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 know how warm-ups, heart rate, and strength training fit together, and play fairly with teammates and opponents.

How can a parent support PE at home?

Build movement into normal life. A walk after dinner, shooting hoops in the driveway, biking on weekends, or stretching before bed all count. The goal is regular activity students enjoy enough to keep doing on their own.

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

PE at this age is about lifelong fitness, not making a team. Hiking, dance, yoga, swimming, weight training, and martial arts all build the same skills. Help students find one or two activities they actually like and make those routine.

How should a teacher sequence units across the year?

Start with fitness basics and movement skills so later units have a foundation. Rotate through team games, individual activities, and fitness blocks so students see a wide menu. Revisit cooperation and fair play in every unit rather than teaching it once.

What does fitness knowledge look like at this grade?

Students should be able to explain why they warm up, what muscles an exercise targets, and how to check if they are working hard enough. They should also start setting simple personal fitness goals and tracking progress over a few weeks.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Cooperation and self-management often need the most work, especially in competitive games. Students also tend to struggle with pacing during longer cardio activities and with applying fitness vocabulary to their own workouts. Build short reflection moments into class to address both.

How much activity should a student be getting outside of PE?

Aim for about an hour of moderate to vigorous activity most days, added up across the day. That can be sports practice, walking the dog, yard work, or active play with friends. Sitting time after school adds up quickly, so breaks matter.

How does a teacher know students are ready for high school PE?

Students should be able to design a basic personal fitness plan, play several activities with competence, and work with a partner or team without constant adult prompting. If those three pieces are solid, they are ready for the more independent work ahead.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year gym class shifts from learning skills to using them on purpose. Students apply what they know about fitness, teamwork, and movement to games and workouts they can stick with outside of school. They practice cooperating with classmates, communicating during play, and taking responsibility for their own effort. By spring, they can describe a few activities they enjoy and explain why staying active matters for their health.

Motor skills
Fitness concepts
Teamwork
Personal responsibility
Lifelong activity

Source: New Hampshire New Hampshire 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
Skill tune-up and goal setting
Students start the year by checking their fitness, setting personal goals, and brushing up on the basic moves used in most sports and games. Parents may hear about pre-tests, mile times, or a written fitness plan.
2
Team sports and game play
Students move into team activities like soccer, volleyball, or flag football. The focus shifts from learning the skill to using it during a real game, with attention to positioning and working with teammates.
3
Fitness concepts and training
Students learn how the body responds to exercise and try different ways to build strength, endurance, and flexibility. They start to understand why a warm-up matters and how heart rate connects to effort.
4
Individual and lifetime activities
Students try activities they can keep doing as adults, such as tennis, hiking, yoga, or strength training. The goal is to find a few that feel good so physical activity sticks after the school year ends.
5
Reflection and active habits
Students wrap up the year by looking back at their goals, retesting their fitness, and naming the activities they want to keep doing over the summer. Parents may see a final reflection or a simple home activity plan.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 8.

Physical Education

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

NH-PE.1.8

Students practice movements like running, balancing, throwing, and catching with enough variety to stay active in sports and everyday life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

NH-PE.2.8

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

NH-PE.3.8

Students practice working with others during physical activities, like taking turns, listening to teammates, and handling wins or losses with respect.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

NH-PE.4.8

Students reflect on why physical activity matters to them personally and build the habit of moving regularly. The goal is for that habit to stick well past graduation.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice movements like running, balancing, throwing, and catching with enough variety to stay active in sports and everyday life.	NH-PE.1.8
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. That means adjusting pace, form, or effort based on what the activity actually demands.	NH-PE.2.8
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities, like taking turns, listening to teammates, and handling wins or losses with respect.	NH-PE.3.8
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students reflect on why physical activity matters to them personally and build the habit of moving regularly. The goal is for that habit to stick well past graduation.	NH-PE.4.8

Physical Education

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

NH-PE.1.8

Students practice movements like running, balancing, throwing, and catching with enough variety to stay active in sports and everyday life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

NH-PE.2.8

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

NH-PE.3.8

Students practice working with others during physical activities, like taking turns, listening to teammates, and handling wins or losses with respect.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

NH-PE.4.8

Students reflect on why physical activity matters to them personally and build the habit of moving regularly. The goal is for that habit to stick well past graduation.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice movements like running, balancing, throwing, and catching with enough variety to stay active in sports and everyday life.	NH-PE.1.8
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. That means adjusting pace, form, or effort based on what the activity actually demands.	NH-PE.2.8
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities, like taking turns, listening to teammates, and handling wins or losses with respect.	NH-PE.3.8
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students reflect on why physical activity matters to them personally and build the habit of moving regularly. The goal is for that habit to stick well past graduation.	NH-PE.4.8

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 know how warm-ups, heart rate, and strength training fit together, and play fairly with teammates and opponents.
How can a parent support PE at home?
Build movement into normal life. A walk after dinner, shooting hoops in the driveway, biking on weekends, or stretching before bed all count. The goal is regular activity students enjoy enough to keep doing on their own.
What if a student is not athletic or dislikes team sports?
PE at this age is about lifelong fitness, not making a team. Hiking, dance, yoga, swimming, weight training, and martial arts all build the same skills. Help students find one or two activities they actually like and make those routine.
How should a teacher sequence units across the year?
Start with fitness basics and movement skills so later units have a foundation. Rotate through team games, individual activities, and fitness blocks so students see a wide menu. Revisit cooperation and fair play in every unit rather than teaching it once.
What does fitness knowledge look like at this grade?
Students should be able to explain why they warm up, what muscles an exercise targets, and how to check if they are working hard enough. They should also start setting simple personal fitness goals and tracking progress over a few weeks.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Cooperation and self-management often need the most work, especially in competitive games. Students also tend to struggle with pacing during longer cardio activities and with applying fitness vocabulary to their own workouts. Build short reflection moments into class to address both.
How much activity should a student be getting outside of PE?
Aim for about an hour of moderate to vigorous activity most days, added up across the day. That can be sports practice, walking the dog, yard work, or active play with friends. Sitting time after school adds up quickly, so breaks matter.
How does a teacher know students are ready for high school PE?
Students should be able to design a basic personal fitness plan, play several activities with competence, and work with a partner or team without constant adult prompting. If those three pieces are solid, they are ready for the more independent work ahead.