Elementary Physical Education (Preschool- 5)

Mission Statement
The mission of Preschool-8 physical education in the Cambridge Public Schools is to use physical activity to teach students the physical, cognitive (intellectual), and social skills necessary to develop and sustain a healthy lifestyle. This mission is achieved through the delivery of a planned, sequential, K-12 Curriculum that draws its content and program goals from the MADOE&SE comprehensive health frameworks and the NASPE standards

Elementary: Preschool-5 Teaching Model
Cambridge Public Schools follows a skill theme approach for teaching physical education in grades K through 5.

What are ‘Skill Themes’ and ‘Movement Concepts’? Skill themes are fundamental movements that are later modified into more specialized patterns on which activities of increasing complexity are built. Movement concepts are taught in conjunction with the skill themes. Movement concepts are the ideas used to modify or enrich the range and effectiveness of skill employment. Movement concepts include space awareness, effort, and relationships. Our primary goal, then, is to provide children with a degree of competence leading to the confidence that encourages them to try and enjoy a variety of activities and sports.

Characteristics of the skill theme approach:

• Competence in performing a variety of locomotor, nonmanipulative and manipulative motor skills is a major purpose of the skill theme approach.
• The skill theme approach is designed to provide experiences appropriate to a child’s developmental level, as opposed to age or grade level.
• The scope and sequence of the skill themes are designed to reflect the varying needs and interests of students over a period of years.

Skill Themes

Scope and Sequence
Concepts (big ideas) taught throughout the units: