Explains how teachers of students in grades four through six can use the Teaching Games for Understanding Approach and incorporate games invention into the physical education curriculum. A three-step model is proposed: selection and modification of games; teaching games with an understanding approach; and student invention of games. Summaries of…

Physical educators can teach preadolescents safe training methods and help them set realistic goals congruent with their needs and abilities without sophisticated and costly equipment. A cooperative strength training program with appropriate instructional methods is described. (MT)

Presents a simulation game that can be incorporated into physical education classes for intermediate and junior high school students. The lesson, titled "The Capture Game," focuses on the problems of capture, transportation, and captivity of wild animals. Background information, teacher preparation suggestions, student activity and…

Developed for the Duval County Public Schools (Jacksonville, Florida), this curriculum guide for physical education is for use in grades four, five, and six. A list of growth and development characteristics and their implications for physical education is followed by (1) a list of essential skills for each grade in the areas of physical…

Presents a lesson plan for teaching abstract science concepts to gifted middle school students. The lesson integrates a physical education component into science instruction to reinforce the abstract notion that electrons emit energy in the form of visible light. (CR)

Contract teaching can renew interest and add excitement to a physical education unit or program. Students are motivated by personal attention, independent practice, establishing goals, and tracking their own progress. Samples of a training schedule, task sheet, and unit contract are included for a track and field unit. (IAH)

This curriculum guide states physical education program standards for schools in the Philadelphia School District. The major goal of the program, designed for students from grades 5-12, is to develop attitudes and practices that contribute to the maintenance of physical fitness. The "key competencies" listed in this guide are the program basics.…

Because of middle school students' fragile psychological status, physical educators must focus on students themselves, not just educational units or skills. The student-oriented approach should be cooperative, use lead-up games, offer variety, emphasize process, use individual improvement for measurement, offer student-directed activities, and be…

Since middle school students like to read about sports and physical activities, physical education teachers can tie their reading interests to class activities. The paper explains how to find out how students use their free time and what their interests and likes are. Suggestions for interdisciplinary activities are included. (SM)

This guide has been designed to assist the middle grades (5-8) physical educator in planning and providing Georgia students with meaningful activities to prepare them for physically active, healthy lives. Designed to provide middle grades physical education teachers with a framework for local curriculum development, this guide is available for the…

The Heart Adventures Challenge Course teaches students about the circulatory system's design and functions, taking them through a model of the circulatory system in the gym. The article provides detailed instructions for presenting the unit. It describes how the course was developed and taught in a middle school. (SM)

This publication for middle- and junior-high school students contains teaching units on aging. The units themselves are not intended to be immediately usable in the classroom. They require the teacher to first learn something about aging. The units require tailoring to specific classroom situations. The first five sections contain units for the…

Demonstrates the value of the case-method approach in physical education pedagogy classes for preservice physical education teachers; presents a sample case in a middle school and outlines the accompanying questions. Holds that the case-method approach can bridge the gap between theory and practice through class discussion. (SM)

A case study approach can help preservice teachers develop effective strategies for handling situations that arise as they teach diverse students in public schools. This article presents teaching hints for the case study approach, offering a sample scenario for a seventh-grade middle school physical education class. (SM)

Research indicates that middle school students need a great amount of physical activity to remain alert, motivated and eager to learn. A study was conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Middle-Level Athletics Task Force to gather and evaluate information about athletic programs that are compatible with young adolescents' needs…