Curriculum Overview
The Abington Heights Middle School Physical Education program is a curricular component designed to accommodate a variety of differences from physically gifted to physically challenged in a safe and inclusive environment. The program recognizes unique developmental characteristics with a focus on individual progress, offers sequential instruction in a variety of activities, and facilitates student success.
A brief description of developmental considerations and curricular association for each grade level are available by clicking on the grade level below.
Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
QUARTER 1
Movement Movement
Endball /Ball Ultimate Endball /Ball Ultimate
Soccer Soccer Ultimate Ultimate
Ball Skills Tennis Tennis Tennis
Soccer Soccer
Flag Football Flag Football
Field Hockey Field Hockey
Frisbee Golf Frisbee Golf
Lacrosse Lacrosse
QUARTER 2
Basketball Basketball Basketball Basketball
Badminton Badminton Badminton Badminton
Rock Climbing Rock Climbing Rock Climbing/Fitness Rock Climbing/Fitness
Speedball Speedball
Volleyball Volleyball
Floor Hockey Floor Hockey
QUARTER 3
Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball
Floor Hockey Floor Hockey Basketball Basketball
Badminton Badminton
Fitness Fitness Weight Training/Fitness Weight Training/Fitness
Rock Climbing Rock Climbing
QUARTER 4
Track & Field Track & Field
Frisbee Golf Frisbee Golf
Tennis Tennis Tennis Tennis
Base Games Base Games Softball Softball
Lacrosse Lacrosse
Physical Education
Fifth grade students are entering early adolescence and are beginning to experience many physical changes. At this age, it is not uncommon for girls to be taller than boys. Differences in strength and motor skill performance can be attributed to experience and practice opportunities in which students participate. Flexibility continues to decrease, especially in boys, presenting the need for more stretching exercises in the fifth grade Physical Education program.
Fifth grade students experience a marked increase in intellectual curiosity. They like to experiment and to investigate the world around them. They are beginning to develop an awareness of individual differences related to gender, heritage, and physical ability.
Manipulative skills practice continues to take on a much greater role in fifth grade physical education. The emphasis for fifth grade is improving distance and accuracy. Students focus on both when practicing throwing, catching, kicking, etc. The practice of many of these skills takes on the added challenge of performance in an open environment from a strategic perspective in preparation for the lead up games performed in sixth grade.
By the end of fifth grade, students are competent in their ability to identify the correct technique for fundamental manipulative skills
Physical Education
Students in the sixth grade are rapidly entering adolescence and experiencing numerous physical changes. This is the beginning of a two to three year growth spurt during which heart and lungs increase in size and capacity proportionately to increases in height and weight.
Students in grade six are more independent in thought and action and are moving toward more abstract thinking. They experience an increase in attention span that allows more challenging cognitive activities and they demand more thorough explanation.
Students in grade six can be easily distracted from learning experiences because of mental, social and emotional changes. They are also likely to test the limits of acceptable behavior.
Students in sixth grade enjoy being active and can combine various skills in cooperative activities.
The focus of Physical Education now shifts to providing students with experiences that help them transition from using proper form for fundamental movement skills to sport skill learning. The Physical Education program in sixth grade will combine nonlocomotor, locomotor, and motor skills while using qualities of movement such as relationships, levels, speed, direction, etc. in complex physical activities.
The Physical Education program provides an opportunity to expand the student performance and understanding of fundamental movement and motor skills to more specialized movement and motor skill used in a variety of individual, cooperative, and team activities. Emphasis is on the application of movement and motor skills in lead up or modified games.
Students in grade six participate in a variety of content areas and identify individual roles and responsibilities to make their group successful. These activities allow the students to develop common goals and agree on possible solutions to a variety of physical challenges.
Physical Education
Seventh grade students are moving through a critical stage in their development as they become more concerned with changes occurring in their bodies. Accelerated physical development is marked by increases in height, weight, heart size, lung capacity and muscular strength. The head, hands, and feet of an adolescent attain mature size before legs, which attain their full length before arms. This uneven muscle and bone development often results in lack of coordination and awkwardness, leading to temporary disruptions or brief regressions in motor skill development.
Seventh grade students are capable of demonstrating and analyzing more complex movement patterns and strategies.
Seventh grade students are becoming more independent of their parents and increasingly dependent on the approval of their peers. They like to experience challenges and test their limits. Physical Education provides students with challenging activities in a safe and controlled environment.
It is not unusual for students of this age group to display erratic and inconsistent behavior. They are experiencing chemical and hormonal imbalances, which can lead to moodiness, anger, and acute sensitivity to criticism.
The Physical Education program for seventh grade students takes into account the rapid physical, social, and emotional changes occurring at this age.
In sixth grade students were given the opportunity to practice specialized sport skills. Seventh grade provides students with opportunities to refine these skills.
Physical Education
Eighth grade students reflect a wide range of individual differences that are inherent to the pubertal stage of growth, including height, weight, skill competency, and maturity. Gender differences are becoming more pronounced. Despite these differences, all students are capable of attaining greater motor achievement and are encouraged to set realistic personal goals and monitor their own progress.
By eight grade students are competent in locomotor, nonlocomotor, and manipulative skills as well as offensive and defensive strategies and a number of specialized skills. In eighth grade Physical Education, the students will develop these skills further by applying them to team activities.
Eight grade students are searching for their adult identity. Their appearances are becoming increasingly important to them. They are also able to accept responsibility for their behavior, work cooperatively with a large group, resolve individual and group conflicts, and focus on long term group goals, which are important skills for participating in team activities.
The eighth grade Physical Education Program will encourage students to learn to identify and apply specific criteria for successful team participation and to lead and follow by sharing leadership positions.
By the end of eighth grade, students have experienced a variety of physical activities. They can begin to see the relationships between motor skills and how the learning of one skill can be transferred to help learn another similar skill. Students will be capable of identifying the characteristics of highly skilled performance and utilize that knowledge to improve their skills.
By the end of eighth grade students will have developed the skills necessary to recognize their need for lifelong physical activity and to accept responsibility for growing and achieving. It is anticipated that students will understand the relationship between physical characteristics and selection of developmentally appropriate physical activities.