What does physical education look like at this age?

Students move beyond learning basic skills and start using them in real games and activities. They practice running, jumping, throwing, catching, and striking in sports, dance, and fitness routines. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to work well with teammates.

How can students stay active at home?

Aim for about 60 minutes of movement a day. That can be a walk, a bike ride, shooting hoops in the driveway, a dance video, or helping with yard work. Variety matters more than any single sport, and students at this age often stick with activities a parent does alongside them.

How should fitness concepts be sequenced across the year?

Start with the basics of warm-up, heart rate, and effort so students have a shared vocabulary. Build into the five components of fitness through short units, then revisit each one inside sport and dance units later in the year. Save personal fitness planning for the second half, once students can name what they are training.

What if a student is not athletic or dislikes team sports?

The goal at this grade is finding activities students will keep doing, not picking a sport. Encourage walking, hiking, swimming, biking, yoga, skating, or dance. Talk about how movement makes them feel afterward rather than how they compared to other students.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Striking with an implement, overhand throwing form, and defensive positioning come back rough every year. Cooperative skills also slip, especially calling for the ball, rotating positions, and including quieter classmates. Build short skill refreshers into the first week of each new unit instead of assuming retention from sixth grade.

How is a student graded in physical education?

Grades usually reflect skill growth, fitness knowledge, participation, and how a student treats teammates. Showing up dressed and ready, trying hard, and being a good partner often count as much as athletic ability. Ask the teacher how effort and behavior factor into the grade.

How do I plan units that build social skills without losing class time?

Pick one social skill per unit, such as giving feedback to a partner or rotating leadership in small groups, and name it out loud during warm-up. Use small-sided games so more students touch the ball and have to communicate. A two-minute closing reflection is enough to make the skill stick.

How do I know a student is ready for eighth grade physical education?

By spring, students should move confidently in several sports, explain why warm-ups and cool-downs matter, and set a simple personal fitness goal. They should also handle winning and losing without drama and include classmates of different skill levels. Students who can do those things are ready for the next year.

What does a student learn in ?

Seventh grade is the year gym class shifts from learning skills to using them in real games and workouts. Students combine moves like dribbling, passing, and striking under pressure, and they start tracking their own fitness instead of just following along. They practice handling teammates and opponents with respect, even when a game gets tense. By spring, students can run a personal warm-up, play a team game with clear rules, and explain how the activity helps their health.

Team sports
Fitness planning
Sportsmanship
Movement skills
Healthy habits

Source: Maryland Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Moving with skill and control
Students sharpen the basic moves used in most sports and games: running, jumping, throwing, catching, dribbling, and striking. Parents may notice steadier coordination and more confidence trying new activities.
2
Games, teamwork, and fair play
Students play team and partner games where the focus shifts to working together. They practice listening to teammates, taking turns leading, and handling wins and losses without drama.
3
Fitness and how the body works
Students learn what counts as a real workout and why. They check their heart rate, build up endurance and strength, and start to see how warm-ups, stretching, and rest fit together.
4
Healthy habits for life
Students set personal activity goals and track what they enjoy, from biking to dancing to lifting. The aim is to leave the year with a few activities they would actually choose on their own.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 7.

Physical Education

Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

MD-PE.1.7

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, from running and jumping to throwing and catching. These skills build the physical foundation for sports, games, and staying active long-term.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MD-PE.2.7

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make better decisions during activity. That might mean adjusting their pace, form, or effort based on what the workout actually demands.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MD-PE.3.7

Students practice working with others during physical activity, things like listening, sharing space, and stepping up when a group needs them. The focus is on how students treat themselves and each other, not just how well they move.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MD-PE.4.7

Students identify what physical activity does for them personally, then practice making it a regular habit. The focus is on building routines that hold up outside of gym class, not just performing skills on a test day.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, from running and jumping to throwing and catching. These skills build the physical foundation for sports, games, and staying active long-term.	MD-PE.1.7
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make better decisions during activity. That might mean adjusting their pace, form, or effort based on what the workout actually demands.	MD-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activity, things like listening, sharing space, and stepping up when a group needs them. The focus is on how students treat themselves and each other, not just how well they move.	MD-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students identify what physical activity does for them personally, then practice making it a regular habit. The focus is on building routines that hold up outside of gym class, not just performing skills on a test day.	MD-PE.4.7

Physical Education

Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

MD-PE.1.7

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, from running and jumping to throwing and catching. These skills build the physical foundation for sports, games, and staying active long-term.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MD-PE.2.7

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make better decisions during activity. That might mean adjusting their pace, form, or effort based on what the workout actually demands.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MD-PE.3.7

Students practice working with others during physical activity, things like listening, sharing space, and stepping up when a group needs them. The focus is on how students treat themselves and each other, not just how well they move.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MD-PE.4.7

Students identify what physical activity does for them personally, then practice making it a regular habit. The focus is on building routines that hold up outside of gym class, not just performing skills on a test day.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, from running and jumping to throwing and catching. These skills build the physical foundation for sports, games, and staying active long-term.	MD-PE.1.7
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make better decisions during activity. That might mean adjusting their pace, form, or effort based on what the workout actually demands.	MD-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activity, things like listening, sharing space, and stepping up when a group needs them. The focus is on how students treat themselves and each other, not just how well they move.	MD-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students identify what physical activity does for them personally, then practice making it a regular habit. The focus is on building routines that hold up outside of gym class, not just performing skills on a test day.	MD-PE.4.7

Common Questions

What does physical education look like at this age?
Students move beyond learning basic skills and start using them in real games and activities. They practice running, jumping, throwing, catching, and striking in sports, dance, and fitness routines. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to work well with teammates.
How can students stay active at home?
Aim for about 60 minutes of movement a day. That can be a walk, a bike ride, shooting hoops in the driveway, a dance video, or helping with yard work. Variety matters more than any single sport, and students at this age often stick with activities a parent does alongside them.
How should fitness concepts be sequenced across the year?
Start with the basics of warm-up, heart rate, and effort so students have a shared vocabulary. Build into the five components of fitness through short units, then revisit each one inside sport and dance units later in the year. Save personal fitness planning for the second half, once students can name what they are training.
What if a student is not athletic or dislikes team sports?
The goal at this grade is finding activities students will keep doing, not picking a sport. Encourage walking, hiking, swimming, biking, yoga, skating, or dance. Talk about how movement makes them feel afterward rather than how they compared to other students.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Striking with an implement, overhand throwing form, and defensive positioning come back rough every year. Cooperative skills also slip, especially calling for the ball, rotating positions, and including quieter classmates. Build short skill refreshers into the first week of each new unit instead of assuming retention from sixth grade.
How is a student graded in physical education?
Grades usually reflect skill growth, fitness knowledge, participation, and how a student treats teammates. Showing up dressed and ready, trying hard, and being a good partner often count as much as athletic ability. Ask the teacher how effort and behavior factor into the grade.
How do I plan units that build social skills without losing class time?
Pick one social skill per unit, such as giving feedback to a partner or rotating leadership in small groups, and name it out loud during warm-up. Use small-sided games so more students touch the ball and have to communicate. A two-minute closing reflection is enough to make the skill stick.
How do I know a student is ready for eighth grade physical education?
By spring, students should move confidently in several sports, explain why warm-ups and cool-downs matter, and set a simple personal fitness goal. They should also handle winning and losing without drama and include classmates of different skill levels. Students who can do those things are ready for the next year.