Unit Plan 11 (Grade 6 PE): Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Choices

Focus: Help students connect daily lifestyle choices to overall health, fitness, and well-being while identifying one realistic area to improve.

Grade Level: 6

Subject Area: Physical Education

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–55 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this Grade 6 Physical Education unit, students explore how their daily choices affect physical health, energy, mood, and readiness to learn. Through walking discussions, health and wellness stations, and guided reflection, students examine habits related to sleep, nutrition, hydration, activity, and screen time. The unit emphasizes that healthy living is not based on perfection, but on understanding habits, noticing patterns, and making realistic improvements over time. Students also connect these habits to the benefits of physical activity and the basic ideas behind health-related fitness and FITT principles. By the end of the week, students should be able to explain how lifestyle choices support wellness and identify one specific area they want to improve.

Essential Questions

• How do daily lifestyle choices affect health, fitness, and energy?
• Why do sleep, hydration, nutrition, activity, and screen time matter?
• How can physical activity improve physical, mental, and social well-being?
• What is one realistic healthy habit change I can make?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Explain how healthy lifestyle choices connect to physical health and fitness.
2. Describe how physical activity supports physical, mental, and social well-being.
3. Identify healthy habits related to sleep, hydration, nutrition, physical activity, and screen time.
4. Connect basic fitness components and FITT ideas to daily health behaviors.
5. Reflect on personal habits and choose one realistic area for improvement.

Standards Alignment — Grade 6 PE (SHAPE America-based custom)

• PE:S3.6c – Understanding Fitness Components and FITT Principles Explain and give examples of health-related fitness components (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition) and basic FITT (frequency, intensity, time, type) training principles.
  • Example: Students identify that jogging or cycling 3–5 times a week at a moderate heart rate improves endurance, while strength circuits with multiple sets build muscular strength/endurance.
• PE:S3.6e – Applying Healthy Lifestyle Choices Beyond Class Identify and describe daily habits that support physical health—such as staying active outside PE, balanced nutrition, hydration, sleep, and screen time management—and work toward improving at least one area.
  • Example: A student chooses to walk or bike more frequently, reduces sugary drinks, or sets a personal limit for recreational screen time and reflects on how it affects energy and mood.
• PE:S5.6b – Recognizing Physical, Mental, and Social Benefits of Activity Describe how consistent physical activity contributes to physical health, mental well-being (mood, stress), and social benefits (friendships, teamwork, sense of belonging).
  • Example: Students reflect that being active helps them feel less stressed, sleep better, and bond with friends or teammates.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can explain how healthy choices affect my energy, fitness, and well-being.
• I can describe why sleep, hydration, nutrition, activity, and screen time matter.
• I can explain how physical activity helps my body, mood, and relationships.
• I can connect healthy habits to fitness components and simple FITT ideas.
• I can choose one realistic health habit to improve.