What does seventh grade physical education actually cover?

Students build skills for team sports, individual activities, and fitness routines. They work on things like passing, dribbling, striking, and pacing themselves during running or other cardio. They also learn how warm-ups, stretching, and rest affect how their body performs.

How can families support physical activity at home?

Aim for 60 minutes of activity most days. That can be a bike ride, a walk after dinner, shooting baskets in the driveway, or a pickup game with friends. Students do not need a gym or equipment, just regular chances to move.

What should a student be able to do by the end of the year?

Students should move with control in a range of activities, follow the rules of common games, and explain how exercise affects their heart rate, breathing, and muscles. They should also be able to set a simple fitness goal and track progress toward it.

How should the year be sequenced across units?

A common approach is to rotate through invasion games, net and wall games, striking and fielding, fitness units, and individual activities like dance or track. Repeating skill themes across units, such as striking or spatial awareness, helps students transfer what they learn.

My child says they are bad at sports. How do I help?

At this age, comparison gets loud and students often quit activities they could grow to enjoy. Focus on personal progress instead of winning. Walking, biking, hiking, swimming, and dance all count, and finding one activity that feels good often matters more than being on a team.

What social skills are part of the grade?

Students practice cooperating with teammates, including classmates they did not choose, settling disagreements during games, and giving honest effort even when nobody is keeping score. Respectful behavior toward officials, opponents, and equipment is also part of the grade.

Which areas usually need the most reteaching?

Game sense and decision-making lag behind raw skill. Students can often dribble or pass in a drill but struggle to read space, support a teammate, or pick the right option under pressure. Small-sided games with clear constraints tend to move this faster than full-court play.

How do I know my child is ready for high school PE?

By the end of the year, students should be willing to try unfamiliar activities, work with different partners without complaint, and keep moving through a full class period. Being able to describe one activity they enjoy and plan to keep doing is a strong sign.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year physical education shifts from learning skills to using them in real games and workouts. Students refine how they move, pass, and play, and they start connecting their effort to fitness goals like endurance and strength. Working with teammates becomes more deliberate, with clear expectations for cooperation and respect. By spring, students can lead themselves through a warm-up, play a team sport with solid form, and explain why staying active matters.

Team sports
Fitness goals
Movement skills
Teamwork
Lifelong wellness

Source: Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Core 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 basics of running, jumping, dodging, throwing, catching, and striking. The work shifts from doing each move to doing it well during a real game or activity.
2
Playing smart in games
Students learn the why behind the moves. They think about spacing, timing, and strategy so they can read a game and make a good choice instead of just reacting.
3
Building fitness habits
Students track their own heart rate, strength, and endurance. They learn how a warm-up, a workout, and a cool-down fit together, and what it feels like to push at the right level.
4
Teamwork and fair play
Students practice talking to teammates, including everyone, and handling wins and losses with respect. Coaches see kids settle disagreements on the court instead of waiting for an adult.
5
Choosing an active life
Students figure out which activities they actually enjoy and set a simple plan to stay active outside of class. The goal is a habit they can carry past the school year.

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

PA-PE.1.7

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active as they get older.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

PA-PE.2.7

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

PA-PE.3.7

Students practice working with others during physical activities: listening, taking turns, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they play.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

PA-PE.4.7

Students set personal fitness goals, name the ways regular movement helps them feel and function better, and practice choosing activities they want to keep doing for life.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active as they get older.	PA-PE.1.7
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 effort, form, or pacing based on what the activity actually demands.	PA-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities: listening, taking turns, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they play.	PA-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students set personal fitness goals, name the ways regular movement helps them feel and function better, and practice choosing activities they want to keep doing for life.	PA-PE.4.7

Physical Education

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

PA-PE.1.7

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active as they get older.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

PA-PE.2.7

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

PA-PE.3.7

Students practice working with others during physical activities: listening, taking turns, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they play.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

PA-PE.4.7

Students set personal fitness goals, name the ways regular movement helps them feel and function better, and practice choosing activities they want to keep doing for life.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active as they get older.	PA-PE.1.7
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 effort, form, or pacing based on what the activity actually demands.	PA-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities: listening, taking turns, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they play.	PA-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students set personal fitness goals, name the ways regular movement helps them feel and function better, and practice choosing activities they want to keep doing for life.	PA-PE.4.7

Common Questions

What does seventh grade physical education actually cover?
Students build skills for team sports, individual activities, and fitness routines. They work on things like passing, dribbling, striking, and pacing themselves during running or other cardio. They also learn how warm-ups, stretching, and rest affect how their body performs.
How can families support physical activity at home?
Aim for 60 minutes of activity most days. That can be a bike ride, a walk after dinner, shooting baskets in the driveway, or a pickup game with friends. Students do not need a gym or equipment, just regular chances to move.
What should a student be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should move with control in a range of activities, follow the rules of common games, and explain how exercise affects their heart rate, breathing, and muscles. They should also be able to set a simple fitness goal and track progress toward it.
How should the year be sequenced across units?
A common approach is to rotate through invasion games, net and wall games, striking and fielding, fitness units, and individual activities like dance or track. Repeating skill themes across units, such as striking or spatial awareness, helps students transfer what they learn.
My child says they are bad at sports. How do I help?
At this age, comparison gets loud and students often quit activities they could grow to enjoy. Focus on personal progress instead of winning. Walking, biking, hiking, swimming, and dance all count, and finding one activity that feels good often matters more than being on a team.
What social skills are part of the grade?
Students practice cooperating with teammates, including classmates they did not choose, settling disagreements during games, and giving honest effort even when nobody is keeping score. Respectful behavior toward officials, opponents, and equipment is also part of the grade.
Which areas usually need the most reteaching?
Game sense and decision-making lag behind raw skill. Students can often dribble or pass in a drill but struggle to read space, support a teammate, or pick the right option under pressure. Small-sided games with clear constraints tend to move this faster than full-court play.
How do I know my child is ready for high school PE?
By the end of the year, students should be willing to try unfamiliar activities, work with different partners without complaint, and keep moving through a full class period. Being able to describe one activity they enjoy and plan to keep doing is a strong sign.