What does Grade 7 physical education actually cover?

Students keep building movement skills like running, jumping, throwing, catching, dribbling, and striking, and they use those skills in games, fitness activities, and team sports. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to work well with others during activity.

How can families support physical activity at home?

Aim for about an hour of activity most days. Walks after dinner, bike rides, shooting hoops in the driveway, or a quick game of catch all count. The goal is regular movement that students enjoy enough to keep doing on their own.

What should students know about fitness by the end of the year?

Students should be able to explain why warm-ups matter, what gets the heart pumping, and how to pace themselves during longer activity. They should also be able to set a simple fitness goal and track whether they are making progress.

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

Skill at this age comes from repetition, not talent. Pick one thing to practice for ten minutes a few times a week, such as dribbling a soccer ball or throwing a tight spiral. Praise effort and small gains rather than the final score.

How should the year be sequenced across units?

A common arc is fitness baseline and skill review early in the year, then invasion games, net and wall games, target games, and striking and fielding across the middle, with a fitness and wellness unit to close. Revisit cooperation and respect routines at the start of every unit.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Manipulative skills under pressure are the sticky spot. Students can dribble or pass in lines but lose control once a defender shows up. Build small-sided games early so passing, receiving, and spacing get real reps before full-class scrimmages.

How is respect and teamwork taught, not just expected?

Plan for it. Use clear roles in small groups, rotate captains, and run short debriefs after games about specific behaviors students saw. Naming what cooperation looked like in that activity does more than a poster on the wall.

What if my child does not like team sports?

Team games are one piece of the year, not all of it. Hiking, biking, dance, yoga, swimming, climbing, and strength work all count as lifelong activity. Help students find one or two they enjoy and protect time in the week for them.

How do I know students are ready for Grade 8?

By June, students should move with control in a range of activities, explain how to raise their heart rate and recover, and participate in group games without needing the teacher to manage every conflict. They should also be able to name activities they would choose on their own time.

What does a student learn in ?

Seventh grade is the year gym class starts feeling more like training for life than learning the rules of a game. Students sharpen the skills they already have, like throwing, dodging, and pacing themselves, and start choosing activities they might stick with as adults. They work on getting along with teammates, handling competition, and taking responsibility for their own effort. By spring, students can explain how a workout helps their body and pick an activity they enjoy enough to do on their own.

Motor skills
Fitness concepts
Teamwork
Personal responsibility
Lifelong activity

Source: New Hampshire New Hampshire College and Career Ready 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 and fitness basics
Students sharpen the basic moves behind most sports and games: running, jumping, dodging, throwing, catching, and striking. They also learn what a good warm-up looks like and why it matters before activity.
2
Team games and cooperation
Students play team games where passing, spacing, and communication matter as much as skill. Parents may hear about working with new partners, calling for the ball, and handling wins and losses without drama.
3
Fitness concepts and personal goals
Students learn the parts of fitness, like endurance, strength, and flexibility, and try simple ways to measure their own. Each student sets a personal goal and tracks progress over several weeks.
4
Lifelong activity and wellness choices
Students try activities they can keep doing outside of school, such as walking, hiking, biking, yoga, or recreational sports. The focus shifts to building habits that support health long after the class ends.

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

NH-PE.1.7

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, such as throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. Building these skills makes it easier to stay active in sports, games, and everyday life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

NH-PE.2.7

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the activity actually demands.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

NH-PE.3.7

Students practice working with classmates during physical activities, taking turns, communicating, and handling wins and losses with good sportsmanship.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

NH-PE.4.7

Students learn to recognize what kinds of movement feel good to them personally and start making their own choices about staying active. The goal is building habits that hold up past gym class.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, such as throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. Building these skills makes it easier to stay active in sports, games, and everyday life.	NH-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. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the activity actually demands.	NH-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activities, taking turns, communicating, and handling wins and losses with good sportsmanship.	NH-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students learn to recognize what kinds of movement feel good to them personally and start making their own choices about staying active. The goal is building habits that hold up past gym class.	NH-PE.4.7

Physical Education

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

NH-PE.1.7

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, such as throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. Building these skills makes it easier to stay active in sports, games, and everyday life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

NH-PE.2.7

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during physical activity. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the activity actually demands.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

NH-PE.3.7

Students practice working with classmates during physical activities, taking turns, communicating, and handling wins and losses with good sportsmanship.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

NH-PE.4.7

Students learn to recognize what kinds of movement feel good to them personally and start making their own choices about staying active. The goal is building habits that hold up past gym class.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, such as throwing, catching, balancing, and changing direction. Building these skills makes it easier to stay active in sports, games, and everyday life.	NH-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. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the activity actually demands.	NH-PE.2.7
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activities, taking turns, communicating, and handling wins and losses with good sportsmanship.	NH-PE.3.7
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students learn to recognize what kinds of movement feel good to them personally and start making their own choices about staying active. The goal is building habits that hold up past gym class.	NH-PE.4.7

Common Questions

What does Grade 7 physical education actually cover?
Students keep building movement skills like running, jumping, throwing, catching, dribbling, and striking, and they use those skills in games, fitness activities, and team sports. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to work well with others during activity.
How can families support physical activity at home?
Aim for about an hour of activity most days. Walks after dinner, bike rides, shooting hoops in the driveway, or a quick game of catch all count. The goal is regular movement that students enjoy enough to keep doing on their own.
What should students know about fitness by the end of the year?
Students should be able to explain why warm-ups matter, what gets the heart pumping, and how to pace themselves during longer activity. They should also be able to set a simple fitness goal and track whether they are making progress.
My child says they are bad at sports. How do I help?
Skill at this age comes from repetition, not talent. Pick one thing to practice for ten minutes a few times a week, such as dribbling a soccer ball or throwing a tight spiral. Praise effort and small gains rather than the final score.
How should the year be sequenced across units?
A common arc is fitness baseline and skill review early in the year, then invasion games, net and wall games, target games, and striking and fielding across the middle, with a fitness and wellness unit to close. Revisit cooperation and respect routines at the start of every unit.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Manipulative skills under pressure are the sticky spot. Students can dribble or pass in lines but lose control once a defender shows up. Build small-sided games early so passing, receiving, and spacing get real reps before full-class scrimmages.
How is respect and teamwork taught, not just expected?
Plan for it. Use clear roles in small groups, rotate captains, and run short debriefs after games about specific behaviors students saw. Naming what cooperation looked like in that activity does more than a poster on the wall.
What if my child does not like team sports?
Team games are one piece of the year, not all of it. Hiking, biking, dance, yoga, swimming, climbing, and strength work all count as lifelong activity. Help students find one or two they enjoy and protect time in the week for them.
How do I know students are ready for Grade 8?
By June, students should move with control in a range of activities, explain how to raise their heart rate and recover, and participate in group games without needing the teacher to manage every conflict. They should also be able to name activities they would choose on their own time.