What does fifth grade physical education actually look like?

Students run, jump, throw, catch, kick, and dribble in games and activities. They also learn how the body warms up, why a strong heart matters, and how to work with a team. Most lessons mix skill practice with a game or fitness activity.

How can families support physical activity at home?

Aim for 60 minutes of active play most days. A walk after dinner, a bike ride, a game of catch, or shooting hoops in the driveway all count. The goal is steady movement and time away from screens, not a formal workout.

How should skills be sequenced across the year?

Start with locomotor and basic ball control, then move into more combined skills like dribbling while moving or throwing to a target on the run. Layer in small-sided games once students can handle the skill under light pressure. Save full team games for later units.

What does mastery look like by the end of fifth grade?

Students should move with control in running, skipping, and dodging, and combine skills like catching and throwing in a game. They should also explain why warm-ups matter, take turns, and settle small disagreements without an adult stepping in.

What if a child says they are bad at sports?

Try activities that are not on a team scoreboard. Hiking, biking, dancing, swimming, jumping rope, and backyard tag all build the same fitness without the pressure. Praise effort and steady practice rather than winning.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Catching a moving ball, kicking with the inside of the foot, and pacing during longer runs tend to slip. Cooperation under game pressure also needs practice, since students often revert to grabbing the ball or arguing about rules. Build short skill stations into game days to keep these sharp.

How is fitness handled at this age?

Students learn the difference between strength, endurance, and flexibility, and try activities that build each one. They start to track simple personal goals, like running a little farther or holding a plank a little longer. The focus is personal progress, not comparison.

How do students show they are ready for middle school PE?

They can join a game, follow the rules, and play fairly even when their team is losing. They can warm up on their own, name a few activities they enjoy, and explain why regular movement matters for health.

How is good behavior built into PE?

Students practice taking turns, encouraging teammates, and handling lost games without blaming others. Teachers often pair fitness goals with reflection, so students notice their own effort and how they treated classmates. These habits carry into recess and the classroom.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement starts to feel like a plan instead of a game. Students combine running, jumping, throwing, and catching into real sports and dances, and they start tracking how their heart and muscles respond. They practice working with teammates, settling disagreements, and including classmates who are still learning a skill. By spring, students can warm up on their own, name a fitness habit they enjoy, and play a team game while following the rules and supporting others.

Motor skills
Team games
Fitness habits
Cooperation
Healthy choices

Source: Vermont Common Core State 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 confidence
Students sharpen the basics of running, jumping, skipping, and dodging in games and warm-ups. Parents may notice steadier balance and more confidence on the playground or at recess.
2
Throwing, catching, and kicking
Students practice manipulative skills like throwing, catching, dribbling, and kicking in small games. Footwork and aim start to look more deliberate, not just lucky.
3
Teamwork and fair play
Students play cooperative and small-sided games where they take turns, follow rules, and include classmates. Parents may hear more about working things out with teammates instead of giving up or arguing.
4
Fitness and how the body works
Students try activities that build endurance, strength, and flexibility, and learn why warming up matters. They start to notice their own heart rate, breathing, and effort.
5
Choosing an active life
Students set simple movement goals and try activities they might keep doing outside of school, from biking to dance to hiking. The aim is to leave fifth grade with a few favorites worth coming back to.

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

VT-PE.1.5

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching, to build the physical skills they'll use in sports, games, and active play throughout their lives.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

VT-PE.2.5

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. They adjust their effort, form, or pace based on what the activity actually demands.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

VT-PE.3.5

Students practice working with classmates during physical activity: taking turns, listening, solving problems together, and treating everyone on the floor with respect.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

VT-PE.4.5

Students practice setting activity goals and explain why regular movement helps them feel and function better. The focus is on building habits students can carry into everyday life, not just gym class.

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, to build the physical skills they'll use in sports, games, and active play throughout their lives.	VT-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 adjust their effort, form, or pace based on what the activity actually demands.	VT-PE.2.5
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activity: taking turns, listening, solving problems together, and treating everyone on the floor with respect.	VT-PE.3.5
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting activity goals and explain why regular movement helps them feel and function better. The focus is on building habits students can carry into everyday life, not just gym class.	VT-PE.4.5

Physical Education

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

VT-PE.1.5

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching, to build the physical skills they'll use in sports, games, and active play throughout their lives.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

VT-PE.2.5

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. They adjust their effort, form, or pace based on what the activity actually demands.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

VT-PE.3.5

Students practice working with classmates during physical activity: taking turns, listening, solving problems together, and treating everyone on the floor with respect.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

VT-PE.4.5

Students practice setting activity goals and explain why regular movement helps them feel and function better. The focus is on building habits students can carry into everyday life, not just gym class.

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, to build the physical skills they'll use in sports, games, and active play throughout their lives.	VT-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 adjust their effort, form, or pace based on what the activity actually demands.	VT-PE.2.5
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activity: taking turns, listening, solving problems together, and treating everyone on the floor with respect.	VT-PE.3.5
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting activity goals and explain why regular movement helps them feel and function better. The focus is on building habits students can carry into everyday life, not just gym class.	VT-PE.4.5

Common Questions

What does fifth grade physical education actually look like?
Students run, jump, throw, catch, kick, and dribble in games and activities. They also learn how the body warms up, why a strong heart matters, and how to work with a team. Most lessons mix skill practice with a game or fitness activity.
How can families support physical activity at home?
Aim for 60 minutes of active play most days. A walk after dinner, a bike ride, a game of catch, or shooting hoops in the driveway all count. The goal is steady movement and time away from screens, not a formal workout.
How should skills be sequenced across the year?
Start with locomotor and basic ball control, then move into more combined skills like dribbling while moving or throwing to a target on the run. Layer in small-sided games once students can handle the skill under light pressure. Save full team games for later units.
What does mastery look like by the end of fifth grade?
Students should move with control in running, skipping, and dodging, and combine skills like catching and throwing in a game. They should also explain why warm-ups matter, take turns, and settle small disagreements without an adult stepping in.
What if a child says they are bad at sports?
Try activities that are not on a team scoreboard. Hiking, biking, dancing, swimming, jumping rope, and backyard tag all build the same fitness without the pressure. Praise effort and steady practice rather than winning.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Catching a moving ball, kicking with the inside of the foot, and pacing during longer runs tend to slip. Cooperation under game pressure also needs practice, since students often revert to grabbing the ball or arguing about rules. Build short skill stations into game days to keep these sharp.
How is fitness handled at this age?
Students learn the difference between strength, endurance, and flexibility, and try activities that build each one. They start to track simple personal goals, like running a little farther or holding a plank a little longer. The focus is personal progress, not comparison.
How do students show they are ready for middle school PE?
They can join a game, follow the rules, and play fairly even when their team is losing. They can warm up on their own, name a few activities they enjoy, and explain why regular movement matters for health.
How is good behavior built into PE?
Students practice taking turns, encouraging teammates, and handling lost games without blaming others. Teachers often pair fitness goals with reflection, so students notice their own effort and how they treated classmates. These habits carry into recess and the classroom.