Physical activity areas in LCPE
In Leaving Certificate Physical Education, there are six physical activity areas:
- Aquatics
- Athletics
- Artistic and aesthetic activities
- Adventure activities
- Games
- Personal exercise and fitness.
Learners study three physical activities, each one chosen from a different physical activity area. In each physical activity, learners aim to
- develop the standard of their performance in the three selected physical activities
- be creative in their personal performance as an individual performer and/or as a member of a team/group
- be consistent in the quality of their performance.
As learners improve their overall performance in the selected physical activities, they should be able to demonstrate quality performance in a broad range of skills and techniques outlined for the different activities. In the performance assessment for LCPE every learner will be required to perform in one of the three selected physical activities.
Adventure activities are individual and co-operative activities that take place in a challenging environment, usually outdoors, in which elements that cannot be fully controlled, influence the selection and use of skills and strategies to attain set goals. There is a particular emphasis on interpersonal skills and reflection on learning.
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Learners may choose one of the following activities:
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Learners are required to show evidence of their capacity to perform the following skills and techniques in the selected adventure activity:
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Kayaking (Moving/white water)
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Kayaking (Inland flat water/coastal)
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Rock-climbing (Outdoors or indoor climbing wall: single pitch)
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Sailing
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Rowing/Sculling
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Aquatics—water-based activities that utilise swimming and/or diving skills and techniques for performance, water safety, or recreational purposes
Learners may choose one of the following activities:
- Lifesaving
- Survival swim
- Two swimming strokes
- Water-polo
- Synchronised swimming
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Learners are required to show evidence of their capacity to perform the following skills and techniques in the selected activity in aquatics:
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Survival swimming
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Two swimming strokes
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Water-polo
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Synchronised swimming
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Artistic activities provide learners with opportunities to experience creative crafting and performance of activities which involve imaginative combinations of skills, techniques and/or movements in the appropriate style of the event. Aesthetic activities provide learners with opportunities to demonstrate their appreciation of the qualities of the movement and the expressive abilities of the performers. Learners demonstrate this by adopting aesthetic criteria in planning for, performing and evaluating the activity.
Learners may choose one activity from either gymnastic or dance options.
| Gymnastics | Dance |
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| Gymnastics |
| Learners will be required to show evidence of their capacity to perform the following skills and techniques in the selected gymnastic activity. |
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Artistic gymnastics
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Learners are expected to incorporate at least four of the following agilities in the short floor sequence
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Learners are required to demonstrate proficiency in at least two vaults from the following:
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Rhythmic gymnastics
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Learners are required to set routines to music and use different pieces of apparatus from a ball, hoop, ribbon, rope or club. |
| Dance |
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Learners are required to perform an individual and group dance in which they demonstrate consideration of the following elements:
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Athletics—running, jumping, throwing and walking events performed indoors or outdoors which are measurable in terms of the performer’s own ability but also against standards set by others’ achievements. In choosing athletics as one of the physical activity areas, learners are required to select one of the three categories:
- Running
- Throwing
- Jumping.
The assessment of performance will focus on one activity within the chosen category. Learners are required to show evidence of their capacity to perform the skills and techniques in the selected activity, e.g. discus from the throwing category.
Learners may choose one activity from one of the following categories:
Running
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Throwing
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Jumping
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Games—individual, pair or team games that require the use of activity-specific skills, game appreciation, decision-making, tactical knowledge and strategic thinking in pursuit of a defined goal. In choosing games as one of the physical activity areas, learners are required to study one of three categories:
- Invasion
- Striking/Fielding
- Net/Wall.
The assessment of performance will focus on one activity within the chosen category, for example, Gaelic football in invasion games.
| Learners may choose one activity from one of the following categories: | |
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| Invasion games | Gaelic football Hurling/Camogie Rugby Union Soccer Basketball Hockey Netball Olympic handball |
| Net/Wall games | Badminton Tennis Volleyball Table tennis Handball Squash |
| Striking/Fielding games |
Cricket Softball |
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Invasion games |
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Gaelic football
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Hurling/Camogie
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Rugby Union
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Basketball
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| Soccer Outfield
Goal keeping
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Hockey Outfield
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Netball
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Olympic handball
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| Net/Wall games | |
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Badminton
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Tennis
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Table tennis
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Volleyball
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Squash
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Handball (60 x 30, 40 x 20)
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| Striking/Fielding games | |
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Cricket
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Softball/Rounders
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Personal exercise and fitness—active and purposeful participation in a personally-designed exercise and fitness programme that reflect personal interests, goals and principles of training.
Learners may choose one method of aerobic training and one other conditioning and resistance activity.
| Aerobic training | ||
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Continuous training
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Interval training
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Fartlek training
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Aerobics/Step aerobics
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Spinning
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Indoor rowing
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| One of the following conditioning and resistance activities : | ||
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| Weight training Upper extremity pushing
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Core stability
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Circuit training Exercises specific to:
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Learners are expected to demonstrate the ability to apply the following aspects to each method of training:
- Principles of training
- Readiness
- Specificity
- Progression
- Overload
- Rest/recovery
- Training zones
- Thresholds
- Work-recovery intervals
- Warm-up/Cool-down.
Learners are required to show evidence of their capacity to perform elements of a personal exercise and fitness programme designed to enhance either performance in a physical activity or health-related physical fitness. The performance should include:
- Five-minute warm up including the necessary elements of a warm-up.
- Fifteen-minute development section: this section would include a cardiovascular section and a muscular strength and endurance section. The development section could include a circuit format.
- Five-minute cool down including the necessary elements of a cool down.
Learners are required to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of relevant progressions and adaptations and safe practice in the selected activities.