The conceptual approach encourages students to study and understand body movement and its underlying principles, in the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains. Teachers develop units of study thematically, using the Basic Movement Patterns of sending, receiving, evading, accompanying, locomotions, springs, landings, rotations, swings, and statics.
Students are given opportunities to learn about the mechanical principles involved in movement skills so they begin to understand the commonalities between certain skills and are able to apply this knowledge to similar activities.
For example, the mechanics involved in sending skills in racquet sports, soccer kicking and volleyball serving all have to do with keeping an eye on the ball, transferring weight and following through. If students are aware of the underlying principles of movement they should be able to take part in many different sport activities and transfer their knowledge and skills, rather than have to relearn them each time. The curriculum guide provides a section on Performance Cues which helps teachers understand the mechanical principles involved in the various basic movement patterns. Performance Cues can also help teachers recognize beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of skill and make it easier to individualize instruction (Adaptive Dimension). When students understand the mechanical principles involved in skills, they should be better able to improve their own performance and also to help their peers improve theirs.
In physical education, the psychomotor domain is of primary importance; however, students should be able to react knowledgably and decisively (cognitive domain) and display sportsmanship and team work (affective domain). The use of a variety of teaching methods can accommodate all three domains and seek to produce skilled performers who move with meaning and understanding.
Dance, as taught in physical education, is concerned with rhythmics. Games and gymnastics are taught thematically, using the basic movement patterns. Rhythmic activities are treated the same way, with and without manipulatives (ropes, hoops and balls, etc.) In physical education students are encouraged to develop an appreciation of the role culture plays in dance and rhythmics and also to see how dance and rhythmics contribute to personal fitness.
Dance is also one of the four strands of the arts education curriculum. Arts education has a more extensive treatment of dance and rhythmics, relating them to societies and cultures past and present and to other art forms and daily life. The treatment of dance in the arts education curriculum is more comprehensive than in physical education and may be integrated with other subjects and strands.
If arts education and physical education are being taught by different teachers in the same school, they should plan rhythmics and dance activities together to avoid unnecessary duplication and to reinforce themes and skills.