United States 6th Grade Curriculum - Physical Education/Health

Physical Education

Movement and Skill Development: Sixth grade physical education focuses on developing fundamental movement skills and applying them to various sports and recreational activities. Students learn rules, etiquette, and skill techniques for activities such as volleyball, basketball, and relay races. Emphasis is placed on improving overall fitness and health through participation in these activities. Students also learn about anatomical structures and movement principles.

Fitness and Health-Related Activities: Fitness evaluations are conducted to help students set individual goals for improving components of health-related physical fitness, including muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, aerobic capacity, and body composition. Students learn how to take responsibility for their personal health and wellness. They also explore lifelong activities such as spending time outdoors, dancing, and participating in individual and team sports. Some curricula include activities like juggling, dance, yoga, traversing, and motor skill development.

Sample Lesson Plans and Resources:

• OPEN Phys Ed provides modules for middle school physical education:
• PE Central offers lesson plans and resources for physical education teachers:
• SPARK PE offers free sample lesson plans:
• PLT4M provides a week of free lesson plans for middle school PE:
• K6edu offers a variety of 6th-grade PE lesson plans:

Health

Body Systems: Students learn about the functions of various body systems, including the digestive, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems. They also study topics related to personal hygiene, such as hand washing, bathing, and maintaining clean clothing and hair.

Health and Wellness: Sixth grade health education covers a wide range of topics related to overall well-being. This includes nutrition, mental wellness and social-emotional skills, and community/environmental health. Students also learn about healthy goal setting, cyberbullying, internet safety, decision-making, and growth and development.

Diseases and Prevention: The curriculum addresses communicable and noncommunicable diseases, vaccinations, and the importance of proper medicine use. Students also learn about the dangers of tobacco, vaping, alcohol, and street drugs, and develop refusal skills.

Additional Resources:

• Health Smart Virginia provides resources for 6th-grade health education:
• KidsHealth in the Classroom offers health literacy resources for teens:
• Fairfax County Public Schools provides a detailed health curriculum overview: