What does a year of PE look like at this age?

Students build on running, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and striking with a paddle or bat. They also learn the basics of fitness, like why warm-ups matter and how the heart works during exercise. Expect a mix of games, fitness activities, and small-group challenges.

How can students stay active at home?

Aim for about 60 minutes of movement a day. That can be a bike ride, a walk after dinner, jumping rope in the driveway, or playing catch in the yard. It does not have to be a sport or a class.

What skills usually need the most practice?

Striking skills, like hitting a ball with a paddle or bat, often need extra reps. Catching a ball thrown at different speeds and angles is another common sticking point. Short, repeated practice helps more than long drills.

How can a parent help a student who feels bad at sports?

Focus on personal progress, not winning. Play simple games at home where the goal is to beat a personal best, like the longest catch streak or the most jumps in a row. Confidence grows when students see themselves improve.

How should the year be sequenced?

Many teachers start with cooperative games and fitness baselines, then move into skill units like throwing and catching, striking, and dance or rhythm. Team games come later, once students can use the skills under pressure. Revisit fitness concepts across every unit.

What does fitness look like at this grade?

Students learn the parts of fitness, such as heart and lung endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility. They also start tracking simple goals, like running longer without stopping or holding a plank a little longer each week.

How is good behavior built into PE?

A big part of the year is learning to cooperate, take turns, include others, and handle winning and losing. Students practice giving teammates space to try, even when a game gets competitive. These habits get coached as carefully as the physical skills.

How do I know a student is ready for middle school PE?

By the end of the year, students should move with control in a range of activities, follow rules in team games, and explain why exercise matters for health. They should also be able to set a simple fitness goal and stick with it for a few weeks.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement skills start to look like real sports and games. Students combine running, jumping, throwing, and catching to play with a team, follow rules, and keep up the pace. They learn what fitness means for their own body and how to warm up, cool down, and set small goals. By spring, students can play a game fairly, recover from a loss, and explain why regular activity matters.

Team games
Fitness goals
Throwing and catching
Sportsmanship
Healthy habits

Source: Texas Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

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
Movement skills warm-up
Students sharpen the basics of running, jumping, throwing, catching, and kicking. Expect students to come home talking about games where footwork and aim matter more than winning.
2
Teamwork and fair play
Students practice working with partners and small groups during games and drills. They learn to take turns, share equipment, and handle wins and losses without drama.
3
How the body moves
Students learn why warm-ups matter and how the heart, lungs, and muscles react to exercise. They start to notice their own breathing, heart rate, and effort during activity.
4
Games, sports, and strategy
Students apply their skills in modified team games and individual challenges. They practice reading the play, choosing a smart move, and adjusting when something is not working.
5
Building a healthy routine
Students set small fitness goals and reflect on what kinds of activity they enjoy outside of school. The aim is for students to see exercise as a normal part of life, not a chore.

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

TX-PE.1.5

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and catching. Building these skills gives students the physical confidence to stay active in games and sports.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

TX-PE.2.5

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. They use that understanding to move more skillfully and keep up their effort.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

TX-PE.3.5

Students practice working with others during physical activities. They take turns, listen to teammates, and handle wins and losses with good sportsmanship.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

TX-PE.4.5

Students practice setting personal fitness goals and explain why regular movement makes them feel and function better. The focus is on building habits now that pay off for the rest of their lives.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and catching. Building these skills gives students the physical confidence to stay active in games and sports.	TX-PE.1.5
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. They use that understanding to move more skillfully and keep up their effort.	TX-PE.2.5
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities. They take turns, listen to teammates, and handle wins and losses with good sportsmanship.	TX-PE.3.5
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting personal fitness goals and explain why regular movement makes them feel and function better. The focus is on building habits now that pay off for the rest of their lives.	TX-PE.4.5

Physical Education

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

TX-PE.1.5

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and catching. Building these skills gives students the physical confidence to stay active in games and sports.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

TX-PE.2.5

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. They use that understanding to move more skillfully and keep up their effort.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

TX-PE.3.5

Students practice working with others during physical activities. They take turns, listen to teammates, and handle wins and losses with good sportsmanship.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

TX-PE.4.5

Students practice setting personal fitness goals and explain why regular movement makes them feel and function better. The focus is on building habits now that pay off for the rest of their lives.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and catching. Building these skills gives students the physical confidence to stay active in games and sports.	TX-PE.1.5
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. They use that understanding to move more skillfully and keep up their effort.	TX-PE.2.5
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities. They take turns, listen to teammates, and handle wins and losses with good sportsmanship.	TX-PE.3.5
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting personal fitness goals and explain why regular movement makes them feel and function better. The focus is on building habits now that pay off for the rest of their lives.	TX-PE.4.5

Common Questions

What does a year of PE look like at this age?
Students build on running, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and striking with a paddle or bat. They also learn the basics of fitness, like why warm-ups matter and how the heart works during exercise. Expect a mix of games, fitness activities, and small-group challenges.
How can students stay active at home?
Aim for about 60 minutes of movement a day. That can be a bike ride, a walk after dinner, jumping rope in the driveway, or playing catch in the yard. It does not have to be a sport or a class.
What skills usually need the most practice?
Striking skills, like hitting a ball with a paddle or bat, often need extra reps. Catching a ball thrown at different speeds and angles is another common sticking point. Short, repeated practice helps more than long drills.
How can a parent help a student who feels bad at sports?
Focus on personal progress, not winning. Play simple games at home where the goal is to beat a personal best, like the longest catch streak or the most jumps in a row. Confidence grows when students see themselves improve.
How should the year be sequenced?
Many teachers start with cooperative games and fitness baselines, then move into skill units like throwing and catching, striking, and dance or rhythm. Team games come later, once students can use the skills under pressure. Revisit fitness concepts across every unit.
What does fitness look like at this grade?
Students learn the parts of fitness, such as heart and lung endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility. They also start tracking simple goals, like running longer without stopping or holding a plank a little longer each week.
How is good behavior built into PE?
A big part of the year is learning to cooperate, take turns, include others, and handle winning and losing. Students practice giving teammates space to try, even when a game gets competitive. These habits get coached as carefully as the physical skills.
How do I know a student is ready for middle school PE?
By the end of the year, students should move with control in a range of activities, follow rules in team games, and explain why exercise matters for health. They should also be able to set a simple fitness goal and stick with it for a few weeks.