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Edited by PE Teacher EDU Editorial Staff
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Common Core addresses English language arts and mathematics, with literacy expectations across content areas. In PE, cross-curricular work should support a clear movement or PE learning objective and the curriculum adopted by your school.
Keep the PE Objective Clear
Start with what students should learn in physical education, then decide whether reading, discussion, writing, or quantitative reasoning helps them demonstrate that learning. A lesson does not become stronger simply by adding a worksheet unrelated to its movement goal.
The Common Core ELA framework includes reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. Its literacy framework also addresses other content areas. Check which standards your state and district currently use before assigning a code or claiming formal alignment.
Original Examples to Adapt
These examples are editorial planning ideas, not official Common Core lesson plans or prescribed PE activities.
| PE learning goal | Cross-curricular connection | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|---|
| Explain a movement choice | Use a short evidence-based oral explanation | Learner identifies the choice and supports it with observation |
| Give useful partner feedback | Practice precise speaking and listening | Partner feedback refers to the lesson’s selected criterion |
| Interpret a practice record | Read a simple teacher-created table or graph | Learner explains the pattern and a reasonable next step |
| Reflect on a progression | Write a brief comparison of attempts | Reflection connects an adjustment to observed performance |
Choose tasks appropriate to the learners. Keep explanation short enough to support practice rather than crowding it out, and offer accessible ways for learners to respond.
Use a Planning Sequence
- Identify the PE objective in the adopted curriculum.
- Select a relevant literacy or mathematical practice only if it helps the objective.
- Decide what students will do and what counts as evidence.
- Prepare language and access supports.
- Review whether the task improved understanding and teaching decisions.
For a teacher-created skill lesson, students might describe one change they made after feedback. The teacher can assess the movement criterion separately from the clarity of the explanation. That distinction helps prevent a writing difficulty from obscuring what a learner can demonstrate physically.
Connect With the Current PE Framework
SHAPE America’s revised PE standards were released in 2024. Use the national PE standards overview and the school’s curriculum together. Cross-curricular planning should complement meaningful PE instruction, assessment, and inclusion.
If preparing for a school placement, ask the mentor teacher how the department documents curriculum alignment. Retain the lesson objective, assessment criteria, and reflection in your teaching portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Common Core replace PE standards?
No. Use the school’s PE curriculum and relevant adopted academic standards for their different purposes.
Must every PE lesson include written work?
Choose response formats that support the objective and learners. A written task is not automatically the best evidence.
Can I claim an example meets a particular standard?
Review the exact adopted standard and grade level first. The examples here are starting points for planning.
- Begin with a PE learning objective.
- Add cross-curricular work when it helps learning.
- Assess movement and communication deliberately.