Unit Plan 8 (Grade 2 PE): Fitness Fun Basics
Help Grade 2 students build fitness through active stations, sustained movement, and body awareness, learning how exercise affects breathing, heart rate, and energy levels.
Focus: Build sustained moderate-to-vigorous activity and stronger body awareness through simple fitness stations, movement challenges, and reflection on how exercise changes the body.
Grade Level: 2
Subject Area: Physical Education (Fitness Concepts • Active Participation • Body Awareness)
Total Unit Duration: 1 core session + 2 optional sessions (1–3 weeks), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students begin to understand fitness as something that helps their bodies grow stronger, move better, and feel healthy. In this unit, students participate in simple, fun fitness activities such as jumping jacks, step-ups, crab walks, and other movement stations that keep them active for much of class. They also start noticing how their bodies respond to exercise by paying attention to heart rate, breathing, warmth, and sweating. The goal is to help students enjoy being active, build stamina through age-appropriate movement, and connect physical activity to how their bodies feel during and after exercise.
Essential Questions
- How can I stay active and keep moving during fitness activities?
- What happens to my body when I exercise?
- How can I notice if my body is working hard, working slowly, or needing a short rest?
- How can fitness activities be fun and help my body get stronger?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Participate in fitness activities with steady effort for much of class time.
- Demonstrate safe and correct movement patterns in simple fitness exercises.
- Identify body responses to exercise such as faster breathing, faster heartbeat, feeling warmer, or sweating.
- Explain in simple words how exercise makes their body feel during and after movement.
Standards Alignment — 2nd Grade (SHAPE America-based custom)
- PE:S3.2a – Active Participation in MVPA Participate consistently in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during class activities and games.
- Example: Students remain active during a series of tag games, fitness challenges, or relay activities without sitting out unless instructed.
- PE:S3.2b – Body Response to Exercise Identify how the body responds to physical activity, such as increased heart rate, breathing, warmth, and sweating.
- Example: After a running activity, students feel their heartbeat and notice that they are breathing faster.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can stay active and keep moving during fitness activities.
- I can do simple fitness movements safely and with control.
- I can notice when my heart is beating faster or my breathing changes.
- I can explain how my body feels after I exercise.