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
The Wheels
 Grounds the system (gives
learning a context)
 Allows for movement
(allows for learning,
growth, development by
aiming towards
achievement standards)
 Cycling: moving the body to cycle successfully
 Cycling: adapting movement to context (footpath,
bike trails, road cycling, cars, etc.)
 Physical Health/Well-being: personal benefits of
engaging with community (recreational and green
spaces) and participating in physical activity
 Community Health/Well-being: planning for
connected communities that encourage health and
well-being
 Component & Function
Sustainability
The Handle Bar
 Used to steer system (gives
direction and meaning to
learning)
 Allows for control (can take
learning down multiple
pathways)
Critical and Creative Thinking
The Seat and Shock Absorbers
 Allows obstacles to be
tackled (development of
problem solving, analysis
and inquiry skills)
 Gives stability (develops
valuable thinking skills for
application in future
situations)
ICT
The Chain and Gears
 Connects the rider to the
wheels (engages students
in the learning process)
 Allows for adaptation to the
environment (provides
opportunities for flexible
and future oriented
learning)
Teacher Decisions
The Frame
 Connecting structure
(brings together all the
components to create a
unified, working system)
Content
 Cycling: physical health sustainability across
lifespan (other forms of active transport and
community activity)
 Mawson Lakes Interchange: transport and
environmental sustainability
 Mobarra Park: mental health/well-being associated
with public green spaces
 University of South Australia: future energy
projects for increased environmental sustainability
(renewable energy development)
 Sir Douglas Mawson Lake: water sustainability
practices, specifically the importance in Australian
context
 ‘Tour Stages’: devising and selecting creative
approaches to responding to tasks
 ‘Tour Stages’: critical reflection of existing practices
and procedures
 Questioning (used throughout): deeper, inquiry
thinking required to respond to teacher questions
 Cycle Check: video or picture catalogue to
demonstrate working condition of cycle
 Strava: for time and group management for group
tracking, gamification through challenges and
achievements
 Rogaining: route mapping, gamification through
challenges and achievements
 ‘Tour Stages’: activity tasks using ICT such as
creating videos and using internet for research
 Planning: theme, track, stage locations, activities
 Presence: positive and enthusiastic
 Positioning: adapting to changing environment
 Questioning: multiple types and techniques
selected appropriately
 Content Knowledge: know content well enough to
make facilitate students making connections
Understanding the Priority and Capabilities
Priority/Capabilities
Relevant Key Ideas
Sustainability (Priority)
Sustainable patterns of living rely on the
interdependence of healthy social, economic
and ecological systems.
The sustainability of ecological, social and
economic systems is achieved through informed
individual and community action that values
local and global equity and fairness across
generations into the future.
Actions for a more sustainable future reflect
values of care, respect and responsibility, and
require us to explore and understand
environments.
Sustainable futures result from actions designed
to preserve and/or restore the quality and
uniqueness of environments.
Critical and Creative Thinking (Capability)
Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising
information and ideas
Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
Reflecting on thinking and processes
Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning
and procedures
ICT (Capability)
Applying social and ethical protocols and
practices when using ICT
Development in Session
 Sustainability of relationships through
the development of pro-social skills and
systems (links directly to Personal, Social
& Community Health)
 Sustainability of physical health across
the life span looking at movement and
physical activity (active transport
(cycling, walking, jogging) as a lifelong
activity)
 Sustainability of mental health focussing
on engaging socially, community, and
the role of green spaces
 Sustainability of ecological and
economic systems within a region
through a community approach,
drawing from town planning and
community initiatives, such as town
centre including shops and public spaces
 Environmental sustainability facilitated
by cycling as method of transport
 Strategize action oriented methods for
future sustainability initiatives
 Explore sustainability initiatives and life-
long health strategies at 'Tour de
Mawson Lakes' stage check points
 Generating ideas on how to sustain
personal and community health and
well-being across the lifespan and into
the future
 Generating ideas on how to extend
upon current sustainability practices or
ideas of new sustainability opportunities
 Reflecting upon current personal, social
and community sustainability process
 Evaluating current initiatives from
different perspectives to understand
reasoning
 Utilise ICT as a means of streamlining
communication with teachers during
bike check process
  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