What does PE look like at this grade?

Students build on running, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and striking with a paddle or bat. They start combining skills in small-sided games like four-square, mini-soccer, and tag variations. Fitness ideas like heart rate, stretching, and pacing show up in real activities, not lectures.

How can families support PE at home?

Aim for 60 minutes of active play most days. Toss a ball in the yard, walk the dog together, bike to the park, or put on music and dance for a song or two. The goal is regular movement, not a workout plan.

What if a student is not very athletic?

PE at this age is about effort and improvement, not talent. Praise small wins like catching a tricky pass or finishing a lap without stopping. Find one activity students enjoy, whether that is swimming, hiking, or shooting hoops in the driveway, and build from there.

How should a teacher sequence skills across the year?

Start the year with locomotor and fitness baselines, then move into manipulative skills with hands and then implements. Use the middle of the year for invasion and net games at a small-sided level. Close out with striking sports, outdoor activities, and a fitness check that mirrors the fall.

How do students learn cooperation and respect in PE?

Cooperation is taught the same way skills are: name it, practice it, and give feedback. Use partner warm-ups, team huddles before games, and quick reflections after activities. Small-sided games make it easier to notice and coach behaviors like encouraging teammates and accepting calls.

What fitness concepts should students actually know?

Students should be able to explain why a warm-up matters, find their pulse, and tell the difference between activities that build endurance, strength, or flexibility. They do not need fitness vocabulary tests. They need to apply the ideas while jumping rope, running laps, or playing a game.

How do I know students are ready for middle school PE?

By the end of the year, students should move confidently in most basic sports, follow rules in a small-sided game, and work with any partner without drama. They should also be able to set a simple fitness goal and track it across a few weeks.

What if a student does not want to participate?

Ask what is going on before assuming attitude. Common reasons are fear of looking bad, a conflict with a classmate, or discomfort with a specific activity. Offer a smaller role, a different position, or a modified version of the task, and check in privately afterward.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement skills come together for real games and team activities. Students combine running, jumping, throwing, and catching into the patterns used in sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball. They learn how warm-ups, heart rate, and practice make their bodies stronger, and they work on fair play with classmates. By spring, students can play a small-sided game, follow the rules, and explain one fitness habit they want to keep doing.

Movement skills
Team games
Fitness habits
Fair play
Healthy choices

Source: Rhode Island Rhode Island 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, throwing, catching, and kicking. The goal is smoother, more controlled movement that holds up in games and group activities.
2
Games, strategy, and fitness
Students put their skills into team games and fitness routines. They learn simple strategy, pace themselves during activity, and start to notice how exercise affects the body.
3
Working well with others
Students focus on the social side of PE. They practice taking turns, encouraging teammates, handling wins and losses, and following the rules without an adult stepping in.
4
Healthy habits for life
Students connect movement to staying healthy outside of school. They set small fitness goals, try activities they enjoy, and think about how to stay active at home and with family.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 5.

Physical Education

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

RI-PE.1.5

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching a ball. Building these skills helps students stay active and take part in more sports and games.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

RI-PE.2.5

Students use what they know about how their body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during exercise and games. That might mean adjusting their pace on a run or picking the right warm-up before a sport.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

RI-PE.3.5

Students practice working with classmates during physical activities, taking turns, listening, and making choices that keep the group running smoothly.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

RI-PE.4.5

Students name the types of movement they enjoy and explain why staying active matters to them personally. The goal is building habits they'll actually keep, not just completing a unit.

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 a ball. Building these skills helps students stay active and take part in more sports and games.	RI-PE.1.5
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how their body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during exercise and games. That might mean adjusting their pace on a run or picking the right warm-up before a sport.	RI-PE.2.5
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activities, taking turns, listening, and making choices that keep the group running smoothly.	RI-PE.3.5
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students name the types of movement they enjoy and explain why staying active matters to them personally. The goal is building habits they'll actually keep, not just completing a unit.	RI-PE.4.5

Physical Education

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

RI-PE.1.5

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching a ball. Building these skills helps students stay active and take part in more sports and games.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

RI-PE.2.5

Students use what they know about how their body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during exercise and games. That might mean adjusting their pace on a run or picking the right warm-up before a sport.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

RI-PE.3.5

Students practice working with classmates during physical activities, taking turns, listening, and making choices that keep the group running smoothly.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

RI-PE.4.5

Students name the types of movement they enjoy and explain why staying active matters to them personally. The goal is building habits they'll actually keep, not just completing a unit.

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 a ball. Building these skills helps students stay active and take part in more sports and games.	RI-PE.1.5
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how their body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during exercise and games. That might mean adjusting their pace on a run or picking the right warm-up before a sport.	RI-PE.2.5
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activities, taking turns, listening, and making choices that keep the group running smoothly.	RI-PE.3.5
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students name the types of movement they enjoy and explain why staying active matters to them personally. The goal is building habits they'll actually keep, not just completing a unit.	RI-PE.4.5

Common Questions

What does PE look like at this grade?
Students build on running, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and striking with a paddle or bat. They start combining skills in small-sided games like four-square, mini-soccer, and tag variations. Fitness ideas like heart rate, stretching, and pacing show up in real activities, not lectures.
How can families support PE at home?
Aim for 60 minutes of active play most days. Toss a ball in the yard, walk the dog together, bike to the park, or put on music and dance for a song or two. The goal is regular movement, not a workout plan.
What if a student is not very athletic?
PE at this age is about effort and improvement, not talent. Praise small wins like catching a tricky pass or finishing a lap without stopping. Find one activity students enjoy, whether that is swimming, hiking, or shooting hoops in the driveway, and build from there.
How should a teacher sequence skills across the year?
Start the year with locomotor and fitness baselines, then move into manipulative skills with hands and then implements. Use the middle of the year for invasion and net games at a small-sided level. Close out with striking sports, outdoor activities, and a fitness check that mirrors the fall.
How do students learn cooperation and respect in PE?
Cooperation is taught the same way skills are: name it, practice it, and give feedback. Use partner warm-ups, team huddles before games, and quick reflections after activities. Small-sided games make it easier to notice and coach behaviors like encouraging teammates and accepting calls.
What fitness concepts should students actually know?
Students should be able to explain why a warm-up matters, find their pulse, and tell the difference between activities that build endurance, strength, or flexibility. They do not need fitness vocabulary tests. They need to apply the ideas while jumping rope, running laps, or playing a game.
How do I know students are ready for middle school PE?
By the end of the year, students should move confidently in most basic sports, follow rules in a small-sided game, and work with any partner without drama. They should also be able to set a simple fitness goal and track it across a few weeks.
What if a student does not want to participate?
Ask what is going on before assuming attitude. Common reasons are fear of looking bad, a conflict with a classmate, or discomfort with a specific activity. Offer a smaller role, a different position, or a modified version of the task, and check in privately afterward.