Unit Plan 3 (Grade 1 PE): Hopping, Leaping, and Jumping
Build Grade 1 students’ hopping, leaping, and jumping skills through fun activities that develop safe takeoff, soft landings, directional movement, and confident body control.
Focus: Help students improve takeoff, landing, and directional movement through fun hopping, leaping, and jumping activities that build balance, coordination, and confidence.
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: Physical Education (Locomotor Skills • Movement Concepts • Body Control)
Total Unit Duration: 1 core session + 3 optional sessions (1–2 weeks), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students continue building their locomotor skill foundation by focusing on hopping, leaping, and jumping. In Grade 1, these movements help students develop body control, balance, and awareness of how to push off, travel, and land safely. Through playful activities such as line jumps and a fun River Jump game, students practice moving forward, backward, side to side, and across small spaces with growing confidence. The goal is to help students learn that good jumping is not just about going far. It is also about using strong takeoff, soft landing, and safe movement in the right direction.
Essential Questions
- How can I jump, hop, and leap with more control?
- What does a safe takeoff and landing look like?
- How can I move in different directions when I jump?
- How do hopping, leaping, and jumping help me become a stronger mover?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Perform hopping, leaping, and jumping with improving control and coordination.
- Practice safe takeoff and landing during movement activities.
- Apply movement concepts such as direction and pathways while jumping forward, backward, and side to side.
- Participate actively in playful jumping activities while following class safety routines.
Standards Alignment — 1st Grade (SHAPE America-based custom)
- PE:S1.1a Perform basic locomotor skills (run, hop, gallop, slide, leap, and jump) with improved control and coordination.
- Example: Students travel across the gym using different locomotor movements in response to teacher cues.
- PE:S2.1a Apply movement concepts such as speed, direction, levels, and pathways during activities.
- Example: Students move quickly in straight pathways and slowly in curved pathways during a game.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can hop, leap, and jump in PE.
- I can push off and land with control.
- I can jump forward, backward, and side to side.
- I can move safely while trying different jumping challenges.