What should students be able to do in PE this year?

Students build on running, jumping, throwing, catching, and striking skills, and use them in real games and activities. They also learn how to warm up, set fitness goals, and work well with teammates. By the end of the year, movement should feel like something they can keep doing on their own.

How can families support PE at home?

Make time for active play most days, even short walks, bike rides, or backyard games count. Ask what students did in PE that day and try one move together. Active habits at home matter more than any single sport.

What if a student does not like sports?

PE this year is about more than team sports. Students try fitness activities, dance, outdoor games, and individual challenges. Help students find one type of movement they enjoy, whether that is hiking, biking, swimming, or yoga, and build a routine around it.

How should the year be sequenced?

Start with skill refreshers and fitness baselines, then move into units that combine skills with strategy, such as invasion games, net games, and target games. Weave in fitness concepts and goal-setting across every unit so students see the connection between practice and progress.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Manipulative skills under pressure tend to break down first, especially passing and receiving while moving. Pacing during fitness work is another common gap. Plan short skill stations and self-paced fitness checks throughout the year rather than one big unit.

How can social skills be built into class?

Use small-sided games, rotating partners, and student-led warm-ups so everyone practices cooperation and communication. Brief reflections at the end of class help students notice how they treated teammates and opponents. Hold the same expectations for respect in every activity.

What does it mean to set a fitness goal at this age?

Students pick something specific they want to improve, like running a mile without stopping or doing more push-ups, and track it over a few weeks. The point is learning to plan, practice, and notice progress. Help students celebrate small gains instead of comparing to others.

How do I know a student is ready for next year?

Students should move with control in a range of games and activities, apply basic fitness ideas to their own routines, and work well with classmates of different skill levels. They should also be able to explain why staying active matters to them personally.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year gym class shifts from learning the moves to using them in real games and workouts. Students sharpen skills like throwing, dribbling, and dodging, then apply them in team sports and fitness routines. They also learn how to warm up, set a fitness goal, and work well with teammates who play at different levels. By spring, students can explain why they picked an activity and stick with a simple plan to stay active outside of class.

Team sports
Fitness goals
Motor skills
Teamwork
Healthy habits

Source: Maine Maine Learning Results

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 confidence
Students sharpen the basic moves used in most sports and games: running, dodging, throwing, catching, and striking. The focus is steady control rather than winning, so students who are new to a sport can still join in.
2
Teamwork and fair play
Students play more team games and learn how to talk to teammates, settle disagreements, and include everyone. Parents may hear about captains, positions, and how a class handled a tough loss.
3
How the body works
Students connect what they do in the gym to how the body actually moves and gets stronger. They learn what warm-ups, heart rate, and rest are for, and how to use that knowledge during activity.
4
Habits for a healthy life
Students figure out which activities they actually enjoy and set small goals they can keep up outside of class. The aim is for each student to leave the year with a plan for staying active on their own.

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

ME-PE.1.7

Students practice moving in different ways, such as throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active in sports, games, and everyday movement.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

ME-PE.2.7

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.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

ME-PE.3.7

Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and handling wins or losses without putting anyone down.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

ME-PE.4.7

Students practice setting personal fitness goals and learn why regular movement makes them feel better, sleep better, and stay healthier. The focus is on building habits students can keep for life, not just for class.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, such as throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active in sports, games, and everyday movement.	ME-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.	ME-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and handling wins or losses without putting anyone down.	ME-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting personal fitness goals and learn why regular movement makes them feel better, sleep better, and stay healthier. The focus is on building habits students can keep for life, not just for class.	ME-PE.4.7

Physical Education

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

ME-PE.1.7

Students practice moving in different ways, such as throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active in sports, games, and everyday movement.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

ME-PE.2.7

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.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

ME-PE.3.7

Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and handling wins or losses without putting anyone down.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

ME-PE.4.7

Students practice setting personal fitness goals and learn why regular movement makes them feel better, sleep better, and stay healthier. The focus is on building habits students can keep for life, not just for class.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, such as throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active in sports, games, and everyday movement.	ME-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.	ME-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and handling wins or losses without putting anyone down.	ME-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting personal fitness goals and learn why regular movement makes them feel better, sleep better, and stay healthier. The focus is on building habits students can keep for life, not just for class.	ME-PE.4.7

Common Questions

What should students be able to do in PE this year?
Students build on running, jumping, throwing, catching, and striking skills, and use them in real games and activities. They also learn how to warm up, set fitness goals, and work well with teammates. By the end of the year, movement should feel like something they can keep doing on their own.
How can families support PE at home?
Make time for active play most days, even short walks, bike rides, or backyard games count. Ask what students did in PE that day and try one move together. Active habits at home matter more than any single sport.
What if a student does not like sports?
PE this year is about more than team sports. Students try fitness activities, dance, outdoor games, and individual challenges. Help students find one type of movement they enjoy, whether that is hiking, biking, swimming, or yoga, and build a routine around it.
How should the year be sequenced?
Start with skill refreshers and fitness baselines, then move into units that combine skills with strategy, such as invasion games, net games, and target games. Weave in fitness concepts and goal-setting across every unit so students see the connection between practice and progress.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Manipulative skills under pressure tend to break down first, especially passing and receiving while moving. Pacing during fitness work is another common gap. Plan short skill stations and self-paced fitness checks throughout the year rather than one big unit.
How can social skills be built into class?
Use small-sided games, rotating partners, and student-led warm-ups so everyone practices cooperation and communication. Brief reflections at the end of class help students notice how they treated teammates and opponents. Hold the same expectations for respect in every activity.
What does it mean to set a fitness goal at this age?
Students pick something specific they want to improve, like running a mile without stopping or doing more push-ups, and track it over a few weeks. The point is learning to plan, practice, and notice progress. Help students celebrate small gains instead of comparing to others.
How do I know a student is ready for next year?
Students should move with control in a range of games and activities, apply basic fitness ideas to their own routines, and work well with classmates of different skill levels. They should also be able to explain why staying active matters to them personally.