiring many to follow in his footsteps. He passed away in 2022, but his incredible achievements inspire us all. Source: (commonwealthgames.com.au/indigenous-pioneer-athlete-percy-hobson-passes-away/)
Marjorie Jackson AC CVO MBE	Marjorie Jackson is a legendary Australian athlete who broke barriers and made history in women's running. She was the first Australian female runner to break a world record and the first Australian woman to win a track and field gold medal. Born in Coffs Harbour and raised in Lithgow, Marjorie left school early to work as a typist. Despite her humble beginnings, she had a natural talent for running and a supportive father who bought her second-hand spiked shoes, even though they were too large and had to be stuffed with newspaper. He also built her a set of starting blocks. Marjorie trained under coach Jim Monaghan, who worked in the town's small arms factory. They trained in the evenings after their day jobs, often under harsh winter conditions with fog, sleet, or snow. She trained on a track lit by car headlights.In January 1950, Marjorie set the first of her 10 world records and won her first of 7 Commonwealth Games gold medals later that year. Her most famous performance came at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, where she won gold medals in the 100 and 200 metres, equalling a world record in the 100 and setting a new one in the 200. Known as the 'Lithgow Flash,' Marjorie won 6 national titles during her career. Source: (athletics.com.au/hall-of-fame-directory/marjorie-jackson/)

Suggested answers for Student Worksheet:

Eileen Cikamatana	1. Who is Eileen Cikamatana? Eileen is a weightlifter who made history at the Commonwealth Games. 2. Eileen was the first woman to do what? Eileen was the first woman to win individual gold for 2 different countries at the Commonwealth Games. 3. What did she do at only 15 years old? She moved to New Caledonia to train with other top athletes. 4. Why did Eileen change countries? To continue training with her coach, Paul Coffa.
Percy Hobson	1. Who is Percy Hobson? Percy was a proud Gundabooka man and high-jump athlete. 2. What was significant about Percy’s first Commonwealth Games gold medal? Percy was the first Aboriginal athlete to win a gold medal, which he won at the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games. 3. What was different about how Percy would train? Percy would travel long distances to train and compete. He would travel over 1500 kms in 32 hours.
Marjorie Jackson AC CVO MBE	1. Who is Marjorie Jackson? The first Australian female runner to break a world record. 2. How did Marjorie make history? She was the first Australian female runner to break a world record and she was the first Australian woman to win a track and field gold medal. 3. What are some examples of how Marjorie overcame her lack of resources? Problem: second-hand spiked shoes that were too big Solution: stuffed her shoes with newspaper Problem: no equipment Solution: Marjorie’s father built her a set of starting blocks Problem: Marjorie and her coach worked during the day Solution: they trained in the evenings Problem: no light in the evenings during training Solution: they would turn the car headlights on to provide light.

Take Action: Give it a go!

Step 1

Divide the students into groups of 3.

Step 2

Your students’ task is to create a plan to participate in a Commonwealth Games sport of their choice. Students can view the different Commonwealth Games sports at the bottom of this page.

Each group will write their plan on the Planning Template. Students will need to identify the equipment, modifications, rules, and skills needed to participate in the sport. Outline to students that some sports may require specific facilities.

Learning support: Provide additional scaffolding for students by encouraging them to use the following sentence starters in their responses:

The equipment I need is…
I need protective gear such as…
I can make modifications/changes to the sport by…
I need to practise skills such as…
To get better, I will…
We could change the rules to….
Someone who could help me with this sport is…
My parent/teacher/friend could help me learn by…

Learning extension: Students research local community groups and initiatives that could assist them in facilitating their chosen sport at school. For example, students could research details for the local men’s shed and write a letter explaining how they could contribute their skills to create equipment for their sport.

Step 3

Invite each group to share their plan with the class. Encourage your students to take home their plans to share with their family and friends – their written plan could be the catalyst for a new hobby or opportunity for their community to get involved.

Reflection

Lead a discussion with students using the following prompts:

Why is it important to do physical activity?
What are the social, emotional and physical benefits?

In Australia, we have state-by-state programs to support kids financially to participate in organised sport. Some of these programs include:

• Victoria: KIDs voucher program
• Queensland: FairPlay vouchers
• Western Australia: KidSport
• South Australia: Sports Vouchers
• New South Wales: Active and Creative Kids voucher
• Tasmania: Ticket to Play

What Does It Take?

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Lesson Guides and Printables

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What Does It Take?

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Lesson Guides and Printables

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