Skills check and goal setting
Students start the year by testing where their fitness and movement skills stand. They set personal goals for strength, endurance, and the activities they want to improve.
What does a student learn in
This is the year fitness becomes a personal plan, not a class assignment. Students pick activities they actually enjoy, track how their body responds to exercise, and figure out what keeps them moving after the school day ends. They also practice working with teammates, handling competition, and leading warm-ups or drills. By spring, students can describe a weekly routine they would stick with on their own.
- Personal fitness plans
- Lifelong activity
- Teamwork
- Movement skills
- Health and wellness
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
- 2
Games, sports, and teamwork
Students play team and individual sports that build coordination and quick decisions. They practice cooperating, communicating with teammates, and handling wins and losses with respect.
- 3
Fitness training and health
Students learn how the body responds to exercise and how to train for strength, heart health, and flexibility. They track their own workouts and connect daily choices to how they feel.
- 4
Lifelong activity and wellness
Students try activities they can keep doing as adults, such as hiking, yoga, dance, or weight training. They build a personal plan for staying active after high school.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 12.
Physical Education
Physical Education
- High School Level 2
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor
Students refine movement skills like running, balancing, and throwing so those skills hold up in real games and workouts. The goal is a body that stays ready for physical activity long after high school.
- High School Level 2
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance
Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during workouts, sports, and other physical activities.
- High School Level 2
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 and losses with respect.
- High School Level 2
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement
Students reflect on why movement matters to them personally and build habits around the physical activities they actually enjoy. The goal is staying active beyond graduation, not just passing a class.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor High School Level 2 | Students refine movement skills like running, balancing, and throwing so those skills hold up in real games and workouts. The goal is a body that stays ready for physical activity long after high school. | RI-PE.1.hs-level-2 |
| Apply knowledge related to movement, performance High School Level 2 | Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during workouts, sports, and other physical activities. | RI-PE.2.hs-level-2 |
| Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others… High School Level 2 | Students practice working with others during physical activities, listening, taking turns, and handling wins and losses with respect. | RI-PE.3.hs-level-2 |
| Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement High School Level 2 | Students reflect on why movement matters to them personally and build habits around the physical activities they actually enjoy. The goal is staying active beyond graduation, not just passing a class. | RI-PE.4.hs-level-2 |
Common Questions
What does Level 2 physical education actually cover?
Students keep building movement skills across sports, fitness activities, and lifetime activities like hiking, yoga, or strength training. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to plan activity that fits their own goals and schedule.
How can families support an active lifestyle at home?
Make movement a normal part of the week. A walk after dinner, a weekend bike ride, or shooting hoops in the driveway all count. The goal is finding two or three activities students actually enjoy so they keep doing them after high school.
What if a student dislikes traditional team sports?
Level 2 is a good time to try other options. Running, lifting, swimming, dance, climbing, and yoga all build the same fitness habits. Helping students find one activity they want to keep doing matters more than which one they pick.
How should the year be sequenced across activities?
A common approach is rotating units every three to five weeks: a team sport, an individual fitness block, a lifetime activity, then repeat. Build fitness concepts like heart rate, sets and reps, and recovery into every unit instead of teaching them as a separate chapter.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can warm up on their own, perform skills in real games or workouts, and explain why a given activity builds strength, endurance, or flexibility. They can also work with a partner or small group without constant teacher direction.
How much focus should go on fitness testing versus skill work?
Fitness data is useful as a starting point and a progress check, not as a grade. Two or three short testing windows across the year is plenty. Spend the rest of the time on activities that build the fitness those tests measure.
How can a parent help if a student feels self-conscious in PE?
Ask what part feels hard: the activity, the clothes, the locker room, or being watched. Most of the time a quick chat with the teacher solves it. At home, practice the skill in private so students walk in feeling more prepared.
How do I know a student is ready for the next level?
Look for students who can set a simple fitness goal, stick with it for a few weeks, and adjust when something is not working. They should also handle disagreements in a game without shutting down or escalating.