Movement skills and warm-ups
Students brush off summer and get back into running, jumping, throwing, and catching. They learn how to warm up safely and what their body needs before activity.
What does a student learn in
This is the year gym class shifts from learning skills to using them in real games and workouts. Students play team sports, track their own fitness, and start to see how exercise habits affect health outside of school. Cooperation gets harder too, with more focus on fair play, communication, and handling competition. By spring, students can lead a warm-up, follow game rules, and explain one fitness goal they are working on.
- Team sports
- Fitness goals
- Sportsmanship
- Healthy habits
- Movement 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
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Team games and fair play
Students play team sports and group games. The focus is on passing, defending, calling for the ball, and treating teammates and opponents with respect.
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Fitness and healthy habits
Students learn what builds strength, endurance, and flexibility. They track their own progress and start to see how sleep, food, and activity affect how they feel.
- 4
Lifelong activities and choice
Students try activities they could keep doing as adults, like hiking, dance, yoga, or recreational sports. They reflect on what they enjoy and how to stay active outside of class.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 7.
Physical Education
Physical Education
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Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor
Students practice moving in different ways, from running and jumping to throwing and catching, building the physical skills that make sports and everyday movement feel natural.
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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 perform better and keep improving.
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Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…
Students practice working with others during physical activities, showing respect, taking turns, and communicating clearly. The focus is on how students behave with teammates, not just how well they move.
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Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement
Students practice setting fitness goals, name the personal benefits they get from moving regularly, and choose activities they actually want to keep doing long after gym class ends.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor | Students practice moving in different ways, from running and jumping to throwing and catching, building the physical skills that make sports and everyday movement feel natural. | NJ-PE.1.7 |
| 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 perform better and keep improving. | NJ-PE.2.7 |
| Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others… | Students practice working with others during physical activities, showing respect, taking turns, and communicating clearly. The focus is on how students behave with teammates, not just how well they move. | NJ-PE.3.7 |
| Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement | Students practice setting fitness goals, name the personal benefits they get from moving regularly, and choose activities they actually want to keep doing long after gym class ends. | NJ-PE.4.7 |
Common Questions
What should students be able to do in PE by the end of this year?
Students should move with control in a range of activities, from team games to fitness work to dance or rhythmic activities. They should also understand why they are doing what they are doing, like how warm-ups protect joints or why a steady pace helps stamina.
How can students stay active outside of class?
Aim for about an hour of movement most days. That can be a walk, a bike ride, shooting hoops in the driveway, or a pickup game at the park. It does not have to be a sport or a team, and short bursts across the day still count.
What if a student is not athletic or does not enjoy team sports?
PE at this age is about building habits, not picking a varsity team. Help students find one or two activities they actually like, like hiking, dancing, swimming, or lifting. Enjoyment is what keeps people moving for life.
How should the year be sequenced across fitness, games, and personal skills?
A common pattern is fitness concepts early in the fall, invasion and net games through the winter, and individual or lifetime activities in the spring. Revisit cooperation and self-management in every unit rather than treating them as a separate block.
What does mastery of social skills look like in seventh grade?
Students should settle disputes in a game without an adult stepping in, include teammates who are struggling, and follow rules even when no one is watching. Calling fouls on themselves and encouraging a quieter classmate are good signs.
How do grades work when ability levels vary so much?
Most PE grades at this level reward effort, participation, growth, and behavior rather than raw skill. A student who cannot dribble well but tries hard and supports teammates is usually doing exactly what is asked.
Which concepts usually need the most reteaching?
Pacing, target heart rate, and the difference between strength and endurance trip up a lot of students. Build in short check-ins where students explain why a drill matters, not just how to do it.
How do families know students are ready for eighth grade PE?
By June, students should be able to warm up on their own, play a game with rules without constant reminders, and talk about one or two activities they want to keep doing. Steady habits matter more than fastest mile time.