What does fifth grade P.E. actually cover?

Fifth graders practice running, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and striking, and start putting those skills together in games and activities. They also learn how exercise affects the body, how to work with a group, and how to make active choices on their own.

How can families help build fitness habits at home?

Aim for short bursts of activity most days: a walk after dinner, a bike ride on the weekend, or tossing a ball in the yard for ten minutes. The goal is consistency, not intensity. Letting students pick the activity helps it stick.

What should a fifth grader be able to do by the end of the year?

Most fifth graders can jog for several minutes without stopping, throw and catch with a partner across a yard, dribble a ball while moving, and follow the rules of a small-sided game. They should also be able to explain why warming up matters.

My child says they are bad at sports. How do I help?

Focus on one skill at a time and keep it low pressure. Ten minutes of catch in the backyard, or shooting baskets together, builds confidence faster than signing up for a team. Praise effort and small improvements, not wins.

How should units be sequenced across the year?

A common path is fitness basics and cooperative games early, then locomotor and manipulative skill units, then small-sided games that combine those skills, with a fitness check-in each season. Save more complex team games for spring, once skills and group behavior are solid.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Throwing with the opposite foot forward, catching with hands instead of the chest, and dribbling with the head up are the common sticking points. Group behavior during games, especially handling losing and including teammates, also needs steady reteaching across the year.

How much activity should fifth graders get outside of school?

Aim for about an hour of moving most days, added up across recess, walks, play, sports, and chores. It does not have to be one block. Three short sessions of twenty minutes works just as well.

How do I assess P.E. fairly when skill levels vary so much?

Grade on growth and effort, not raw athletic ability. Quick skill checks at the start and end of a unit, plus short observation notes on cooperation and persistence, give a clearer picture than a single test day. Self-assessment cards also work well at this age.

How do I know a student is ready for middle school P.E.?

They can keep up with sustained activity for ten to fifteen minutes, perform the basic skills of several common games, follow rules without constant reminders, and work with classmates they did not choose. They can also name one or two activities they enjoy and would keep doing.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement skills come together into real games and routines. Students combine running, jumping, throwing, and catching to play team sports and follow group rules. They start to notice how exercise affects their own heart rate, breathing, and energy. By spring, students can lead a short warm-up, work with a partner without being asked, and explain one habit that keeps their body healthy.

Illustration of what students learn in Grade 5 Physical Education

Team sports
Fitness habits
Cooperation
Throwing and catching
Healthy choices

Source: District of Columbia DC Academic Content 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
Movement skills warm-up
Students sharpen the basics of moving well: running, jumping, dodging, balancing, and changing direction. Parents may notice better body control during recess and family activities.
2
Throwing, catching, and striking
Students practice manipulative skills with balls, bats, paddles, and other equipment. Aim, timing, and follow-through start to look smoother in catch and backyard games.
3
Games, teamwork, and fair play
Students play small-sided games where they have to cooperate, communicate, and handle winning and losing. Expect more talk at home about teammates, rules, and being a good sport.
4
Fitness and healthy habits
Students learn what makes a workout build strength, stamina, and flexibility. They track their own effort and start to see how daily activity affects energy, sleep, and mood.
5
Active life beyond the gym
Students pick activities they enjoy and plan ways to stay active outside of school. The goal by year-end is a child who can name a few sports or workouts they want to keep doing.

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

DC-PE.1.5

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, throwing, catching, and balancing. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active for life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

DC-PE.2.5

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better decisions during exercise and games. That means adjusting effort, pacing, and form to keep improving.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

DC-PE.3.5

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

DC-PE.4.5

Students practice setting personal fitness goals and explain why staying active matters to them. The focus is on building habits they'll carry past gym class, not just completing the day's activity.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, throwing, catching, and balancing. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active for life.	DC-PE.1.5
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better decisions during exercise and games. That means adjusting effort, pacing, and form to keep improving.	DC-PE.2.5
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working as a team during physical activities. They take turns, follow group agreements, listen to others, and handle wins and losses with good sportsmanship.	DC-PE.3.5
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting personal fitness goals and explain why staying active matters to them. The focus is on building habits they'll carry past gym class, not just completing the day's activity.	DC-PE.4.5

Physical Education

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

DC-PE.1.5

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, throwing, catching, and balancing. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active for life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

DC-PE.2.5

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better decisions during exercise and games. That means adjusting effort, pacing, and form to keep improving.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

DC-PE.3.5

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

DC-PE.4.5

Students practice setting personal fitness goals and explain why staying active matters to them. The focus is on building habits they'll carry past gym class, not just completing the day's activity.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, throwing, catching, and balancing. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active for life.	DC-PE.1.5
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better decisions during exercise and games. That means adjusting effort, pacing, and form to keep improving.	DC-PE.2.5
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working as a team during physical activities. They take turns, follow group agreements, listen to others, and handle wins and losses with good sportsmanship.	DC-PE.3.5
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting personal fitness goals and explain why staying active matters to them. The focus is on building habits they'll carry past gym class, not just completing the day's activity.	DC-PE.4.5

Common Questions

What does fifth grade P.E. actually cover?
Fifth graders practice running, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and striking, and start putting those skills together in games and activities. They also learn how exercise affects the body, how to work with a group, and how to make active choices on their own.
How can families help build fitness habits at home?
Aim for short bursts of activity most days: a walk after dinner, a bike ride on the weekend, or tossing a ball in the yard for ten minutes. The goal is consistency, not intensity. Letting students pick the activity helps it stick.
What should a fifth grader be able to do by the end of the year?
Most fifth graders can jog for several minutes without stopping, throw and catch with a partner across a yard, dribble a ball while moving, and follow the rules of a small-sided game. They should also be able to explain why warming up matters.
My child says they are bad at sports. How do I help?
Focus on one skill at a time and keep it low pressure. Ten minutes of catch in the backyard, or shooting baskets together, builds confidence faster than signing up for a team. Praise effort and small improvements, not wins.
How should units be sequenced across the year?
A common path is fitness basics and cooperative games early, then locomotor and manipulative skill units, then small-sided games that combine those skills, with a fitness check-in each season. Save more complex team games for spring, once skills and group behavior are solid.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Throwing with the opposite foot forward, catching with hands instead of the chest, and dribbling with the head up are the common sticking points. Group behavior during games, especially handling losing and including teammates, also needs steady reteaching across the year.
How much activity should fifth graders get outside of school?
Aim for about an hour of moving most days, added up across recess, walks, play, sports, and chores. It does not have to be one block. Three short sessions of twenty minutes works just as well.
How do I assess P.E. fairly when skill levels vary so much?
Grade on growth and effort, not raw athletic ability. Quick skill checks at the start and end of a unit, plus short observation notes on cooperation and persistence, give a clearer picture than a single test day. Self-assessment cards also work well at this age.
How do I know a student is ready for middle school P.E.?
They can keep up with sustained activity for ten to fifteen minutes, perform the basic skills of several common games, follow rules without constant reminders, and work with classmates they did not choose. They can also name one or two activities they enjoy and would keep doing.