What should students be able to do in PE by the end of the year?

Students should move with control in a range of activities, from running and jumping to throwing, catching, and dribbling. They should also explain why warm-ups matter, work well in a team, and pick activities they enjoy enough to keep doing on their own.

How can families support PE at home?

Aim for 60 minutes of active play most days. A walk after dinner, a bike ride, shooting hoops in the driveway, or kicking a ball in the yard all count. The goal is regular movement, not athletic skill.

My child says they are bad at sports. How should I respond?

Sixth grade is when students start comparing themselves to classmates. Focus on effort and improvement over winning, and help them find one activity they actually like, whether that is hiking, dance, swimming, or skateboarding. Lifelong movement matters more than team sports.

Does my child need to be good at team sports to do well in PE?

No. PE this year covers a wide mix of activities, including individual ones like fitness, dance, and outdoor pursuits. Students are graded on participation, effort, teamwork, and understanding fitness concepts, not on being the best athlete in class.

How should the year be sequenced across units?

Most teachers rotate through invasion games, net and wall games, target and striking activities, fitness, and dance or rhythms across the year. Revisit core movement skills inside each unit rather than teaching them in isolation, and weave fitness concepts into every block.

What gets the most pushback or reteaching at this grade?

Sportsmanship and group behavior need the most work. Students this age get competitive and frustrated quickly. Build in clear routines for picking teams, handling disagreements, and giving feedback to peers, and revisit those routines every unit.

How do I assess students fairly when skill levels vary so much?

Grade on personal progress and process, not raw ability. Use short fitness check-ins, skill rubrics that focus on technique cues, and self-reflection logs where students track effort and goals. That way a new athlete and a club player can both earn a strong grade.

How do I know if a student is ready for seventh grade PE?

They can apply basic skills in modified games, explain the parts of a fitness plan, and work with different partners without constant prompting. They should also be able to name one or two activities they want to keep doing outside of school.

What does a student learn in ?

Sixth grade is the year gym class shifts from learning the basic moves to using them in real games and workouts. Students build the running, jumping, and throwing skills they already have into actual sports and fitness routines. They also start thinking about why they move, including how exercise affects their heart, mood, and energy. By spring, students can warm up on their own, play a team game while cooperating with classmates, and explain one fitness habit they want to keep.

Motor skills
Team games
Fitness habits
Sportsmanship
Healthy choices

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 purpose
Students sharpen the basic moves used in most games and sports, like running, jumping, throwing, catching, and dribbling. Parents may notice better balance, control, and confidence in active play.
2
How the body works in activity
Students learn what a warm-up is for, why heart rate goes up, and how practice makes a skill stick. They start using this thinking to play smarter in games and stay safer during activity.
3
Teamwork and fair play
Students practice working with classmates in group games, following rules, and handling wins and losses. Parents may hear more about cooperating with teammates and including others.
4
Building habits for lifelong fitness
Students try a range of activities to find ones they enjoy, set small fitness goals, and reflect on what regular movement does for energy, mood, and sleep. The aim is a habit that lasts beyond gym class.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.

Physical Education

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

MD-PE.1.6

Students practice moving their body in different ways, such as balancing, throwing, and changing direction. These skills build the physical confidence to stay active in sports, games, and everyday life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MD-PE.2.6

Students use what they know about their body, movement, and fitness to make better choices during physical activity. That means pacing themselves, using proper form, and understanding why exercise affects how they feel and perform.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MD-PE.3.6

Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, handling disagreement without giving up, and following through on their role in a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MD-PE.4.6

Students practice setting their own fitness goals and explain why staying active matters to them personally. The focus is on building habits that hold up outside of gym class, not just for a grade.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their body in different ways, such as balancing, throwing, and changing direction. These skills build the physical confidence to stay active in sports, games, and everyday life.	MD-PE.1.6
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about their body, movement, and fitness to make better choices during physical activity. That means pacing themselves, using proper form, and understanding why exercise affects how they feel and perform.	MD-PE.2.6
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, handling disagreement without giving up, and following through on their role in a group.	MD-PE.3.6
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting their own fitness goals and explain why staying active matters to them personally. The focus is on building habits that hold up outside of gym class, not just for a grade.	MD-PE.4.6

Physical Education

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

MD-PE.1.6

Students practice moving their body in different ways, such as balancing, throwing, and changing direction. These skills build the physical confidence to stay active in sports, games, and everyday life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MD-PE.2.6

Students use what they know about their body, movement, and fitness to make better choices during physical activity. That means pacing themselves, using proper form, and understanding why exercise affects how they feel and perform.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MD-PE.3.6

Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, handling disagreement without giving up, and following through on their role in a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MD-PE.4.6

Students practice setting their own fitness goals and explain why staying active matters to them personally. The focus is on building habits that hold up outside of gym class, not just for a grade.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their body in different ways, such as balancing, throwing, and changing direction. These skills build the physical confidence to stay active in sports, games, and everyday life.	MD-PE.1.6
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about their body, movement, and fitness to make better choices during physical activity. That means pacing themselves, using proper form, and understanding why exercise affects how they feel and perform.	MD-PE.2.6
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, handling disagreement without giving up, and following through on their role in a group.	MD-PE.3.6
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting their own fitness goals and explain why staying active matters to them personally. The focus is on building habits that hold up outside of gym class, not just for a grade.	MD-PE.4.6

Common Questions

What should students be able to do in PE by the end of the year?
Students should move with control in a range of activities, from running and jumping to throwing, catching, and dribbling. They should also explain why warm-ups matter, work well in a team, and pick activities they enjoy enough to keep doing on their own.
How can families support PE at home?
Aim for 60 minutes of active play most days. A walk after dinner, a bike ride, shooting hoops in the driveway, or kicking a ball in the yard all count. The goal is regular movement, not athletic skill.
My child says they are bad at sports. How should I respond?
Sixth grade is when students start comparing themselves to classmates. Focus on effort and improvement over winning, and help them find one activity they actually like, whether that is hiking, dance, swimming, or skateboarding. Lifelong movement matters more than team sports.
Does my child need to be good at team sports to do well in PE?
No. PE this year covers a wide mix of activities, including individual ones like fitness, dance, and outdoor pursuits. Students are graded on participation, effort, teamwork, and understanding fitness concepts, not on being the best athlete in class.
How should the year be sequenced across units?
Most teachers rotate through invasion games, net and wall games, target and striking activities, fitness, and dance or rhythms across the year. Revisit core movement skills inside each unit rather than teaching them in isolation, and weave fitness concepts into every block.
What gets the most pushback or reteaching at this grade?
Sportsmanship and group behavior need the most work. Students this age get competitive and frustrated quickly. Build in clear routines for picking teams, handling disagreements, and giving feedback to peers, and revisit those routines every unit.
How do I assess students fairly when skill levels vary so much?
Grade on personal progress and process, not raw ability. Use short fitness check-ins, skill rubrics that focus on technique cues, and self-reflection logs where students track effort and goals. That way a new athlete and a club player can both earn a strong grade.
How do I know if a student is ready for seventh grade PE?
They can apply basic skills in modified games, explain the parts of a fitness plan, and work with different partners without constant prompting. They should also be able to name one or two activities they want to keep doing outside of school.