Grade 9 Physical and 

Health education  
 
 

Unit one: competitive swimming 

An e cient application of scientific principles 

will help us develop and refine the skills we 
need to adapt to new and unfamiliar 
environments.  

 
  
Statement of Inquiry: 
 

An e cient application of scientific principles will help us 

develop and refine the skills we need to adapt to new and 
unfamiliar environments.  
 
Key Concept  Related  Global Context 
Concepts 

Development: is the act or  Adaptation - Students will  Scientific and Technical 
process of growth or  adapt their movements to  Innovation - Students will 
progress. Students will look  refine their stroke.  explore how we use our 
Refinement - Students will  understanding of scientific 
to develop and improve their 
use technology to analyze  principles to improve our 
swimming skills through  performance. Students will 
iterative improvements.  and refine their stroke. 
look at the most e cient 
  Environment - the  ways in which we can propel 
circumstances, objects, or  ourselves through the water. 
 
conditions by which an 
individual is surrounded. The 
e ective performance of 
techniques, skills, strategies 
and tactics are influenced by 
environmental factors.  

 
Lines of Inquiry 
 
Factual: 
● What are some of the techniques needed in each of the 4 swimming strokes? 
● What do we mean by streamlining our body? 
● How can you maximise the amount of power you get in the pull stage of the stroke? 
 
Conceptual: 
● What do we mean by iterative improvements, and how would they help in the 
development of a skill? 
● What do we mean by refinement? 
 
Debatable: 
● What is the best breathing strategy when swimming 25m/100m? Explain giving 
evidence to support your answer. 
 
 

 
  
 
   

Communication Skills  Affective Skills 
➔ Give and receive meaningful feedback  ➔ Cr 
➔ Negotiate ideas and knowledge with   
peers and teachers 
 
 

 
 
Use the links below to find definitions for each of swimming terms listed. These will be 
important as I will be using them each lesson, and I will expect you to understand. You can 
write the definitions in any language you choose. 
 
Links:  
Swim Terminology 
Glossary of Competitive Swimming Terms 
 
Catch   

Pull    

Recover   

Tumble turn   

Lap   

Flutter kick   

Dolphin kick   

Frog kick   

Bilateral breathing   

Streamline   

Anchor   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Criterion C: Applying and Performing 
● demonstrate and apply a range of skills and techniques e ectively 
● demonstrate and apply a range of strategies and movement concepts 
● analyse and apply information to perform e ectively 
 
Level  Descriptor  Indicator 

  ● Demonstrates and applies skills and  ● Can complete 25m of the pool with 
techniques with limited success.  assistance of a kickboard. 
1‑2 
● Demonstrates and applies strategies and 
movement concepts with limited success.  ● Can complete 25m in any stroke without 
● Recalls information to perform.  stopping 

  ● Demonstrates and applies skills and  ● Can demonstrate 2 recognisable strokes 

techniques.  ● Can complete 25m in both strokes  
3‑4 
● Demonstrates and applies strategies and  ● Can complete 25m freestyle in under 35 
movement concepts.  seconds 
● Identifies and applies information to perform. 

  ● Demonstrates and applies a range of skills  ● Can demonstrate 3 strokes 

5‑6  and techniques.  ● Can complete 50m freestyle in under 50 
● Demonstrates and applies a range of  seconds 
strategies and movement concepts.  ● Can complete 25m in other strokes in under 
● Analyses and applies information to perform  30 seconds 
● Can execute a competition dive 

  ● Demonstrates and applies a range of  ● Can demonstrate all 4 strokes 

complex skills and techniques.  ● Can complete 50m freestyle in under 35 
7‑8 
● Demonstrates and applies a range of  seconds 
complex strategies and movement concepts.  ● Can complete 50m breast stroke in under 45 
● Analyzes and applies information to perform  seconds 
e ectively.  ● Can complete 25m in other strokes in under 
20 seconds 
● Can execute a competition dive and tumple 
turn 

Demonstrate - show through practical application in the pool 

Complex - characterised by a complicated application of the specific techniques (bilateral breathing, the 
butterfly stroke, double arm backstroke, tumble turn) 
E ectively - performing with correct technique 

Student’s assessment:  Teacher’s Assessment: 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  
 

  You are going to select two swimming strokes that you would like to improve (one needs to be 
freestyle) 

You will research from a couple of di erent websites important tips to help improve your 
 
technique, citing those sources in your bibliography using APA citations - Criterion A 

You will demonstrate your research by explaining what should be happening in each stage of the 
 
stroke, using the appropriate swimming terminology (document 1) - Criterion A 

  Turn your research into a checklist (document 2) - Criterion A 

Use your checklist to analyse your own stoke and pick out the main two things you need to 
 
improve, again using the correct terminology (document 3) -Criterion D 

You will come up with a plan for what to do each week to improve this stroke (document 3) - 
 
Criterion D 

  You will give your plan and checklist to your “coach” and work together in class to improve these 
skills - Criterion D 

At the end of the unit you will reflect on your achievements, creating a before and after video 
 
(document 4) - Criterion D 
 
 

 
 
 
Freestyle:  Backstroke: 
The catch  Stronger pull 
E ortless swimming  Improving backstroke 
Freestyle Swimming Stroke   
Catch and Pull   
Usa Swimming 

Breaststroke:  Butterfly: 
Basic technique  Butterfly for beginners 
Breastroke  Butterfly 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 Works Cited 
 
Backstroke Catch Point Drill | Stronger Pull. (2016, January 10). Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxgXgsQhKiI 

E. (2015, April 23). How And Where To Start Your Catch In Freestyle. Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7mPxoMe5hM 

Glossary Of Competitive Swimming Terms. (n.d.). Retrieved from 

http://www.swimtac.com/vatac/UserFiles/Image/Parent Survival 

Handbook/glossary_terms.htm 

H. (2013, June 18). 3 Swimming Drills to Improve Backstroke | Swimming Lessons. Retrieved 

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B3BZUrhGGI 

Learn to Swim - Breaststroke Part 1. (2017, June 16). Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syPEtHsI0J4 

Learn to Swim - Butterfly Part 1. (2017, June 16). Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGOJeqyKzuw 

S. (2017, March 15). Swimming: Basic Technique | Breaststroke. Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG4PMjrk-0g 

S. (2013, July 04). Freestyle Swimming Technique | Stroke. Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HLW2AI1Ink 

Swim Terminology. (n.d.). Retrieved from 

http://www.lcatswimming.com/swim-terminology.html 

C. (2016, July 27). The Freestyle Catch: The Key to Swimming a Faster Freestyle. Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1OY_yQBiXM 

C. (2011, March 28). Freestyle swim catch and pull. Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cCyO7gIlIA 

V. (2011, April 06). How To Do Butterfly Stroke For Beginners. Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAUl4Sdg6R8