What does physical education look like this year?

Students move beyond basic skills like throwing and kicking into combining them during games and dance. They start learning why a movement works, not just how to do it. Fitness becomes a regular habit, with students tracking how their bodies respond to exercise.

How can families support physical activity at home?

Aim for about an hour of active play most days. Walks, bike rides, jump rope, dance, and pickup games at the park all count. Letting students pick the activity often keeps them moving longer than a planned workout.

What if a student is not athletic or dislikes sports?

Sports are only one slice of physical education this year. Hiking, swimming, biking, dancing, yoga, and active chores all build the same fitness and coordination. Help students find one or two activities they actually enjoy and build from there.

How should fitness be sequenced across the year?

Start with baseline assessments in the fall so students know where they begin. Build in regular fitness work two or three times a week, then reassess in winter and spring. Students should be setting small personal goals by the second half of the year.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Combining skills under pressure is the hard part. Students can dribble alone but lose the ball when defended, or throw accurately in practice but not in a game. Plan for small-sided games and repeated practice in game-like situations.

How does cooperation and sportsmanship fit in?

Working with teammates, settling disagreements during games, and handling winning or losing are part of the year, not extras. Build short routines for picking teams, rotating roles, and talking through conflicts so these habits become automatic.

How do families know students are ready for next year?

By spring, students should keep up during 20 to 30 minutes of steady activity, explain why warming up matters, and use skills like throwing, catching, and dribbling during real games. They should also set a simple fitness goal and track their progress toward it.

What does a student learn in
?

This is the year P.E. shifts from learning single skills to combining them in real games and routines. Students dribble, pass, jump, and balance with better control, then use simple strategies to play with teammates. They also start tracking their own fitness, like how many sit-ups or laps they can do, and set goals to improve. By spring, students can lead a short warm-up and explain how exercise helps their body.

Illustration of what students learn in Grade 5 Physical Education

Movement skills
Team games
Fitness goals
Healthy habits
Teamwork

Source: California Content Standards for California Public Schools

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 skill and control
Students sharpen the basics that show up in almost every sport: throwing, catching, kicking, dribbling, and jumping. The focus is on doing each move with better form, not just doing it fast.
2
Smart play in games
Students learn how to read what is happening in a game and respond. They practice spacing, passing to open teammates, and choosing when to move or hold their spot.
3
Building fitness habits
Students take a look at their own strength, stamina, and flexibility, then set small goals to improve. They notice how their bodies feel during activity and track progress over a few weeks.
4
How the body gets stronger
Students learn the why behind workouts: how the heart, lungs, and muscles respond to exercise, and what counts as a good warm-up, stretch, or cool-down. They start making smarter choices about activity outside of school.
5
Teamwork and fair play
Students practice working with classmates they did not pick, handling wins and losses, and giving honest effort. They learn how attitude and cooperation shape what a team can do together.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 5.

Physical Education

Standard	Definition	Code
Moving your body in many ways	Students practice the movements needed for different physical activities, like throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. The goal is to build enough skill to join in confidently.	CA-PE.1.5
How movement skills improve with practice	Students learn the rules behind how the body moves, like why bending your knees helps you balance or how changing speed affects a pass. That knowledge helps them get better at sports and physical activities on purpose, not just by accident.	CA-PE.2.5
Tracking fitness to improve health and performance	Students measure their own fitness, such as how fast they run or how many push-ups they can do, then set goals to keep improving. The focus is on building habits that help them feel and perform better.	CA-PE.3.5
How fitness improves health and performance	Students learn why exercise helps the body, such as how cardio builds endurance and strength training builds muscle. They use that knowledge to make simple choices about how to stay active and healthy.	CA-PE.4.5
How mindset and teamwork shape athletic performance	Students learn how mindset, confidence, and teamwork affect how well they perform in sports and movement activities. They practice strategies like positive self-talk and cooperation to improve their own effort and work better with others.	CA-PE.5.5

Assessments

The state tests students at this grade and subject take.

Physical Fitness

Physical Fitness Test (PFT)

California's fitness assessment for grades 5, 7, and 9. Administration was paused in spring 2022 while the program is redesigned to drop body-composition components; districts continue to receive guidance but do not currently submit student-level results.

When given:: Historically February-May (currently paused)
Frequency:: Annual at grades 5, 7, and 9 (currently paused)

Official source

Common Questions

What does physical education look like this year?
Students move beyond basic skills like throwing and kicking into combining them during games and dance. They start learning why a movement works, not just how to do it. Fitness becomes a regular habit, with students tracking how their bodies respond to exercise.
How can families support physical activity at home?
Aim for about an hour of active play most days. Walks, bike rides, jump rope, dance, and pickup games at the park all count. Letting students pick the activity often keeps them moving longer than a planned workout.
What if a student is not athletic or dislikes sports?
Sports are only one slice of physical education this year. Hiking, swimming, biking, dancing, yoga, and active chores all build the same fitness and coordination. Help students find one or two activities they actually enjoy and build from there.
How should fitness be sequenced across the year?
Start with baseline assessments in the fall so students know where they begin. Build in regular fitness work two or three times a week, then reassess in winter and spring. Students should be setting small personal goals by the second half of the year.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Combining skills under pressure is the hard part. Students can dribble alone but lose the ball when defended, or throw accurately in practice but not in a game. Plan for small-sided games and repeated practice in game-like situations.
How does cooperation and sportsmanship fit in?
Working with teammates, settling disagreements during games, and handling winning or losing are part of the year, not extras. Build short routines for picking teams, rotating roles, and talking through conflicts so these habits become automatic.
How do families know students are ready for next year?
By spring, students should keep up during 20 to 30 minutes of steady activity, explain why warming up matters, and use skills like throwing, catching, and dribbling during real games. They should also set a simple fitness goal and track their progress toward it.