What does physical education look like this year?

Students build skills in team sports, individual activities, and fitness routines. They run, throw, dribble, strike, and move in ways that get harder and more strategic than in elementary school. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to set personal fitness goals.

How can I help my child stay active at home?

Aim for 60 minutes of movement most days. A walk after dinner, shooting hoops in the driveway, or a bike ride all count. Students this age start to drop activity fast, so a regular family routine helps more than any single sport.

My child says they hate gym class. What can I do?

Ask what part feels bad. Often it is being picked last, changing clothes, or one specific sport. Talking with the teacher about quieter ways to participate, like keeping score or trying an individual fitness goal, can change how the year feels.

How do I sequence units across the year?

Most teachers rotate through invasion games, net and wall games, target and striking activities, and a fitness or dance unit. Spacing fitness testing at the start, middle, and end of the year gives students concrete progress to track and talk about.

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

Students should pass, shoot, and defend in a small-sided game without constant reminders of the rules. They should explain why a warm-up matters, what their target heart rate feels like, and pick one activity they want to keep doing outside class.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Off-ball movement and basic game strategy. Most students can dribble or throw in isolation but freeze when a defender shows up. Short small-sided games with three or four students give more reps than full-court play.

Does my child need to be good at sports to do well?

No. Grades usually reflect effort, fair play, and personal growth, not whether students are the fastest or strongest. A student who tries hard, cooperates with a partner, and tracks their own fitness can do very well.

How is health-related fitness taught at this age?

Students learn the five parts of fitness, like endurance and flexibility, and try simple ways to measure each one. They set a personal goal, track it for a few weeks, and reflect on what changed. The point is self-knowledge, not comparison.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year physical education shifts from learning the moves to using them on purpose. Students sharpen skills they already know and apply them in games, sports, and fitness routines that demand real strategy. They also work on the harder social side: cooperating with teammates, communicating under pressure, and handling wins and losses with respect. By spring, students can set a personal fitness goal and explain how the activities they choose support their health.

Motor skills
Fitness concepts
Teamwork
Sportsmanship
Healthy habits

Source: Massachusetts Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks

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 and warm-up routines
Students start the year refreshing how they move. They practice running, jumping, dodging, throwing, and catching in drills and small games, and learn how to warm up safely before activity.
2
Team sports and cooperation
Students play team games like soccer, basketball, or volleyball. The focus is passing, positioning, and working with teammates. Parents may hear more about fair play and handling wins and losses.
3
Fitness and healthy habits
Students learn what fitness actually means: heart, lungs, strength, and flexibility. They try activities like circuit training or running, track how their body responds, and set small personal goals.
4
Individual sports and lifetime activities
Students try activities they can do outside of school, such as tennis, badminton, yoga, or dance. The goal is to find one or two they enjoy enough to keep doing on their own.
5
Games, leadership, and reflection
Students take on bigger roles in class, like leading a warm-up or refereeing a game. They reflect on how their fitness and skills have grown since the start of the year.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 7.

Physical Education

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

MA-PE.1.7

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing, to build a foundation for sports and physical activity. These skills connect to the kinds of movement students use in games, workouts, and everyday life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MA-PE.2.7

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during exercise and sports. This is about putting the science of fitness into practice, not just learning it on paper.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MA-PE.3.7

Students practice working with others during physical activity, like listening to teammates, taking turns, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat each other, not just how well they move.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MA-PE.4.7

Students practice setting goals around physical activity and learn to recognize how regular movement affects how they feel and function. The focus is on building habits students will actually keep after they leave school.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing, to build a foundation for sports and physical activity. These skills connect to the kinds of movement students use in games, workouts, and everyday life.	MA-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 exercise and sports. This is about putting the science of fitness into practice, not just learning it on paper.	MA-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activity, like listening to teammates, taking turns, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat each other, not just how well they move.	MA-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting goals around physical activity and learn to recognize how regular movement affects how they feel and function. The focus is on building habits students will actually keep after they leave school.	MA-PE.4.7

Physical Education

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

MA-PE.1.7

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing, to build a foundation for sports and physical activity. These skills connect to the kinds of movement students use in games, workouts, and everyday life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MA-PE.2.7

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during exercise and sports. This is about putting the science of fitness into practice, not just learning it on paper.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MA-PE.3.7

Students practice working with others during physical activity, like listening to teammates, taking turns, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat each other, not just how well they move.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MA-PE.4.7

Students practice setting goals around physical activity and learn to recognize how regular movement affects how they feel and function. The focus is on building habits students will actually keep after they leave school.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing, to build a foundation for sports and physical activity. These skills connect to the kinds of movement students use in games, workouts, and everyday life.	MA-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 exercise and sports. This is about putting the science of fitness into practice, not just learning it on paper.	MA-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activity, like listening to teammates, taking turns, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how students treat each other, not just how well they move.	MA-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting goals around physical activity and learn to recognize how regular movement affects how they feel and function. The focus is on building habits students will actually keep after they leave school.	MA-PE.4.7

Common Questions

What does physical education look like this year?
Students build skills in team sports, individual activities, and fitness routines. They run, throw, dribble, strike, and move in ways that get harder and more strategic than in elementary school. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to set personal fitness goals.
How can I help my child stay active at home?
Aim for 60 minutes of movement most days. A walk after dinner, shooting hoops in the driveway, or a bike ride all count. Students this age start to drop activity fast, so a regular family routine helps more than any single sport.
My child says they hate gym class. What can I do?
Ask what part feels bad. Often it is being picked last, changing clothes, or one specific sport. Talking with the teacher about quieter ways to participate, like keeping score or trying an individual fitness goal, can change how the year feels.
How do I sequence units across the year?
Most teachers rotate through invasion games, net and wall games, target and striking activities, and a fitness or dance unit. Spacing fitness testing at the start, middle, and end of the year gives students concrete progress to track and talk about.
What does mastery look like by the end of seventh grade?
Students should pass, shoot, and defend in a small-sided game without constant reminders of the rules. They should explain why a warm-up matters, what their target heart rate feels like, and pick one activity they want to keep doing outside class.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Off-ball movement and basic game strategy. Most students can dribble or throw in isolation but freeze when a defender shows up. Short small-sided games with three or four students give more reps than full-court play.
Does my child need to be good at sports to do well?
No. Grades usually reflect effort, fair play, and personal growth, not whether students are the fastest or strongest. A student who tries hard, cooperates with a partner, and tracks their own fitness can do very well.
How is health-related fitness taught at this age?
Students learn the five parts of fitness, like endurance and flexibility, and try simple ways to measure each one. They set a personal goal, track it for a few weeks, and reflect on what changed. The point is self-knowledge, not comparison.