Tiered unit (Differentiated by Readiness)

Name and student number: Nazarin Iaconis

Unit Overview
Curriculum Area
Physical Education
Year level: 12
Content Descriptor
This unit of learning places its focus on the various aspects of volleyball game
play along with biomechanical factors that improve performance as well as the
factors affecting skill acquisition.
Achievement standard ACARA or SACE objective
(only put in the relevant part of the standard for your Learning objective)
Criteria to be assessed
Knowledge and
Understanding (KU1)
Knowledge and
Understanding (KU2)
Practical Skills
Application (PSA1)
Practical Skills

Assessment criterion

understandings
Knowledge, understanding, and application of physical
education concepts relevant to specific physical activities.
Knowledge and understanding of exercise physiology, the
biomechanics of human movement, and skills acquisition.
Proficiency in the performance of physical activities, with
reference to specific skills criteria.
Interpretation and application of skills, specific concepts, ideas,
strategies, and techniques, in a practical context.

Application (PSA2)
Initiative and

Interpersonal and collaborative skills in team situations.

Collaboration (IC2)
Critical Analysis and

Critical analysis of practical techniques and performance.

Evaluation (CAE 1)
Learning objectives
know, understand and do

Know - Students will know various court positions, specific volleyball terms: Dig,
Set, Spike, Serve, Free ball, Attack line, Front and backline setters and the rules
that apply to volleyball game play.
Understand - Biomechanical aspects of force, torque, centre of gravity, angle,
height and speed of release, newtons three laws of motion and the sequential
summation of forces play a pivotal role in skill execution and Skill acquisition is
affected by environment, task and personal constraints.
Be Able to Do - Students will be able to perform all 4 skilled movements
correctly, Work collaboratively to achieve team success and Self guided
(kinaesthetic) and peer feedback (knowledge of results and performance)
Essential Questions
1. Essential Question: How do you use biomechanics to improve performance?
2. Essential Question: what value does skill acquisition provide to performance?
3. Essential Question: How do you utilise space in volleyball?
Pre-Assessment Readiness Task
attached as Appendices
Based on the pre-assessment (see appendix 1) students are placed into teams
based on the level of experience circled coupled with the experience displayed
through a 10 minute game and the points they achieve in the skills tests. Scores
in the tests >20 are considered proficient, 10><20 is intermediate and <10 is
beginner level experience. Subsequently, students demonstrating a higher level
of experience will partake in the tier 3 activity, intermediate experience will be
involved with the tier 2 activity and the lower experienced will be performing in
the tier activity 1 (refer to activity section).
How will this help you to differentiate by readiness?
How will you use this to assess students levels of
readiness/knowledge/understanding?

Overview of unit
lesson 1
(Single theory lesson) Introduce Biomechanics, cover fundamentals to refresh
students memories whilst also ensuring they understand what aspects will be
linked to the practical lessons.
lesson 2
Tiered lesson (double practical lesson) (refer to lesson plan)
lesson 3
(Single practical lesson) Use small-sided games, focus on dig, set and spike.
Additionally, play games with created teams within the SEPEP unit
lesson 4
(Single theory lesson) Go over biomechanical principles, and provide work
sheets for students.
lesson 5
(Double Practical Lesson) students will participate in small-sided and full
games. During the small-sided games the teacher will provide guiding questions
to link biomechanical and skill acquisition principles into improving performance.
Continue with games from SEPEP unit.
lesson 6
(Single Practical lesson) Students will continue with their SEPEP unit
Lesson 7
(Single Theory Lesson) Introduce skill acquisition and how the environment, task
and personal factors affect the success of skilled movements. Introduce
assignment on biomechanical principles.

Lesson 8
(Single Prac Lesson) - Students will continue with their SEPEP unit, moving into
series finals games along wit small-sided games with constraints emphasising the
factors affecting skill acquisition.

Lesson Plan
Curriculum Area

The lesson is intended for high school physical

education students. Students should have already
been exposed to the topics biomechanics, skill
acquisition and volleyball game play.

Learning objective (from Unit Overview) for

this particular lesson

Know - Students will know various court

positions, specific volleyball terms: Dig, Set,
Spike, Serve & Attack line and the rules that
apply to volleyball game play
Understand - All sport specific skilled
movements have the ability to be improved
through biomechanical principles, lowering ones
centre of gravity provides a greater base of
support generating increased stability, generating
a strong base of support will provide greater
agility when moving to perform the dig and the
sequential summation of forces is pivotal to
performing the serve, dig, set and spike.
Be able to do - Students will be able to perform
the Dig, set and Serve with a greater success
rate, work collaboratively to achieve team
success, provide self guided (kinaesthetic)

feedback as well as knowledge of performance

and results feedback (peer evaluation) and take
tactical awareness into consideration to provide
Essential questions
Lesson

direction when performing skilled movements

1) How do you use biomechanics to improve perform
2) How do you utilise space in volleyball?

Lesson Number: 2 (Double Practical Lesson)

number
Suggested

Whole class activity (20 mins - 10 mins game play/10 mins biomechanics

content or

discussion) Students are to play full-sided games of volleyball in their

outline of

constructed readiness based sides, constraints are implemented to make each

lesson

activity different and the teacher will ask guiding questions regarding
biomechanical principles for each skilled movement being refined in the tiered
activities.
Three layered tiered activities (30 mins) Small-sided games of volleyball,
where students apply biomechanical knowledge to their skilled movements.
Whole Class Debrief (10mins) Whole class group discussion real iterating the
benefit of applying biomechanical principles to play can be along with how the
movements felt (students kinaesthetic sense) after applying biomechanical
principles.
Whole Class Activity (20mins) Students continue to play full-sided games
competing against teams, points will be added to winners and for fair play.
Additionally, students from one team will have to peer asses a student from another
for Knowledge of performance and results feedback on skill execution.
(Refer to appendix 2 for detailed tiered activities) (Refer to appendix 4 for
peer assessment sheet)

Check for understanding

Students will complete a self-reflection exit card

that primarily focuses on providing clarity for the
teacher as to what students have learnt and

taken from the lesson along with where they are

at in the learning. Adjustments to learning for
students can be implemented upon analysing the
self-reflection (refer to appendix 3)
Visual,

Visual/verbal verbal explanations of the press position, dig, set and serve coupled

verbal,

with a visual aspect and where in game play the movements are performed.

tactile and
technologica
l supports

Knowledge of performance and results feedback Students will peer evaluate

each other and provide feedback on their application of biomechanical principles learnt
in order to improve performance.

Instructional

Student directed Students will partake in an open discussion and complete a self-

approaches

evaluation
Teacher directed Explaining the affect biomechanical principles can have on
performance
Guided Questioning Asking biomechanical analysis questions regarding the press
position that invoke critical thinking and guide students to the answer without
providing it to them.

Resources

attach as appendices

Classroom

Students have been assigned teams based on their level of learning readiness,

environment

students will partake in small sided games to maximise the volume of practice which

what have
you changed
to meet
student

research shows will lead to a deeper understanding of any skilled movement in sport
settings and the playing dimensions of the court have been split in two so that
students can practice their shots in a confined area. Additionally, posters of elite
volleyball athletes performing different shots will be stuck up around the gymnasium.

needs
Lesson
reflections
(to be done on
completion of

What worked? What didnt? Why/Why not? What could I change next time?

lesson in
professional
exp.)

Explanatory notes
How have you linked the theory of differentiation to your lesson unit and
plan? Use the readings to support your answer.
Differentiation as a classroom practice can be considered as the element
of inclusion necessary to provide differentiated classrooms that ensure
students are presented with different depths of knowledge, completion
pathways and making sense of ideas. The implementation of a
differentiated learning classroom ensures that teachers systematically aim
to find out about students differences, which they are then able to
incorporate into the teaching and planning. These differences range from
current levels of knowledge, students learning readiness, student interests
and students learning profile (Jarvis, 2013;Tomlinson, 2004).
Subsequently, understanding this places differentiation within a holistic
approach towards effective teaching and curriculum planning that is
encapsulated within an inclusive philosophy and guiding principles rather
than simply being a set of teaching tasks that differ in content with no real
meaning regarding the intended student objectives (Jarvis, 2013).
Understanding the core aspects of differentiation has ensured that its
inclusion within this unit plan is strong in driving student learning. The
pre-assessment task consisting of questions and a practical volleyball test
allows the teacher to understand each students level of experience.
Subsequently, when placed into the tiered activity students performed
skilled movements that positively stretched their mental capacity so that
they remain within the zone of proximal development. It is important the
volleyball/biomechanics activities provided for each student provoke a
sense of intrinsic motivation, which furthermore will entice them to think
critically in order to induce a deeper sense of understanding all of which
occurs as a result of students working within the zone of proximal
development (Jarvis, 2013). Additionally, it is imperative that students are
not stretched past their mental limits as if the complexity of the task out
ways a students readiness level then we essentially promote a fixed
mindset when our aim is to provide a learning environment that invokes a
growth mindset. The implementation of the pre-assessment therefore
drives the tiered small-sided volleyball activity and what level students
will need to work at.
How are you catering for the varying levels of readiness? Attach your
activities as appendices.
In order to cater for students level of learning readiness a pre-assessment
task to determine experience will be implemented and from their students
will be allocated a tiered activity based on that experience. Additionally,
the 3-layered tiered activity provides a condensed differentiated learning
environment that emphasises high volume of participation through smallsided games. Each tier provides students with appropriate amount of
challenge to meet their individual learning needs, while ensuring they still
achieve the universal learning objectives. The tiers have different
constraints implemented to make the challenge more or less complex
depending on students level of readiness (see appendix 2). Students in
tier 3 have constraints added to their game play which creates a pathway
with more instruction to reach the intended outcomes, while tier 1
students will have constraints added to game play that will lead them on

different complexity driven path but still achieving the same intended
student objectives.

Appendices
Appendix 1 Pre-Assessment Readiness Task.
Name:
Volleyball experience (circle the most appropriate answer)
None School PE

Club Juniors

Club Seniors

League

1)

Describe the 4 typical skilled movements in Volleyball?

2)

What is the most well known sequence of game play (occurs in 3 phases)?

3)

Define the meaning in your own words to the terms

(a)
Backline setter (b)

Front line setter -

(c)

Attack Line -

(d)

Free Ball -

(5) List 3 on and off the ball characteristics of a skilled learner volleyball athletes
would need to possess
Test 1 Serving:

5 Attempts (preferred side of the body)

Underarm Serve from behind the end line of the court dimensions

Serve the ball into the target are aiming to get as many points as possible
Score ________________/25

Test 2 Forearm Pass (Dig)

5 Attempts

Feeder stands on opposite side of the net as receiver and throws underarm
(rainbow looped) pass to receiver who attempts to Dig the ball into the target
area.

The trajectory of the Dig must be higher than the net, otherwise 1 pt is
recorded
Score ______________/25

Test 3 Finger push pass

(setting)

5 Attempts

Feeder stands on same side of the

net as
receiver and throws underarm
(rainbow looped) pass to receiver who attempts to set the ball into the target
area.

The trajectory of the Set must be 1m or higher than the net, otherwise 1 pt is
recorded
Score____________/25

Appendix 2 Tiered activities

The diagram above demonstrates the court dimensions for each of the three
tiered activities that students, in their differentiated groups, will participate in
to assist in the development of the skilled movements of the dig, set and serve
along with applying biomechanical principles to improve skill execution. The
black dotted line represents the court dimensions being split in two meaning
students will only use half of the court for the small-sided games.
Suggested content or outline of lesson: Whole class activity (20 mins)
Students are to play full-sided games of volleyball with their constructed teams
based on learning readiness, starting the SEPEP tournament. The constraints to
be implemented for these games are legal serves, full court dimensions and 3
passes before ball must go over. When finished students will partake in a group
discussion, the teacher will pose guiding questions surrounding what
biomechanical principles would help improve their overall correct form. These
questions include:

1)

What benefit would lowering ones centre of gravity into the press position
do for each of the three skilled movements in question? A = provides greater
stability
2)
What benefit would come from an increase in stability? A = Greater range
of motion or agility which will lead to a quicker reaction time thus
more time for a decision on what shot to play and where I need to
move to play the shot.
3)
How would the press position correctly initiate the sequential summation
of forces into the shot? A = would initiate newtons 2nd law of motion
when applying force through a pushing motion into the ground, the
ground will then exert and equal and opposite reaction force thus
starting the force generation sequence needed for the shot from the
core legs muscles which are able to generate greatest amount of
force.
Additionally the teacher will construct groups of 3 based on experience levels for
the tiered activity then instruct students to focus on the aspect of entering the
press position incorporating each of the discussed principles prior to performing
all three of the shots in question for the tiered activity.
Tiered Activities 30mins: Tier 3
Constraints
1)
Half court dimensions for play, split vertically.
2)
Students must dig the ball as the first shot every time their team receives the
ball over the net.
3)
The dig can be directed at any teammate.
4)
Students must swap positions after every point has been decided
5)
Allowed 4 shots before the ball must go over the net
6)
Underarm throw to serve the ball into play
7)
Students not playing the first dig shot must use the cue PRESS for their
teammate playing the shot to encourage them to initiate the sequence. This
applies for the set as well.
8)
Must use the dig and set within the 4 shots before it goes over the net
9)
Students must be able to identify to the teacher when might be the right time
to play a looped shot over the net and a spike/smash shot over the net. Spatial
awareness is the key element.
Tier 2
Constraints
1)
Half court dimensions for play, split vertically.
2)
Students must dig the ball as the first shot every time their team receives the
ball over the net.
3)
The dig must be directed at the designated setter
4)
Teams must rotate positions after they win a point back form the opposing
team
5)
Allowed 3 shots before the ball must go over the net
6)
Handball to serve the ball into play
7)
Students not playing the first dig shot must use the cue PRESS for their
teammate playing the shot to encourage them to initiate the sequence. This
applies for the set as well.
8)
Must use the dig and set within the 3 shots before it goes over the net
9)
Students must attempt to use spatial awareness cues from the opposition at
least 3 times, when preparing on and off the ball movements and tactics (when
attacking and opposition has two blockers up at the net the attacking side must
call LOOP so the spiker or hitter knows to take force and speed off the ball to

loop it over the blockers into the space behind the attack line. When the blockers
dont come to the net the attacking side must call KILL so the hitter knows to
put increased force into the shot in order to hit the ball downwards towards the
space just over the net within the attack line) (important to note this only will
occur on the third hit which must go over the net) (linked to essential question 2)
Tier 1
Constraints
1)
Half court dimensions for play, split vertically.
2)
Students must dig the ball as the first shot every time their team receives the
ball over the net.
3)
The dig must be directed at the designated setter
4)
Every second point won teams must alternate between performing 2 digs and
no set and 2 sets and no dig in the 3 shot rally.
5)
Over arm legal to serve the ball into play.
6)
Must use the dig and set within the 3 shots before it goes over the net (unless
when using rule 4)
7)
Students may be asked to coach if they have proficient tendencies within their
shot execution
8)
Students must use spatial awareness cues from the opposition, when preparing
on and off the ball movements and tactics (when attacking and opposition has
two blockers up at the net the attacking side must call LOOP so the spiker or
hitter knows to take force and speed off the ball to loop it over the blockers into
the space behind the attack line. When the blockers dont come to the net the
attacking side must call KILL so the hitter knows to put increased force into the
shot in order to hit the ball downwards towards the space just over the net within
the attack line) (important to note this only will occur on the third hit which must
go over the net) (linked to essential question 2)
Whole class debrief 10mins
Teacher brings students in for a student orientated open discussion regarding
what sort of kinaesthetic feedback they got after implementing the press position
before playing any three of the shots. Solidification of the biomechanical
principles will additionally be discussed.
Appendix 3 Self-Evaluation Exit Card 10mins

Appendix 4 Peer evaluation of correct form of skilled movements within

game play 20mins

Bibliography
Jarvis, Jane 2013, 'Differentiating learning experiences for diverse
students', in Hudson, Peter (ed.), Learning to teach in the primary
school, Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne, Vic., pp. 52-70.
Tomlinson, Carol Ann 2004, 'The how to's of planning lessons
differentiated by readiness', in Tomlinson, Carol A, How to differentiate
instruction in mixed-ability classrooms, 2nd edn, Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Va, pp. 45-51.