Our Curriculum › PE & Health › 1st Grade
PE & Health 1
A first-grade year of foot dribbling and striking skills, stretching and heart health, and a wide run of health and safety topics: food groups, germs, feelings, street and water safety, health helpers, and respecting personal space.
180 lessons
One a day for a school year
8 units
Each opens to its lessons
5 food groups
Plus balanced plates and snacks
Standards
SHAPE America PE & health standards
What's taught, unit by unit
Foot dribbling, striking and food groupsDays 1–30
Dribbling a ball with the feet (tap, stop, straight paths, around objects, either foot) and striking a balloon with two hands. Health covers the five food groups, sorting foods, building balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner plates and healthy snacks, with two review quizzes.
- 1 · Welcome to First Grade PE & Health!
- 2 · How We'll Practice This Year
- 3 · Meet Your Feet: Foot Dribbling Intro
- 4 · Tap and Stop: Controlling the Ball
- 5 · Dribbling in a Straight Path
- 6 · Dribbling Around Objects
- 7 · Slow and Steady Dribbling
- 8 · Dribbling with Either Foot
- 9 · Foot Dribbling Challenge Day
- 10 · Meet Your Hands: Striking Intro
- 11 · Balloon Volley Basics
- 12 · Two-Handed Taps in a Row
- 13 · Striking to a Target
- 14 · Striking While Moving Your Feet
- 15 · Keep It Up! Volley Practice
- 16 · Striking Challenge Day
- 17 · What Are Food Groups?
- 18 · Fantastic Fruits
- 19 · Great Vegetables
- 20 · Powerful Grains
- 21 · Protein Foods for Strong Muscles
- 22 · Dairy Foods for Strong Bones
- 23 · Sorting Foods into Groups
- 24 · Food Group Review
- 25 · Building a Balanced Plate
- 26 · Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Plates
- 27 · Healthy Snacks
- 28 · Balanced Plate Practice
- 29 · PE Skills Review Quiz
- 30 · Health Knowledge Review Quiz
Striking with short and long toolsDays 31–46
Striking balloons and soft balls with a short-handled tool such as a wooden spoon, aiming, steady beats, tap-and-catch, then a long-handled tool: stance, grip, swinging at a tee, distance, switching sides and follow-through.
- 31 · Meet the Short-Handled Striker
- 32 · Keep It Up! Balloon Taps
- 33 · Tap a Ball Toward a Target
- 34 · Try Your Other Hand
- 35 · Aim for the Target
- 36 · Steady Beat Taps
- 37 · Tap and Catch
- 38 · Short-Handled Challenge Day
- 39 · Meet the Long-Handled Striker
- 40 · Stance and Grip
- 41 · Swing at the Tee
- 42 · How Far Can You Send It?
- 43 · Switch Sides
- 44 · Follow Through
- 45 · Long-Handled Target Challenge
- 46 · Short vs. Long: Compare and Review
Stretching, your heart and why we moveDays 47–60
Why we stretch before and after moving, a simple stretch routine, warm-up and cool-down, the heart as a muscle, finding a pulse, resting versus active heart rate, and how moving helps sleep, mood and growth. Ends with a review day.
- 47 · Why We Stretch Before Moving
- 48 · Why We Stretch After Moving
- 49 · Learn a Simple Stretch Routine
- 50 · Listen to Your Body Stretch
- 51 · Warm Up, Move, Cool Down
- 52 · Your Heart Is a Muscle
- 53 · Feel Your Heartbeat
- 54 · Get Your Heart Beating Faster
- 55 · Resting Heart vs. Moving Heart
- 56 · A Strong Heart from Practice
- 57 · Moving Helps You Sleep Better
- 58 · Moving Helps You Feel Happy
- 59 · Moving Helps You Grow Strong
Plus 1 review day, not listed.
Equipment, partner problems and safety rulesDays 61–90
Carrying and putting away equipment safely, solving movement problems with a partner, then street crossing, water and pool safety, and staying safe around adults they do not know well, including who their trusted grown-ups are.
- 61 · Carrying a Ball Safely
- 62 · Safe Ways to Use a Jump Rope
- 63 · Using a Beanbag the Safe Way
- 64 · Putting Equipment Away the Right Way
- 65 · Safe Spacing When Moving with Equipment
- 67 · Solving a Movement Problem with a Partner
- 68 · Moving a Beanbag Without Your Hands
- 69 · Working Together to Move a Ball
- 70 · Taking Turns to Solve a Moving Puzzle
- 71 · Talking It Out: Partner Communication in Movement
- 72 · Partner Movement Challenge Review
- 73 · Looking Both Ways Before You Cross
- 74 · Crossing the Street with a Grown-Up
- 75 · Walking Safely on the Sidewalk
- 76 · Safe Places to Cross a Street
- 77 · What to Do If You Drop Something Near a Street
- 78 · Street Safety Review
- 79 · Swimming Only with a Grown-Up Watching
- 80 · Never Swim Alone
- 81 · Pool Safety Rules
- 82 · Lake and Ocean Safety Basics
- 83 · What to Do Before You Get in the Water
- 84 · Water Safety Review
- 85 · Most People Are Kind, But...
- 86 · Checking with a Grown-Up You Trust
- 87 · Staying Where a Grown-Up Can See You
- 88 · What to Say If Someone You Don’t Know Well Asks You to Go Somewhere
- 89 · Trusted Grown-Ups in Your Life
- 90 · Safety Rules Review
Plus 1 review day, not listed.
Practice, germs and feelingsDays 91–120
Movement strengths and picking a skill to practice, how PE differs from free play, what germs are and how they spread, handwashing and coughing safely, more feeling words, coping tools (count to five, take a break, talk to someone) and practice scenarios.
- 91 · Movement Strengths: What Am I Good At?
- 92 · Practice Makes It Easier
- 93 · Picking One Skill to Practice
- 94 · Everyone Has Different Strengths
- 95 · From Wobbly to Steady: A Practice Story
- 96 · My Practice Plan
- 97 · Why PE Class Is Different From Playing
- 98 · Learning on Purpose in PE
- 99 · Following a PE Plan
- 100 · PE Time vs. Free Time
- 101 · Why We Practice Skills in PE Class
- 102 · What Are Germs?
- 103 · How Germs Travel From Person to Person
- 104 · Covering Your Cough and Sneeze
- 105 · Why Washing Hands Really Works
- 106 · The Right Way to Wash Your Hands
- 107 · Germ Hot Spots Around the House
- 108 · Staying Healthy: Germs Review
- 109 · New Words for Feelings: Frustrated and Proud
- 110 · New Words for Feelings: Nervous and Disappointed
- 111 · New Words for Feelings: Jealous and Calm
- 112 · Feelings Chart: Matching Faces to Words
- 113 · Coping Tool: Counting to Five
- 114 · Coping Tool: Taking a Break
- 115 · Coping Tool: Talking to Someone You Trust
- 116 · My Coping Toolbox
- 117 · Scenario: Losing a Game
- 118 · Scenario: Waiting Your Turn
- 119 · Scenario: A Change in Plans
Plus 1 review day, not listed.
Healthy body, environment, helpers and personal spaceDays 121–150
Caring for body and feelings, sleep, food and daily movement, clean air and water and caring for playgrounds, health helpers (nurse, doctor, dentist, firefighter, paramedic), and personal space: asking before touching, saying 'not now' and respecting boundaries.
- 121 · Why Taking Care of Your Body Matters
- 122 · Why Taking Care of Your Feelings Matters
- 123 · Sleep Helps You Feel Your Best
- 124 · Food That Helps Your Body Grow Strong
- 125 · Moving Your Body Every Day
- 126 · Your Body and Feelings Work Together
- 127 · Clean Air Helps Us Breathe
- 128 · Clean Water Keeps Us Healthy
- 129 · Safe Places to Play
- 130 · What Litter Does to Our Health
- 131 · Keeping Our Playground Clean
- 132 · Plants, Trees, and Healthy Air
- 133 · Taking Care of Our Neighborhood
- 134 · Who Is a Health Helper?
- 135 · The School Nurse
- 136 · The Doctor
- 137 · The Dentist
- 138 · The Firefighter Keeps Us Safe
- 139 · The Paramedic (EMT)
- 140 · Matching Helpers to Their Jobs
- 141 · Thank You, Health Helpers!
- 142 · What Is Personal Space?
- 143 · Asking Before You Touch
- 144 · Respecting Other People's Things
- 145 · It's Okay to Say "Not Now"
- 146 · Listening When Someone Sets a Boundary
- 147 · Boundaries with Friends and Family
- 148 · Practicing Respectful Boundaries
- 149 · Health and Well-Being Review
- 150 · Our Community and Boundaries Review
Skill showcase games and what-would-you-doDays 151–172
Obstacle and dribbling games that reuse the year's skills, then what-would-you-do scenarios (thirst, a hurt friend, hunger, bedtime, a grabbed toy), goal setting and encouraging others toward healthy choices. Much of this revisits earlier ideas.
- 151 · Cone Alley Dribble Dash
- 152 · Balloon Paddle Pop-Up
- 153 · Sunrise Stretch & Pulse Check
- 154 · Gear Check Relay
- 155 · My Moves Museum
- 156 · Backyard Ninja Course
- 157 · Four Corners Challenge
- 158 · Hot Day, Thirsty You: What Would You Do?
- 159 · A Friend Gets Hurt: What Would You Do?
- 160 · Hungry Before Dinner: What Would You Do?
- 161 · Tired at Bedtime: What Would You Do?
- 162 · Someone Grabs Your Toy: What Would You Do?
- 163 · Goal Spotlight: Trying, Even When It's Hard
- 164 · Goal Spotlight: Practicing a Little Each Day
- 165 · Goal Spotlight: Asking for Help
- 166 · Goal Spotlight: Trying a New Vegetable
- 167 · Set Your Own Goal
- 168 · Cheer On a New Food
- 169 · Invite a Friend to Play
- 170 · Remind a Family Member to Wash Up
- 171 · Encourage Someone Who's Nervous
- 172 · Healthy Choices Cheerleader Wrap-Up
Year review and field dayDays 173–180
Review days on food, safety and germs, feelings and boundaries, and helpers, then a choose-your-path field day, a team relay, a champions round-up and a look back at the year. No new skills.
- 177 · Choose Your Path Field Day
- 178 · Team Spirit Relay
- 179 · Grade 1 Champions Round-Up
- 180 · Your First-Grade Health & Fitness Journey
Plus 4 review days, not listed.
By the end of the year, your child can
- Dribble a ball with either foot around objects
- Strike a balloon or soft ball with their hands or a short- or long-handled tool
- Name the five food groups and build a balanced plate
- Wash hands properly and explain how germs spread
- Follow street, water and equipment safety rules
- Name feelings, use a coping tool, and respect other people's personal space