Often I have students come to me unsure how to write HSC PDHPE summaries. They are confused about what to put in, what is essential and what is not? They are also unsure of how to structure the summary. This article aims to help you write your PDHPE summaries that are useful and help you to learn, rather than simply a copy of the information. You can also buy HSC PDHPE summaries from our shop if you are struggling.
Use the Syllabus
I know it seems simple, but you must use and follow the syllabus when writing HSC PDHPE summaries. The HSC PDHPE syllabus has a clear and orderly structure. You don’t need to worry about the outcomes; they are for your teacher to worry about. Your focus is the four (4) modules their critical questions and the learn abouts and learn tos. Whether you chose to hand write your HSC PDHPE summaries or type them, it is important that your structure follows that of the HSC PDHPE syllabus. So your module should be your largest heading. I like to use Title in word as you can use this to create a contents page and creates a document map. I then tell my students to use Heading 1, or a smaller handwritten heading writing the critical question. Heading 2 is then used to write out each black dot point, heading 3 for the dash points, all from the learn about column. Eg)
Health Priorities in Australia
How are priority issues for Australia’s health identified?
Measuring health Status
Role of epidemiology
Measures of epidemiology (mortality, infant mortality, morbidity, life expectancy)
Identifying priority health issues
Social justice principles
Priority population groups
Prevalence of condition
Potential for prevention and early intervention
Costs to the individual and community
You should then enter your content under each heading 3 attempting to keep your words to a minimum while covering the specific content asked for in the syllabus. Often this is under the learn about (sometimes as egs), but it can be under the learn to column. Continuing the example above, the syllabus tells you that you need to know that epidemiology measures mortality, infant mortality, morbidity, and life expectancy. These must be included in your summary; you can either define them or if this is common sense to you, simply list them. The learn to column in this section of the syllabus though also states:
- critique the use of epidemiology to describe health status by considering questions such as:
- what can epidemiology tell us?
- who uses these measures?
- do they measure everything about health status?
So, you should use this to guide the content you write, because this is what you may be asked to answer in your HSC PDHPE exam. So, the first section now changes and looks like this:
Health Priorities in Australia
How are priority issues for Australia’s health identified?
Measuring health Status
Role of epidemiology
What can epidemiology tell us?
Who uses these measures?
Do they measure everything about health status?
Measures of epidemiology
Mortality
Infant mortality
Morbidity
Life expectancy
You may choose to put Do they measure everything about health status? Under measures of epidemiology, but hopefully, you get the idea. You use the learn tos to help guide what you include when writing HSC PDHPE summaries. In my example I have kept the terms from the syllabus and put them in bold, I suggest you do the same in your HSC PDHPE summaries.
Include examples
You may or may not have been told that in HSC PDHPE you need to ensure you include examples and apply your knowledge in your exam answers. Therefore, I always recommend that you include examples in your HSC PDHPE summaries. Eg)
Factors Affecting Performance
How does training affect performance?
Energy Systems
Alactacid (ATP/PC) System
Source of Fuel – ATP and PC found within the cell.
Efficiency of ATP Production – Very fast and very short.
Duration that the system can operate – 8-12 seconds
Cause of fatigue – ATP and PC depletion.
By-products of energy production – Heat.
Process and rate of recovery – C+P=PC in 30sec-2min.
Example – 100m Sprint.
Notice that this is still very structured and easy to navigate. It helps to find information if you are consistent in how you do your headings. I now have everything I need in this HSC PDHPE summary in case I get asked a question on the alactacid system.
Write as you go
Often students leave writing their summaries until their first exam or test, DON’T!! You should start writing your HSC PDHPE summaries as soon as you have covered the content for a single dot point. If you keep on top of this, then the summaries are not as much work (the content is fresh in your head), but also it means you can focus on learning this content and writing exam answers (see here for how to structure these) rather than writing summaries.
Use Colour
Girls tend to do this naturally, but the boys tend to just write messy and use blue or black pen… maybe some red. This is strange considering guys are such visual creatures. Colour helps the brain to identify key points and can be useful in finding the content you are looking for. You should have different colours for your headings and then highlight or colour the key term that you will attach the information to from your summaries. DO NOT highlight everything!! If you highlight lots, then the summaries become cluttered and the colouring does not help you navigate and find important information, it just gets in the way. If I apply this to the example above:
Factors Affecting Performance
How does training affect performance?
Energy Systems
Alactacid (ATP/PC) System
Source of Fuel – ATP and PC found within the cell.
Efficiency of ATP Production – Very fast and very short.
Duration that the system can operate – 8-12 seconds
Cause of fatigue – ATP and PC depletion.
By-products of energy production – Heat.
Process and rate of recovery – C+P=PC in 30sec-2min.
Example – 100m Sprint.
Notice how the summary is now easier to navigate and has one key term, which is my way of learning the content. If I remember alactacid and the 100m sprint, I can then put everything else to it, as they are perfect for the event and provide a setting I already know well to improve my memory and recall of the information.
Link to the critical question
The content under each critical question should always be used to answer the critical question. You should try and include a statement in your HSC PDHPE summary that connects the content with the critical question. Eg) Training the alactacid system can improve power and speed, but usually focuses on the recovery of the system for repeated use.
Be creative
Finally, your HSC PDHPE summaries should be creative. Think of ways to improve your memory and RECALL of the information. I highly recommend flashcards as they really help develop the recall neural pathways to enhance your exam performance. Other creative summaries include mind-maps (focus on one critical question per map) and images that help recall information (especially for anyone out there who is artistic). You can purchase summaries and flashcards from our shop.
