Movement skills and fitness baseline
Students start the year by checking their own fitness and brushing up on movement skills like running, jumping, throwing, and catching. They learn how to warm up safely and set a starting point to grow from.
What does a student learn in
This is the year movement becomes a personal habit students own. Students sharpen the skills they use in sports and everyday life, from running and throwing to keeping their balance during a workout. They learn how the body responds to exercise and how to plan activity that builds real fitness. By spring, students can lead themselves through a workout, cooperate fairly with teammates, and explain why they chose it.
- Motor skills
- Fitness planning
- Teamwork
- Healthy habits
- Sportsmanship
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
Fitness concepts in action
Students learn what builds strength, endurance, and flexibility, then apply it during workouts and games. They start tracking heart rate, effort, and recovery so they can tell when a workout is actually working.
- 3
Teamwork and fair play
Students play team and partner activities that lean on communication, cooperation, and respect. They practice handling wins, losses, and disagreements without drama, and take responsibility for their role on a team.
- 4
Skill refinement in sports and activities
Students sharpen specific skills across sports, dance, or outdoor activities and use feedback to improve form. They learn basic strategy and start to see how practice changes performance over a few weeks.
- 5
Planning a lifelong active life
Students design a personal activity plan they could actually stick with after the school year ends. They reflect on what they enjoy, set realistic goals, and connect regular movement to long-term health.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 9.
Physical Education
Physical Education
- High School Level 1
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor
Students practice moving the body in different ways, from walking and jumping to throwing and catching, to build the physical confidence needed to stay active for life.
- High School Level 1
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance
Students connect what they know about how the body works to how they train, move, and stay active. That means understanding why warm-ups matter, how effort affects fitness, and how to adjust their activity to get better results.
- High School Level 1
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…
Students practice working with others during physical activities, which means listening, taking turns, and handling wins and losses without blaming teammates or opponents.
- High School Level 1
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement
Students identify what they personally get out of staying active, then use that to build a habit of regular exercise they can keep up for life.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor High School Level 1 | Students practice moving the body in different ways, from walking and jumping to throwing and catching, to build the physical confidence needed to stay active for life. | TX-PE.1.hs-level-1 |
| Apply knowledge related to movement, performance High School Level 1 | Students connect what they know about how the body works to how they train, move, and stay active. That means understanding why warm-ups matter, how effort affects fitness, and how to adjust their activity to get better results. | TX-PE.2.hs-level-1 |
| Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others… High School Level 1 | Students practice working with others during physical activities, which means listening, taking turns, and handling wins and losses without blaming teammates or opponents. | TX-PE.3.hs-level-1 |
| Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement High School Level 1 | Students identify what they personally get out of staying active, then use that to build a habit of regular exercise they can keep up for life. | TX-PE.4.hs-level-1 |
Common Questions
What does Level 1 high school PE actually cover?
Students build movement skills they can use for life, from running and jumping to throwing, catching, and striking. They also learn how fitness works, how to play well with others, and how to set their own goals for staying active.
How can families support physical activity at home?
Aim for about 60 minutes of movement most days. Walks after dinner, weekend bike rides, shooting hoops in the driveway, or a quick stretch routine before school all count. The goal is steady habits, not perfection.
What if a student is not athletic or dislikes team sports?
Team sports are only one option. Hiking, yoga, dance, weightlifting, swimming, and biking all build the same skills and habits. Helping students find one activity they enjoy matters more than being good at any single sport.
How should the year be sequenced across units?
A common arc moves from fitness baseline testing, into skill-based units like invasion games and net or wall games, then into personal fitness planning by spring. Mixing individual and group activities each grading period keeps students who dislike team sports engaged.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can perform basic motor skills in real game or activity settings, explain how heart rate and effort connect to fitness, work respectfully with partners and small groups, and set a simple personal fitness goal they can track.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Pacing during cardio work, proper form on strength exercises, and conflict resolution in competitive games tend to need repeated practice. Building short reteach moments into warm-ups and cool-downs works better than dedicating full lessons to review.
How is a student graded in PE?
Grades usually reflect participation, effort, skill growth, and understanding of fitness concepts, not raw athletic ability. A student who shows up, tries hard, and improves over time will do well even if they are not the fastest or strongest.
How do families know a student is ready for the next level?
Students should be able to join an activity, follow the rules, work with a group, and keep moving without quitting when it gets hard. They should also be able to name one or two ways they like to stay active outside of class.