Part 1: An Overview of the session

Session Title: Tour de Mawson Lakes

The 'Tour de Mawson Lakes Biathlon' is a spectacular event that brings together the physical domain
of cycling with the cognitive challenge of understanding health and sustainability. Success in this
challenge requires teams to work collaboratively to meet the thinking and action demands required
to complete the event. Dedicated riding and profound, deep thinking are essential!

The ‘Tour de Mawson Lakes Biathlon’ is an innovative learning unit that cohesively integrates multiple
dimensions from within the Australian Curriculum. Motivating the design of this unit is the desire to
create deeply engaging and contextually relevant learning experiences that provide opportunities to
encourage higher order thinking and the development of valuable life skills. The teaching session will
draw from the Australian Curriculum sections as follows; HPE (strands: Personal, Social and
Community Health and Movement and Physical Activity), Sustainability (Cross-Curriculum Priority),
Critical and Creative Thinking and ICT (General Capabilities). Movement and Physical Activity will be
covered by engaging in a group cycling event including a brief ‘licensing’ process (basic skills test).
Personal, Social and Community Health will involve students considering strategies for life long
physical and mental health and well-being for themselves personally and strategies encouraged within
the Mawson Lakes community: community initiatives, public spaces and design choices. The concept
of sustainability will be a persistent underpinning idea of the whole session with dedicated takes
around environmental and health sustainability to be undertaken at the ‘Tour Stages’. ICT will feature
as a safety tracking method (Strava) throughout the ride and be used to complete ‘Tour Stage’ tasks.
Critical and Creative Thinking will be developed through teacher questioning throughout the ride and
during ‘Tour Stage’ sustainability activities.

Facilitating the best possible outcomes from students will require all the previously mentioned
features to be seamlessly integrated, this is possible through understanding the value of each
individual component and the decisions made by the teacher on how to bring them together
effectively. Below is the ‘Bicycle Model’, an analogy for how each component (Australian Curriculum
element) serves an essential role in the functionality of the whole bicycle (unit of learning). Implicit
within this 'Bicycle Model' metaphor is the notion that the whole is more than the sum of the parts:
each element has a function but only by systematically linking them can the full potential and purpose
be reached.

Bicycle Model: Where Integration Meets Innovation

Component & Function Content

Health & Physical Education  Cycling: moving the body to cycle successfully
The Wheels  Cycling: adapting movement to context (footpath,
bike trails, road cycling, cars, etc.)
 Grounds the system (gives  Physical Health/Well-being: personal benefits of
learning a context) engaging with community (recreational and green
 Allows for movement spaces) and participating in physical activity
(allows for learning,  Community Health/Well-being: planning for
growth, development by connected communities that encourage health and
aiming towards well-being
achievement standards)
 Component & Function Content

Sustainability  Cycling: physical health sustainability across

The Handle Bar lifespan (other forms of active transport and
community activity)
 Used to steer system (gives  Mawson Lakes Interchange: transport and
direction and meaning to environmental sustainability
learning)  Mobarra Park: mental health/well-being associated
 Allows for control (can take with public green spaces
learning down multiple  University of South Australia: future energy
pathways) projects for increased environmental sustainability
(renewable energy development)
 Sir Douglas Mawson Lake: water sustainability
practices, specifically the importance in Australian
context
Critical and Creative Thinking  ‘Tour Stages’: devising and selecting creative
The Seat and Shock Absorbers approaches to responding to tasks
 ‘Tour Stages’: critical reflection of existing practices
 Allows obstacles to be and procedures
tackled (development of  Questioning (used throughout): deeper, inquiry
problem solving, analysis thinking required to respond to teacher questions
and inquiry skills)
 Gives stability (develops
valuable thinking skills for
application in future
situations)
ICT  Cycle Check: video or picture catalogue to
The Chain and Gears demonstrate working condition of cycle
 Strava: for time and group management for group
 Connects the rider to the tracking, gamification through challenges and
wheels (engages students achievements
in the learning process)  Rogaining: route mapping, gamification through
 Allows for adaptation to the challenges and achievements
environment (provides  ‘Tour Stages’: activity tasks using ICT such as
opportunities for flexible creating videos and using internet for research
and future oriented
learning)
Teacher Decisions  Planning: theme, track, stage locations, activities
The Frame  Presence: positive and enthusiastic
 Positioning: adapting to changing environment
 Connecting structure  Questioning: multiple types and techniques
(brings together all the selected appropriately
components to create a  Content Knowledge: know content well enough to
unified, working system) make facilitate students making connections
Understanding the Priority and Capabilities

Priority/Capabilities Development in Session

Relevant Key Ideas
Sustainability (Priority)  Sustainability of relationships through
the development of pro-social skills and
Sustainable patterns of living rely on the systems (links directly to Personal, Social
interdependence of healthy social, economic & Community Health)
and ecological systems.  Sustainability of physical health across
the life span looking at movement and
The sustainability of ecological, social and physical activity (active transport
economic systems is achieved through informed (cycling, walking, jogging) as a lifelong
individual and community action that values activity)
local and global equity and fairness across  Sustainability of mental health focussing
generations into the future. on engaging socially, community, and
the role of green spaces
Actions for a more sustainable future reflect  Sustainability of ecological and
values of care, respect and responsibility, and economic systems within a region
require us to explore and understand through a community approach,
environments. drawing from town planning and
community initiatives, such as town
Sustainable futures result from actions designed centre including shops and public spaces
to preserve and/or restore the quality and  Environmental sustainability facilitated
uniqueness of environments. by cycling as method of transport
 Strategize action oriented methods for
future sustainability initiatives
Critical and Creative Thinking (Capability)  Explore sustainability initiatives and life-
long health strategies at 'Tour de
Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising Mawson Lakes' stage check points
information and ideas  Generating ideas on how to sustain
personal and community health and
Generating ideas, possibilities and actions well-being across the lifespan and into
the future
Reflecting on thinking and processes  Generating ideas on how to extend
upon current sustainability practices or
Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning ideas of new sustainability opportunities
and procedures  Reflecting upon current personal, social
and community sustainability process
 Evaluating current initiatives from
different perspectives to understand
reasoning
ICT (Capability)  Utilise ICT as a means of streamlining
communication with teachers during
Applying social and ethical protocols and bike check process
practices when using ICT
  Select an existing or create a unique
Investigating with ICT means of communicating results of
checklist process
Creating with ICT  Implement ICT as a group management
and safety mechanism by operating
Communicating with ICT Strava when riding as support crew
 Investigate sustainability and personal,
Managing and Operating ICT social and community health using ICT
during check point academic challenges