3rd Grade Physical Education Pacing Guide: First 4 Months

Teacher:

YourName

Subject: Physical Education

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Timeframe: Four Months (Weeks 1-16)

Unit 1: Foundational Movement & Fueling Our Bodies (Weeks 1-4)

Standards & Objectives:

Students will be able to demonstrate basic locomotor skills (e.g., walking, jogging, skipping).
Students will be able to identify healthy lower-carb food choices and explain their benefit to the body.
Core Concepts: Introduce Respect for one’s own body and for teammates. Use the Goal Tree to help students set small, productive goals for fitness and nutrition.

Materials & Resources:

Open space (gym, field).
Cones or markers for boundaries.
Goal Tree and Respect Ledger templates.
Visual aids of different food types (e.g., pictures of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and sugary snacks).

Learning Activities:

Weeks 1-2: Learning to Move:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s first task is to take notes on what makes a good “teammate” or “workout partner.” They will discuss how to listen respectfully to each other’s ideas, which is their first useful contribution to the team.
Body: The groups will work together to practice and correct each other’s form on basic movements like jogging and skipping. They must teach each other their findings and respectfully point out details a partner might have missed. This activity reinforces that everyone has a valuable part to play, a useful contribution, in the group’s success.
Conclusion: Each group shares one movement and explains its importance. The teacher uses the Respect Ledger to note teams that work together to ensure everyone’s understanding is equal.

Weeks 3-4: The Right Fuel:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. Introduce the concept that food is fuel. Frame the challenge of making good food choices as a source of frustration that can be solved by sharing their knowledge and persistence.
Body: The groups will work together to create a diagram of healthy and unhealthy snacks. They will teach each other their thought processes and problem-solving strategies, building competence as they master this new skill. The teacher emphasizes that all data must be accurate and that a lie or deceptive omission harms the integrity of the team’s work.
Conclusion: The groups present their diagrams to the class. The class provides respectful feedback, helping each group to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Unit 2: Coordination & Teamwork (Weeks 5-8)

Standards & Objectives:

Students will be able to demonstrate coordination skills (e.g., throwing, catching, kicking).
Students will be able to explain how healthy foods provide sustained energy for athletic activities.
Core Concepts: Connect teamwork to Mutual Contribution. Address Frustration when a partner struggles with a skill.

Materials & Resources:

Balls (various sizes).
Hula hoops or targets.
Goal Tree and Respect Ledger templates.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 5-6: Throwing, Catching, & Kicking:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s first task is to take notes on a simple coordination skill. They will be encouraged to see the sighted interrelations between a coordinated movement and its result.
Body: The groups will work together to practice throwing and catching. They must teach each other their findings and respectfully point out details a partner might have missed. This activity reinforces that everyone has a valuable part to play, a useful contribution, in the group’s success.
Conclusion: Each group shares one throwing or catching strategy. The teacher uses the Respect Ledger to note teams that work together to ensure everyone’s understanding is equal.

Weeks 7-8: Energy for Sport:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s goal is to collaboratively solve a problem related to energy for sport. Frame a tricky problem as a source of frustration that can be solved by sharing their knowledge and persistence.
Body: The groups will work together to create a diagram of foods that provide sustained energy (e.g., lean protein, healthy fats) versus those that cause an energy crash (e.g., sugary drinks). They will teach each other their thought processes and problem-solving strategies, building competence as they master this new skill.
Conclusion: The groups present their diagrams to the class. The class provides respectful feedback, helping each group to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Unit 3: Endurance & Stamina (Weeks 9-12)

Standards & Objectives:

Students will be able to participate in activities that build cardiovascular endurance.
Students will be able to explain how different foods affect energy levels over time.
Core Concepts: Introduce Persistence as the key to building stamina. Connect a healthy diet to consistent energy levels, a Useful Contribution to the body’s long-term health.

Materials & Resources:

Timers or stopwatches.
Cones or markers for a running course.
Goal Tree and Respect Ledger templates.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 9-10: Pacing Ourselves:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s first task is to take notes on how to pace themselves during a run. They will be encouraged to see the sighted interrelations between a consistent pace and the distance covered.
Body: The groups will work together to run a short distance, with each student taking notes on their partners’ pace. They must teach each other their findings and respectfully point out details a partner might have missed. This activity reinforces that everyone has a valuable part to play, a useful contribution, in the group’s success.
Conclusion: Each group shares one finding about their pace. The teacher uses the Respect Ledger to note teams that work together to ensure everyone’s understanding is equal.

Weeks 11-12: Food & Endurance:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s goal is to collaboratively solve a problem related to food and endurance. Frame a tricky problem as a source of frustration that can be solved by sharing their knowledge and persistence.
Body: The groups will work together to create a diagram of foods that provide long-lasting energy (e.g., avocado, nuts) versus those that cause a crash (e.g., soda, candy). They will teach each other their thought processes and problem-solving strategies, building competence as they master this new skill.
Conclusion: The groups present their diagrams to the class. The class provides respectful feedback, helping each group to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Unit 4: Balance & Flexibility (Weeks 13-16)

Standards & Objectives:

Students will be able to perform balance and flexibility exercises.
Students will be able to explain the connection between a healthy diet and flexibility.
Core Concepts: Connect a healthy body (and mind) to Self-Respect. Discuss how taking care of oneself is a form of useful contribution to one’s own future.

Materials & Resources:

Yoga mats or soft surface.
Goal Tree and Respect Ledger templates.

Learning Activities:

Weeks 13-14: Finding Balance:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s first task is to take notes on a simple balance exercise. They will discuss how to listen respectfully to each other’s ideas, which is their first useful contribution to the team.
Body: The groups will work together to practice a series of balance exercises. They must teach each other their findings and respectfully point out details a partner might have missed. This activity reinforces that everyone has a valuable part to play, a useful contribution, in the group’s success.
Conclusion: Each group shares one balance tip. The teacher uses the Respect Ledger to note teams that work together to ensure everyone’s understanding is equal.

Weeks 15-16: Flexibility & Celebration:

Introduction: Students self-organize into new groups of three. The team’s goal is to collaboratively solve a problem related to flexibility. Frame a tricky problem as a source of frustration that can be solved by sharing their knowledge and persistence.
Body: The groups will work together to perform a series of stretches. They will teach each other their thought processes and problem-solving strategies, building competence as they master this new skill.
Conclusion: The class hosts a “Healthy Body Celebration” where each group presents a health tip and a healthy, lower-carb snack. The class provides a final round of respectful applause for each other’s hard work, which reinforces that true success is about shared growth and mutual contribution.