Unit Plan 36 (Grade 5 PE): Activity Festival & Lifelong Movement Reflection

Focus: Celebrate growth through an activity festival, help students explain the physical, mental, and social benefits of movement, and support students in naming realistic lifelong activity plans for middle school and beyond.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: Physical Education (Activity Choice • Reflection & Wellness • Lifelong Movement)

Total Unit Duration: 1 core session + 2 optional sessions (1–3 weeks), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Students close the year by revisiting favorite movement experiences and reflecting on how Physical Education can connect to life beyond elementary school. In this unit, students begin with a class-voted favorite warm-up, co-led by students, so they can celebrate routines they enjoyed and helped master during the year. They then move into an activity festival rotation featuring 3–4 favorite sports or activities chosen from the year’s PE experiences. The unit ends with a closing circle reflection where students think about which activities they enjoy most, how physical activity helps them feel and function, and how they can stay active in middle school and beyond. Throughout the unit, students focus on joy, growth, healthy habits, and the idea that movement can remain an important part of daily life.

Essential Questions

• Which activities help me feel most confident, active, and motivated to move?
• How does physical activity help the body, mind, and relationships with others?
• What healthy choices support an active lifestyle beyond PE class?
• How can I make a realistic plan to stay active in middle school and later in life?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Participate actively in favorite activities and festival stations for significant portions of class.
2. Explain how healthy lifestyle choices such as hydration, sleep, nutrition, and regular activity support movement and wellness.
3. Identify favorite physical activities and explain why those activities fit personal interests, strengths, or goals.
4. Describe physical, mental, and social benefits of regular activity using examples from PE experiences.
5. Identify lifelong physical activities they can continue independently or with others.
6. Name realistic places, times, or opportunities where they can stay active in middle school and beyond.

Standards Alignment — 5th Grade (SHAPE America-based custom)

• PE:S3.5a – Sustained Participation in Moderate-to-Vigorous Activity Participate actively and continuously in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for significant portions of class without frequent off-task behavior.
  • Example: During fitness circuits or small-sided games, students remain engaged and moving, minimizing standing time between turns.
• PE:S3.5e – Applying Healthy Lifestyle Choices Identify and describe specific choices that support a healthy lifestyle, including regular activity, good nutrition, hydration, sleep, and balanced screen time.
  • Example: Students discuss how choosing to be active after school, limiting sugary drinks, and getting enough sleep help them feel better and perform better in PE.
• PE:S5.5a – Enjoyment and Preference for Specific Activities Identify physical activities they enjoy, explain why they prefer them, and show enthusiasm and effort during those activities.
  • Example: Students share that they enjoy basketball because of teamwork and pace, or running club because they like pushing themselves and seeing progress.
• PE:S5.5b – Recognizing Physical, Mental, and Social Benefits Describe how regular physical activity positively affects physical health (fitness, strength), mental health (mood, stress), and social connections (friendships, teamwork).
  • Example: Students explain that playing games helps them feel energized, reduces stress, and allows them to spend time with friends.
• PE:S5.5c – Identifying Lifelong Physical Activities Identify physical activities they can participate in independently and throughout life (e.g., walking, running, cycling, swimming, hiking, recreational sports, dance, fitness training).
  • Example: Students list activities such as biking, swimming, hiking, or joining a community sports league as ways to stay active beyond elementary school.
• PE:S5.5d – Seeking and Using Opportunities to Be Active Recognize and seek out opportunities for physical activity in school, at home, and in the community, and make simple plans to be active regularly.
  • Example: Students talk about joining after-school sports, using a neighborhood park, walking a dog, or choosing active games at recess.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can stay active and engaged during our favorite activity stations.
• I can explain how healthy choices help me feel better and move better.
• I can tell which activities I enjoy most and why.
• I can describe how movement helps my body, mood, and friendships.
• I can name activities I could keep doing in middle school and later in life.
• I can make a simple plan for how I will stay active outside PE.

III. Materials and Resources

Tasks & Tools (teacher acquires/curates)

• General Equipment
  • Cones to mark festival station areas, rotation paths, reflection circle space, and waiting zones.
  • Pinnies or colored wristbands if teams/groups are used.
  • Whistle and visual stop/go signal.
  • Whiteboard or poster listing the warm-up choice, station rotation order, and reflection prompts.
• Warm-Up Equipment
  • Equipment depends on the class-voted favorite warm-up, such as cones, balls, jump ropes, music, or floor spots.
  • Optional warm-up cue cards for student leaders showing the warm-up order and timing.
• Game/Activity Equipment
  • Equipment for 3–4 selected favorite activities from the year. Examples may include:
    • Soccer: balls, cones, small goals
    • Basketball: balls, hoops, cones
    • Jump rope: ropes and clear personal spaces
    • Dance or yoga: music, mats, or floor spots
    • Frisbee: discs and cone targets
    • Wall games: playground or foam balls and marked wall spaces
    • Parachute: parachute and any approved props
  • Station signs with activity name, simple expectations, and optional student leader name.
• Reflection & Assessment Tools
  • Teacher checklist for participation, reflection, leadership, and wellness understanding.
  • Exit slips or reflection sheets.
  • Optional “My Middle School Movement Plan” sheet with prompts for favorite activities, healthy habits, and future opportunities.

Preparation

• Conduct a quick class vote ahead of time to choose the favorite warm-up and 3–4 favorite activities for the festival rotation.
• Set up the activity stations with enough space and equipment for safe participation and quick transitions.
• Assign or invite student helpers to co-lead the warm-up and help with one or more festival stations.
• Post clear expectations for festival day: stay active, rotate on signal, share equipment, encourage others, use safe movement, and reflect honestly.
• Prepare closing-circle prompts so students can connect their favorite activities to lifelong movement and healthy lifestyle choices.

Common Misconceptions to Surface

• “My favorite activity is the only one worth doing.” → Different people connect with different types of movement, and many activities can support lifelong wellness.
• “If an activity is fun, it does not count as exercise.” → Enjoyable movement can still improve fitness, mood, and health.
• “Staying active after elementary school depends on joining a team sport.” → Many lifelong activities can be done independently, with friends, or in the community.
• “Healthy habits only matter during PE class.” → Sleep, hydration, nutrition, and regular activity affect how people feel and perform every day.

Key Terms (highlight in lessons) festival, choice, favorite activity, healthy habits, wellness, lifelong activity, community, middle school, benefits, reflection, active plan, movement

IV. Lesson Procedure

(Each lesson follows: Launch → Warm-up → Game/Activity → Reflect. Timing for a 50–60 minute block.)

Session 1 — Core Session: Favorite Warm-Up, Festival Launch & Activity Reflection

• Launch (5–7 min)
  • Students gather in a central meeting area.
  • Teacher explains that this final unit is a celebration of growth and a chance to think about how movement can continue beyond Grade 5.
  • Review the selected warm-up, activity stations, and the idea that students will not only play, but also reflect on what kinds of activity fit them best.
• Warm-up (12–15 min)
  • Equipment: Equipment depends on the class-voted warm-up, plus cue cards or music if needed.
  • Set-Up:
    • Set the class in the correct formation for the chosen warm-up.
    • Assign 2–4 student co-leaders who know the order of the warm-up steps.
    • The teacher stands where all students can be seen and can support transitions if needed.
  • Procedure:
    • Student leaders guide the class through the favorite warm-up from the year using the same sequence and pacing the class learned earlier.
    • This may include examples such as dynamic movement, jump rope, dance cardio, locomotor patterns, or another approved class favorite.
    • Teacher supports as needed, but students do most of the cueing and movement leadership.
    • The class completes the warm-up in the full sequence so it feels like a shared celebration of a familiar routine.
  • Rules:
    • The warm-up is played by following the full class-voted sequence in order, not by switching to random preferred movements during the block.
    • Student leaders must use the teacher-approved version of the warm-up and keep the pace safe and organized for the whole group.
    • Students must stay in the assigned warm-up space, keep safe spacing, and follow movement changes on the student leader or teacher signal.
    • If music is used, students continue moving until the stop signal and then freeze and listen for the next cue.
• Game/Activity – Activity Festival Rotation: Round 1 (25–28 min)
  • Equipment: Equipment for the chosen 3–4 activities, station signs, cones, and any sport-specific materials.
  • Set-Up:
    • Set up the selected favorite activity stations around the gym or field.
    • Examples may include soccer, basketball, jump rope, frisbee, dance/yoga, wall games, or another class-chosen activity.
    • Students begin at assigned stations or one of their top choices, depending on teacher preference and class size.
    • Student helpers may assist at stations by reminding classmates of the station routine.
  • Procedure:
    • Students participate in timed station blocks.
    • Each station uses the simplified version of the activity that students have already learned earlier in the year.
    • Teacher reminds students to notice how each activity feels, what skills it uses, and which one they are most motivated to join.
    • At the signal, groups rotate to the next activity.
  • Rules:
    • The festival is played in timed station rotations, and students must stay at their assigned or chosen station for the full block until the teacher signals a rotation.
    • Each station must follow the simple rules already established for that activity earlier in the year; students should not invent new rules during festival rounds.
    • Students must participate actively at the station rather than standing around socializing or watching without joining.
    • When the rotation signal is given, students stop safely, help leave equipment organized, and walk directly to the next station.
• Reflect (5 min)
  • Prompt: “Which activity felt most like ‘your kind of movement’ today, and why?”

Optional Session 2 — Healthy Habits, Festival Rotation & Benefit Connections

• Launch (5–7 min)
  • Review favorite activities from Session 1.
  • Ask: “What healthy habits help people enjoy movement more and feel ready to be active?”
  • Briefly connect activity enjoyment to hydration, sleep, energy, and recovery.
• Warm-up (12–15 min)
  • Equipment: Same class-voted warm-up equipment and cues.
  • Set-Up:
    • Use the same whole-class format as Session 1.
    • Rotate in new student co-leaders if desired so more students help lead the favorite warm-up.
  • Procedure:
    • Students complete the class-voted warm-up again, with students leading more independently.
    • Teacher asks students to notice how warm-up and preparation affect how ready they feel for the festival activities.
    • The class ends the warm-up with a brief check-in about energy and readiness.
  • Rules:
    • Warm-up continues to be played in the same student-led sequence chosen by the class, so students should know what comes next and transition quickly.
    • Leaders must keep the class together and only use the approved version of the warm-up.
    • Students must stay active from start to finish and avoid treating the warm-up like free-choice time.
    • Safe spacing and full participation still apply even though the routine is familiar.
• Game/Activity – Activity Festival Rotation: Round 2 with Wellness Connections (25–28 min)
  • Equipment: Same chosen station equipment, reflection prompts posted at some stations if desired.
  • Set-Up:
    • Use the same 3–4 activity stations from Session 1.
    • Teacher may now allow students slightly more voice in which station they revisit or rotate to, depending on management needs.
    • Post simple wellness prompts at stations such as:
      • “How could this help your body?”
      • “How could this help your mood?”
      • “Could you do this at home or in the community?”
  • Procedure:
    • Students participate in the festival stations again.
    • Between or after rounds, students briefly discuss how different activities help in different ways.
    • Teacher highlights examples of physical, mental, and social benefits connected to the chosen stations.
    • Students begin thinking about which activities seem realistic to keep doing in middle school or outside school.
  • Rules:
    • Station rotations are still played in timed blocks, and students must stay engaged in the full block before moving on.
    • Students should play or practice the station activity safely and respectfully using the already-learned class rules for that activity.
    • If students are given limited choice in where to go next, they must choose quickly and then commit to that station until the next signal.
    • Students should use transition time for movement between stations only, not for side conversations that delay the class.
• Reflect (5 min)
  • Prompt: “How can your favorite activities help you physically, mentally, or socially?”

Optional Session 3 — Final Festival Rotation & Closing Circle Lifelong Movement Plan

• Launch (5–7 min)
  • Explain that today’s goal is to celebrate favorite activities and then think seriously about how to stay active in middle school and beyond.
  • Review that movement plans do not need to be perfect—they just need to be realistic and meaningful.
• Warm-up (12–15 min)
  • Equipment: Same class-voted warm-up equipment and cues.
  • Set-Up:
    • Use the same full-group warm-up formation.
    • Student leaders guide the warm-up with minimal teacher support.
  • Procedure:
    • Students complete the favorite warm-up one final time.
    • Teacher uses the end of the warm-up to celebrate growth in leadership, participation, and confidence.
    • The class prepares to move directly into the final festival rotation.
  • Rules:
    • Warm-up should now look like a polished student-co-led group routine that the class can complete smoothly from start to finish.
    • Leaders must give clear cues, and classmates must respond promptly and respectfully.
    • Students should use the warm-up to prepare their bodies and focus, not to treat it as a casual break before stations.
    • All transitions between warm-up sections should happen quickly so maximum time remains for the activity festival and closing reflection.
• Game/Activity – Final Festival Rotation & Closing Circle (25–28 min)
  • Equipment: Same favorite station equipment, reflection sheets if used, cones for closing circle.
  • Set-Up:
    • Run one final round of festival stations, then gather students into a closing circle.
    • If desired, students may revisit one favorite station for the final round rather than rotating equally.
    • Reflection sheets or prompts are ready for the closing circle.
  • Procedure:
    • Students participate in the final station round.
    • After the final rotation, students return equipment, help clean up, and gather in a circle.
    • In the closing circle, students reflect on:
      • favorite ways to move
      • benefits they feel from activity
      • activities they want to keep doing
      • how they can stay active in middle school and beyond
    • Teacher may invite students to share one simple personal lifelong activity plan.
  • Rules:
    • Final station play still follows the timed festival format, and students must participate fully and safely until the final signal.
    • If students are allowed to revisit a favorite station, they must still use the class rules and respectful sharing routines for that activity.
    • Cleanup is part of the activity block, so students are expected to help reset equipment before the closing circle begins.
    • In the closing circle, students should listen respectfully, share honestly, and allow classmates to reflect without interruption.
• Reflect (5–7 min)
  • Prompt: “What is one activity or healthy habit you want to carry into middle school and beyond?”
  • Optional second prompt: “How has PE helped you understand yourself as an active person?”

V. Differentiation and Accommodations

Advanced Learners

• Encourage students to make more detailed personal activity plans that include when, where, and with whom they might stay active.
• Ask them to compare two favorite activities and explain which is more realistic as a lifelong option.
• Invite them to help co-lead a station or model how reflection can connect to future goals.

Targeted Support

• Limit station choices if needed so students can focus on a manageable number of activities.
• Provide simple reflection sentence stems such as “I like ___ because ___” and “I can stay active by ___.”
• Use visual reminder cards for healthy habits and community activity ideas.
• Pair students with supportive peers for the closing reflection discussion.

Multilingual Learners

• Post visuals for favorite activity, healthy habit, benefit, middle school, lifelong activity, and community.
• Demonstrate the station expectations and reflection prompts clearly before beginning.
• Allow oral reflection, brief phrases, or pointing to activity icons when discussing preferences and plans.
• Pair students with supportive partners for discussion and planning.

IEP/504 & Accessibility

• Provide modified versions of the chosen festival activities so all students can participate meaningfully.
• Offer alternative reflection options such as verbal sharing, drawing, or a teacher conference.
• Keep station boundaries and routines clear and predictable.
• Focus assessment on participation, self-awareness, and realistic planning rather than sport-specific performance.

VI. Assessment and Evaluation

Formative Checks (daily)

• Session 1 — Students participate actively in the festival and begin identifying preferred activities.
• Optional Session 2 — Students connect activities to healthy habits and physical, mental, and social benefits more clearly.
• Optional Session 3 — Students identify realistic lifelong activity options and make stronger personal movement plans for the future.

Summative — Activity Festival & Lifelong Movement Reflection Checklist (0–2 per criterion, total 10)

1. Sustained Participation in MVPA (PE:S3.5a)

• 2: Stays actively engaged during warm-up and festival stations for most of class with consistent effort.
• 1: Participates most of the time, but engagement or effort varies.
• 0: Frequently disengages or needs repeated reminders to stay active.

2. Applying Healthy Lifestyle Choices (PE:S3.5e)

• 2: Clearly explains how choices such as hydration, sleep, regular activity, and other healthy habits support movement and wellness.
• 1: Identifies some healthy choices, but explanation is general or limited.
• 0: Shows limited understanding of healthy habits connected to activity.

3. Enjoyment, Preference & Benefits Reflection (PE:S5.5a, PE:S5.5b)

• 2: Clearly explains favorite activities and thoughtfully describes physical, mental, and social benefits of activity.
• 1: Identifies favorite activities and some benefits, but reflection is brief or incomplete.
• 0: Rarely reflects clearly on enjoyment or benefits.

4. Identifying Lifelong Physical Activities (PE:S5.5c)

• 2: Clearly identifies realistic lifelong activities and explains why they fit personal interests or strengths.
• 1: Names some lifelong activities, but explanation is general.
• 0: Rarely identifies realistic lifelong activity options.

5. Seeking Opportunities & Personal Activity Planning (PE:S5.5d)

• 2: Makes a realistic plan for staying active in middle school or beyond and identifies places or opportunities to do so.
• 1: Identifies some possible opportunities, but the plan is incomplete or vague.
• 0: Rarely connects activity interests to real future opportunities.

Feedback Protocol (TAG)

• Tell one strength (e.g., “You clearly know which activities energize you and connected them well to your future activity plan.”).
• Ask one question (e.g., “What makes that activity realistic for you to continue next year?”).
• Give one suggestion (e.g., “Next time, try making your future activity plan even more specific by naming when and where you might do it.”).

VII. Reflection and Extension

Reflection Prompts

• Which activity from this year feels most like “your” activity, and why?
• How has being active helped you physically, mentally, or socially?
• What healthy habits help you feel ready to move and participate?
• How will you stay active in middle school and beyond?

Extensions

• My Activity Plan Card: Students create a short personal plan for staying active next year.
• Favorite Movement Reflection: Students compare two favorite activities and explain what each one gives them.
• Community Opportunity List: Students list places, people, or times that could help them stay active outside school.

Standards Trace — When Each Standard Is Addressed

• PE:S3.5a — Core Session and Optional Sessions 2–3 (festival stations and active participation across favorite activities).
• PE:S3.5e — Optional Sessions 2–3, with support in Core Session (healthy habits and wellness connections to activity).
• PE:S5.5a — Core Session and Optional Sessions 2–3 (identifying favorite activities and activity preferences).
• PE:S5.5b — Optional Sessions 2–3, with support in Core Session (reflecting on physical, mental, and social benefits of movement).
• PE:S5.5c — Optional Sessions 2–3, with strongest emphasis in Optional Session 3 (identifying lifelong activities that fit personal interests).
• PE:S5.5d — Optional Session 3, with support in Optional Session 2 (making simple plans and identifying future activity opportunities).