Unit Plan 6 (Grade K PE): Pathways & Directions
Help Kindergarten students practice straight, zigzag, and curved pathways through fun PE road games that build movement control, direction awareness, and safe travel.
Focus: Help students understand and use basic pathways and directions through playful movement activities that build body control and early movement-concept awareness.
Grade Level: K
Subject Area: Physical Education (Movement Concepts • Pathways • Direction & Control)
Total Unit Duration: 2 core sessions + 2 optional sessions (1–2 weeks), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students continue building early PE understanding by learning that bodies can move in different pathways and directions. In Kindergarten, this means noticing that movement can go in a straight line, a zigzag line, or a curved path, and that these choices change how the body travels through space. This unit uses walking in straight, zigzag, and curved lines as a warm-up and then moves into a Road Trip Game where students follow pathway patterns like little travelers on different kinds of roads. The goal is to help students recognize and apply pathway concepts while staying safe, active, and in control.
Essential Questions
- What are different pathways my body can follow?
- How can I move in a straight, zigzag, or curved path?
- How do pathways help me move with control?
- How can I follow the teacher’s direction safely in PE?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Apply simple movement concepts such as straight, zigzag, and curved pathways.
- Move with growing control while following teacher direction and pathway cues.
- Recognize that movement can change shape and direction.
- Participate actively in pathway-based movement games.
Standards Alignment — Kindergarten (SHAPE America-based custom)
- PE:S2.Kb Apply movement concepts such as fast/slow, high/low, straight/curved pathways.
- Example: Students move on curved pathways when the teacher says “curvy roads.”
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can move in a straight pathway.
- I can move in a zigzag pathway.
- I can move in a curved pathway.
- I can listen for the pathway the teacher says and follow it safely.