Instructional Unit Samples - Physical Education

High School

Unit Title: Adventure Leader (Lake County School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit provides opportunities for students to develop skills as adventure leaders that will enhance their independence for exploration in wilderness experiences. These developed skills will potentially include positive social behavior, decision making, communication, collaboration and outdoor safety practices. The ultimate goal will be for students to have an understanding and appreciation for the benefits of lifelong physical activity. The unit culminates with students participating in a wilderness experience designed and led by them cultivating individual physical, mental, and social strengths that lead to strong group dynamics.

Unit Title: Fitness Planning (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: The focus of this unit is to develop skills towards improving personal wellness while emphasizing goal setting, fitness components, the FITT principle, responsibility and integrity. Students will analyze lifestyle factors that impact the short term and long term physical, social/emotional, and mental aspects of health. This unit culminates with students developing a personal fitness plan that includes the FITT principle, health related components of fitness and safety requirements. Students will have an opportunity to participate in a peer led fitness camp.

Unit Title: Personal Fitness Planning (Adams 12 Five Star Schools)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) |Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit uses ongoing analysis of health related fitness components to guide individuals in developing a quality personal fitness plan. Throughout the unit students will collect fitness data, develop personal goals, identify barriers to those goals and utilize safety procedures that will enhance their lifelong health and wellness. This unit culminates with students designing expert individualized fitness plan with the goal of analyzing their physical wellness at various phases in their life.

Return to top

8th Grade

Unit Title: Creative Movement (Douglas County School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) |Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: The focus of this unit is for students to make connections between creative movement, rhythmic sequencing, and fitness (e.g. health related and skill related components, target heart rate, and healthy fitness zones). Students will develop skills to transfer patterns between different activities, set goals to improve personal fitness, and collaborate with peers to create rhythmic performances. This unit culminates with peer groups creating routines implementing eight count sequences while integrating manipulative props, dance patterns, cultural influences, and/or sports equipment. Students will participate in a peer-led movement routine and perform their final product as a contestant in a mock T.V. program of “America’s Got Talent.”

Return to top

7th Grade

Unit Title: Analysis of Performance (Center Consolidated School District, Del Norte Consolidated School District, and Monte Vista School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit cultivates the analysis and evaluation of movement patterns. The focus is on students creating an evaluation tool and drawing conclusions for the tool's effectiveness in order to analyze a sequence of cues describing a movement pattern. Through this process students will gain a higher understanding for the value of assessment and the role it plays in providing feedback. This unit culminates with students working within a group to create a protocol for evaluation of movement patterns.

Return to top

6th Grade

Unit Title: Sport Related Activities (Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Denver Public Schools, Douglas County School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit cultivates the analysis and application of movement to promote mastery of object control. The focus is on analyzing the patterns within categories of games/activities, movement concepts, fitness components, rules of the game, and skill application. In addition, the ongoing learning experiences are focused on safe participation and responsible decision making. This unit culminates with students developing an original game encompassing movement analysis, application of skills, manipulation, and participation.

Return to top

5th Grade

New !! Unit Title: Responsible Behavior and Decision Making (East Grand School District, Douglas County School District, Cherry Creek School District, and Colorado Springs District 11)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: This unit provides opportunities for students to develop skills as adventure leaders that will enhance their collaborative teamwork for exploration in outdoor experiences. These developed skills will potentially include positive social behavior, decision making, communication, collaboration, and safety practices. The ultimate goal will be for students to have an understanding and appreciation for the benefits of healthy social and emotional well. The unit culminates with students participating in a survivor adventure experience that will include overcoming obstacles and working together as a team in order to have a successful adventure. Students will have an opportunity to cultivate individual physical, mental, and social strengths that lead to strong group dynamics.

New !! Unit Title: Relationships Between Skills and Sport (East Grand School District, Douglas County School District, Cherry Creek School District, and Colorado Springs District 11)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: This unit cultivates the analysis and awareness of behaviors, control of objects, and knowledge of skill application during during activities. The focus is on analyzing the patterns within skills, rules of the game, skill related fitness and responsible behavior. In addition, the ongoing learning experiences are focused on safe participation and responsible decision making. This unit culminates with students developing an original X-Game encompassing skill analysis, application of strategy and officiating.

New !! Unit Title: Health Related Fitness and Principles of Training (East Grand School District, Douglas County School District, Cherry Creek School District, and Colorado Springs District 11)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description:The unit provides opportunities for the students to enhance their understanding of relationship between Health Related Fitness and physical performance. These developed skills will potentially include developing and designing health related fitness goals, analyzing food consumption, accurately taking pulse, and demonstration of warm up and cool down procedures, differentiating intensity levels, identifying training zones and demonstrating appropriate nutrition and hydration during physical activity. The ultimate goal will be for the students of have an understanding and appreciation of health related fitness and the effect it has on overall health. The unit culminates with students taking on the role of a Ninja Warrior coach to create a training plan for a potential Ninja Warrior athlete.

Unit Title: Gymnastics, Rhythm and Dance (Aurora Public Schools)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit is designed to provide another avenue for transferring skillful movements students are already familiar with: using flow, speed and sequence. Students will have an opportunity to work with peers and develop effective communication and collaboration skills. Appropriate safety practices will be a focus of each learning experience and critical to student success. The unit culminates with peer groups creating a movement routine which may be performed for a variety of audiences.

Unit Title: Body Systems Dance (Greeley-Evans School District 6)

Focus Disciplines: Dance + Physical Education + Science

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit is integrated with Dance, Physical Education and Science. It allows the educator and students to learn about and explore human body systems (e.g., Circulatory, Digestive, Muscular, etc.) through movement elements. Students will work in small groups to create movement that will symbolize the movements of selected body systems. The unit will culminate in a school wide field day where stations of student groups will explain and perform the workings of a human body system to participants.

Integrated Unit Title: Character Counts! (Garfield RE-2 School District)

Focus Disciplines: Comprehensive Health + Physical Education

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit allows students to develop critical thinking and reasoning skills in order to understand and apply the benefits of healthy habits as they pertain to exercise, group activities, hobbies, sportsmanship/character and goal setting. Students will assess the cause and effect relationship of external influences on sportsmanship, choices in social interactions, participation in physical activities/groups/hobbies and goals/achievement. The unit culminates with students applying their knowledge of sportsmanship and positive social interactions to develop a “public service” reminder poster to students of the desired actions/reactions during activities to be displayed throughout the school.

Return to top

4th Grade

New !! Unit Title: Gymnastics Rhythm and Dance (Denver Public Schools, Douglas County School District, Cherry Creek School District, and Colorado Springs District 11)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: This unit is designed to allow students to develop mature body awareness, manipulation and control through rhythmic movements. Learning experiences focus on other concepts, such as, sequencing, speed, flow, force, creativity, and safety. The performance assessment provides students with the opportunity to collaborate, create, and evaluate a rhythmic movement performance.

New !! Unit Title: Mature Movement with Self and Others (Denver Public Schools, Douglas County School District, Cherry Creek School District, and Colorado Springs District 11)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: This unit is designed to allow students to develop mature movement patterns, manipulation and control through assessment and modifications. Learning experiences focus on other concepts, such as, dribbling, throwing, catching, kicking, mature movement patterns, and risks involved with physical activity. The performance assessment provides students with the opportunity to evaluate, modify, demonstrate and compare mature movement patterns.

Unit Title: Health Related Components of Fitness (Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Denver Public Schools, and East Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit advances understanding and application of the 5 components of health related fitness as it impacts a student’s daily health and wellness. The focus is on developing skills to measure initial personal fitness levels and creating personal fitness goals based on analysis of the health related components, the FITT principle, nutritional choices and overall wellness. This unit culminates with students presenting healthy recommendations when faced with a fitness or nutritional challenge.

Integrated Unit Title: Nutrition Castaways (Mesa County Valley School District 51)

Focus Disciplines: Comprehensive Health + Physical Education

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit implements a variety of learning experiences that provides students with opportunities to develop their understanding of nutrition, calories, healthy lifestyle choices and the F.I.T.T. (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type of exercise) Principle. The concepts of choices, lifestyle habits, body signals, health, wellness, and the identification of nutritional value are the main focus of this integrated comprehensive health and physical education unit. An active game called “Nutrition Island” requires students to utilize their nutritional knowledge and provides the culminating assessment for this unit.

Return to top

3rd Grade

New !! Unit Title: Gymnastics Dance and Rhythm (North Routt School District, Hayden School District District, East Grand School District, Steamboat Springs School District, and West Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: This unit is designed to teach students skilled combinations of tumbling and locomotor movements. Students will also demonstrate their understanding of balance and coordination and will combine rhythmic movements to create dynamic physical performances. The focus is on performance, demonstration, combination, identification, and rhythm. The unit culminates with students as they work individually and in small groups while they utilize their skills of tumbling, locomotor, and balance to create a gymnastics routine.

New !! Unit Title: Manipulatives (North Routt School District, Hayden School District District, East Grand School District, Steamboat Springs School District, and West Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: This unit is designed to teach students the importance of repeated skill patterns in games, activities, and sports. Students will also develop proficiency in mature movement patterns while using a variety of manipulatives. The focus is on performance, proficiency, identification, speed, and flow. The unit culminates as students work individually and in small groups while utilizing their skills of tempo, rhythm, pathways, coordination, chase, flee, dodge, body mid-line, force, and balance.

New !! Unit Title: Personal and Social Wellness (North Routt School District, Hayden School District District, East Grand School District, Steamboat Springs School District, and West Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description:This unit is designed to teach students the skill development of personal and social wellness as it relates to participating in physical activity. The focus is on identifying and applying skills of acceptance, encouragement and sportsmanship while creating a safe playing environment. The unit culminates with students working in small groups to develop manipulative games that demonstrate respect, cooperation, and collaboration. The teams will be combined with two other groups to blend their mini games into one large activity. The ultimate result is to have students utilize their skills of collaboration and sportsmanship.

Unit Title: Fitness (Mesa County Valley School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit encompasses a variety of topics related to heart health. The focus is on introducing the students to personal goal setting, pacing, the F.I.T.T. principle, lifestyle habits and their effects on the heart, and cardiovascular fitness. Through heart healthy activities, students will learn lifelong skills such as anatomy of the heart, finding their heart rate, and developing a fitness plan. This unit culminates with students designing a workout to demonstrate in front of a small group of peers.

Integrated Unit Title: Let's All Get Along (Garfield RE-2 School District)

Focus Disciplines: Comprehensive Health + Physical Education

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit is designed to use the school environment to explore common and shared expectations for the treatment of others in the classroom, gym, and playground during structured and unstructured times. Third grade students may have skills to identify and communicate personal needs appropriate for their age and life experiences; however, the unit allows for students who may have varied views of appropriate boundaries due to developmental needs for positive decision-making skills and conflict resolution skills to build and enhance healthy relationships. During the performance assessment students will work with a partner to create a value.com billboard that emphasize the kinds of values and strategies needed to express emotions, personal needs, boundaries, sportsmanship skills and communication in order to develop healthy relationships.

Return to top

2nd Grade

New !! Unit Title: Movement with a Purpose (Mesa County Valley School District, Douglas County School District, Cherry Creek School District, Colorado Springs District 11)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description:This unit allows students to demonstrate various locomotor skills, rhythm, balances, juggling, jumping rope, and positive encouragement. The concepts of manipulation; non-manipulation; locomotion; balance; patterns; identification; practice; demonstration; spatial awareness ; self-control; sequencing; transition; rhythm; creativity; consistency; body awareness, rules; responsibility; citizenship; respect; application; space; safety; participation; variation; cooperation; encouragement; compare and contrast, communication are the main focus of this physical education unit. The culminating performance assessment for this unit has students working in small groups to create and perform a circus parade and routine.

New !! Unit Title: Identify Your Feelings (Mesa County Valley School District, Douglas County School District, Cherry Creek School District, Colorado Springs District 11)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description:This unit allows students to demonstrate and identify intra-personal emotions. The concepts of Intra-personal awareness; self-analysis; awareness; connections; identification; collaborations; cooperation; happiness; enjoyment; rules; responsibility; citizenship; respect; application; space; safety; participation; variation; cooperation; encouragement; compare and contrast, communication. The culminating performance assessment for this unit has the students expressing their emotions while participating in different physical activities. Reference to the Disney movie Inside Out are made throughout this unit. The following link will give an overview of the movie

New !! Unit Title: Cause and Effect (Mesa County Valley School District, Douglas County School District, Cherry Creek School District, Colorado Springs District 11)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description:This unit is designed to teach second graders how to use rubrics, give and receive feedback, and modify skills within routines after receiving critiques. Students will utilize evaluations from self, peers, and the teacher to improve the skills within the routines. This unit concludes with students creating a routine that will be assessed by peers and teachers in a final performance. Additionally, students will play the role of judges to demonstrate knowledge and use of rubrics as they evaluate their peers.

Unit Title: Making Healthy Choices (East Grand School District, Denver Public Schools, and Hayden School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit allows students to develop critical thinking and reasoning skills in order to understand and apply the benefits of healthy habits as they pertain to nutrition, exercise, water intake and sleep habits. The unit culminates with students applying and defending healthy habit choices by participating in an activity where they analyze the value of nutrition, sleep, water and exercise choices. Students will correctly place each healthy choice (beanbag, picture, polyspot) in the corresponding category, (GO, SLOW, NO). Students will defend choices to peers during a gallery walk.

habitat, its environment surroundings, and food choices that help it to survive.

Integrated Unit Title: Project Healthy Transformation (Garfield RE-2 School District)

Focus Disciplines: Comprehensive Health + Physical Education

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit allows students to develop critical thinking and reasoning skills in order to understand and apply the benefits of healthy habits as they pertain to nutrition, exercise, water intake and sleep habits. Students will assess the cause and effect relationship of body signals as it relates to healthy fuel requirements and physical activity. The unit culminates with students applying habits to develop a transformer game that exemplifies their most powerful self and highest level of physical and emotional fitness.

Integrated Unit Title: Remarkable Relationships (Mesa County Valley School District 51)

Focus Disciplines: Comprehensive Health + Physical Education

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit implements a variety of learning experiences that provides students with opportunities to develop their understanding of healthy interpersonal relationships. The concepts of respect, acceptance, communication, cooperation, and positive relationship behaviors (e.g. body language and verbal language) are the main focus of this integrated comprehensive health and physical education unit. Students will create and perform role playing scenarios that demonstrate examples of these positive relationship skills provide the culminating assessment for this unit.

Return to top

1st Grade

New !! Unit Title: Play Nice in the Sandbox (North Routt School District, Hayden School District District, East Grand School District, Steamboat Springs School District, and West Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description:This unit is designed to teach second graders how to cooperate in the physical education setting. Students will work with a partner to discuss and demonstrate positive social responsibility. (e.g. Cooperation, integrity, participation, collaboration). Students will explore safe movement in a designated space and positive social behavior like responsibility, integrity, sharing and citizenship. This unit concludes with students working with a partner/team to maneuver using a variety of movements and skills through an obstacle course while performing tasks that will include multiple pieces of equipment and pathways. Students will demonstrate positive social behavior and character traits that include integrity, critical thinking, and citizenship.

New !! Unit Title: Feel the Beat (North Routt School District, Hayden School District District, East Grand School District, Steamboat Springs School District, and West Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description:This unit allows students to demonstrate various body awareness and the development of locomotor skills. Learning experiences focus on locomotor skills, a variety of tempos, rhythm, patterns and sequencing, dance and body movement. The performance assessment provides students with the opportunity to create and perform a self-expressive dance to a classic nursery rhyme.

New !! Unit Title: Experimental Movement (North Routt School District, Hayden School District District, East Grand School District, Steamboat Springs School District, and West Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description:This unit is designed to allow students to develop and explore skills to move safely in a variety of environments. Learning experiences focus on concepts safety, exploring locomotor and non-locomotor skills, as well as movement patterns using various pathways, directions and speeds. The performance assessment provides students with the opportunity to create and perform a routine that demonstrate locomotor, non-locomotor movements, in a variety of pathways, directions, levels, and speed.

New !! Unit Title: Building your Body (East Grand School District, Steamboat Springs School District, and West Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: This unit is designed to allow students to develop an understanding of muscular strength and muscular endurance in relation to a variety of exercises. Learning experiences focus on concepts such as muscular strength, muscular endurance, muscle groups, and exercise. The performance assessment provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate exercises from each health-related fitness component (muscular strength, muscular endurance) and be evaluated by their teacher.

Unit Title: Moving Objects (East Grand School District, Steamboat Springs School District, and West Grand School District)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit allows students to experience manipulation of a variety of objects. (e.g. balls, hoops, scarves, beanbags). The focus is on discovering the relationship between force, speed, and effort as it relates to tossing, catching, kicking, dribbling, striking, and safety practices. This unit culminates with peer groups using their understandings of key skills (e.g. tossing, kicking…) and concepts (e.g. force, speed..) to design and perform cooperative activities at stations.

Integrated Unit Title: Buddy Builders (Mesa County Valley School District 51)

Focus Disciplines: Comprehensive Health + Physical Education

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit implements a variety of learning experiences that allow students to develop their positive communication skills. The concepts of cooperation, teamwork, responsible social behavior, critical thinking and reasoning, space, communication, and problem-solving skills are the main focus of this integrated comprehensive health and physical education unit. The culminating performance assessment for this unit has students working in small groups to build an object and requires students to utilize skills of team building, communication, and problem-solving in order to complete the task.

Return to top

Kindergarten

New !! Unit Title: Playing Responsibly (Aurora Public Schools, Colorado Springs School District 11, Community Leadership, Woodland Park School District Re-2​)

Instructional Unit ( Word or PDF)

Unit Description:The purpose of this unit is to allow students to build their character through responsible participation in physical education. Concepts that are focused on include: leadership, sharing, empathy and respect. Additionally, skills are being developed to create an environment of cooperation and collaboration while playing games and the importance of being responsible. The unit culminates with a performance assessment in which each student becomes a cartoon character to assist peers in solving a series of tasks when presented with a challenge.

New !! Unit Title: Relationships with Others (Aurora Public Schools, Colorado Springs School District 11, Community Leadership, Woodland Park School District Re-2​)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: The purpose of this unit is to allow students to develop positive relationships in physical education. Concepts that are focused on include: cooperation, respect, acceptance, and responsibility. Additionally, skills are being developed to create an environment of trust and collaboration while following rules and understanding the importance of spatial awareness, boundaries, and pathways. The unit culminates with a performance assessment in which each student becomes a superhero to assist a friend in danger of not following rules and directions.

New !! Unit Title: Movement and Spatial Awareness (Aurora Public Schools, Colorado Springs School District 11, Community Leadership, Woodland Park School District Re-2​)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF)

Unit Description: The purpose of this unit is to allow students to move competently in physical education. Concepts that are focused on include: locomotion, pathways, levels and space. Additionally, skills are being developed to create a safe environment of trust and respect while following rules and understanding the importance of movement, spatial awareness, and pathways. The unit culminates with a performance assessment in which each student becomes an animated movie character to move safely at various speeds within the character’s movie environment.

Unit Title: Knowing Your Body (Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Denver Public Schools, and Eagle County Schools)

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit allows students to develop an understanding of personal awareness that includes heart rate, intensity, responsibilities, and how the body feels during and after physical activity. The focus is on developing skills to recognize the differences between moderate and vigorous activities as it relates to personal health and wellness. The unit culminates with students taking on a role as a superhero coach to create activities for peers to demonstrate personal awareness.

Integrated Unit Title: Moving & Grooving (Jefferson County Public Schools)

Focus Disciplines: Comprehensive Health + Physical Education + Science

Instructional Unit (Word or PDF) | Unit Storyboard

Unit Description: This unit explores variation in movement patterns in relation to one’s place in space. Students will demonstrate the concepts of motion using their bodies in a safe manner. Through the exploration of various animals, students will mimic their locomotion through body movement. The unit concludes with the students becoming a zoo animal and acting out its unique movement styles.

Return to top