New to PE? Scope & Sequence Resources

One of the biggest changes I experienced moving from a classroom teacher position to the PE teacher position was figuring out what to teach and when for all grades, K-5, for the entire year.

It felt so overwhelming!

In this post I am sharing some of the resources I found most useful when it came to deciding and planing out my scope and sequence for the school year.

Your School District

One of the first places to go for Scope and Sequencing resources is your school district. Since they have created the report cards, too, these can be a valuable resource for backwards design. 

This past year, our school district finalized an elementary plan for PE, so I am already heading back to my plans to make sure they align and I have time allotted to include everything in my year.

Within your school district, there may also be veteran PE teachers who would be willing to share their plans, overviews, or even step up to be a mentor. It is worth an email to your district specials leader to see if they can put you in touch with someone who can help you out.

Some of you may not be so lucky, with smaller districts or with limited time, but don't worry, there are many other resources available to help.

Your State Department of Education

It may take some digging on the State Department of Education's website, but you may discover some links and resources, or even a contact email or phone number, to help answer any of your questions around scope and sequence.

Because the state operates from a broader brushstroke perspective than your district, there may not be the specifics you are looking for. Don't worry-- the links may also lead to books, videos, or resources that can help. Your best bet is to scope out district and state resources first since you are their employee and responsible for their curriculum.

Open PE & Shape

Open PE was a great find for me and gave loads of resources, especially when it came to teaching online this year and feeling pretty lost with keeping the little ones engaged over a computer screen.


Membership is free and their newsletters have great tidbits that I will skim to gather additional ideas for upcoming units. 

Shape America is also an excellent online resource that covers scope and sequence, professional development, lesson plans, and more.


Books

I am very old-school in that I still enjoy paperback books that I can leaf through, highlight, take notes in, and turn actual pages in. 

Because of that, I am recommending some of my favorite PE books to help fill in the gaps with grade-level specifics. 

One thing I found is that in working with K-5, language has to be very broad, but when those kids are in your gym, specifics matter!

The books I'm highlighting below helped me flesh out some concrete, developmentally appropriate ideas for kids in any grade K-5:

The final book, PE Activities for Grades xxx is available in K-2, 3-4, and 5-6. They can be a bit scarce on Amazon, but I was able to find some good deals on eBay.

And remember, if you took over this position from a retiring teacher, they may have left a wealth of pre-marked books and resources! One of my favorite books was left behind by our previous (amazing) PE teacher and I used it so often with the littles-- it was all about stations and is so out of print I can't find an example copy of it anywhere online, but it's a gem!

Facebook Groups & Social Media

I am not super active on social media, but I am a huge fan of how it can unite us with so many different people, ideas, and resources from around the world in just a few clicks!

While these outlets may not provide you with specific or detailed scope and sequences, they certainly work to fill in the gap and can help get your creativity flowing when it comes to new units and lessons.

Joining PE Facebook groups the summer before I started my new position allowed me to see how others were handling the pandemic in their gyms and take a peek at some of the videos and uploads they shared.

Searching "elementary pe" (or whichever level you teach) on Facebook brings up so many, I clicked to join a few and then stayed, or left if I didn't think they were geared to what I needed. 

Of course, the online world is full of amazingly talented PE teachers that consistently share so much of what they know and what has worked in their classrooms. 

Some of my favorite include (but are by no means limited to):
I will share more online favorites in specific blog posts, but I will say I have found the PE teacher community to be one of the friendliest, most welcoming, and most open groups I have ever been a part of. So many are willing to jump in to help and collaborate on a solution-- so don't be afraid to reach out if you have questions!

What are some of your favorites that I mentioned or maybe some I missed? Leave me a comment with any recommendations and I look forward to learning about your favorites!

Stay well,

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