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Movement Skills

Fifth graders learn the two big kinds of movement skills — locomotor skills that move your body through space (run, jump, skip) and manipulative skills that control an object (throw, catch, kick) — the building blocks of every sport and game.

Grade 5Motor Skills40 minutes1 class periodSHAPE / Skills-BasedExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain locomotor skills.
  • ✓Explain manipulative skills.
  • ✓Sort the skills.
  • ✓Use them in games.
Essential Question

Every sport and game is built from basic movement skills. Some move YOU; some move an OBJECT. What are the two big kinds of movement skills?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Locomotor or Manipulative?

Project this and sort each movement skill into locomotor (moves your body) or manipulative (controls an object).

🏃 Sort each — locomotor or manipulative?Try it
🏃 Locomotor (moves you)
🏀 Manipulative (controls an object)
Tap a skill, then tap a bucket.
The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Two Kinds of Skills

5 min

Some skills move YOU, some move an OBJECT — what are they?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Run, then throw.
  • Ask what differs.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Move.
  • Notice.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Movement Skills

10 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain locomotor skills.
  • Explain manipulative skills.
  • Note both.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn locomotor.
  • Learn manipulative.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Sort the Skills

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Locomotor or Manipulative?
  • Sort each one.
  • Try them out.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort them.
  • Try them.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Apply

9 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Use both in a mini-game.
  • Combine skills.
  • Explain the skills used.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Play it.
  • Combine.
  • Explain.
5

Cool-Down — Cool-Down

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a locomotor skill.
  • Name a manipulative skill.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to SHAPE America National Health Education & Physical Education Standards.

SHAPE
PE.1

Demonstrate locomotor and manipulative skills.

SHAPE
PE.2

Apply movement concepts.

SHAPE
PE.3

Value skillful movement.

SHAPE
HE.7

Practice active behaviors.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Skill picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is a ___ skill.”
  • Demonstrate skills.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with running vs. throwing.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Try one skill.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Combine skills in a drill.
  • Explain a sport’s skills.
  • Add a challenge.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🏀Balls and cones
  • 💻Locomotor or Manipulative?
  • 🏃Open space
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

movement skilla basic way to movelocomotormoves your body through spacemanipulativecontrols an objectruna locomotor skillthrowa manipulative skillcatchto receive a balldribbleto control a ballcoordinationmoving smoothly
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a locomotor skill? Give an example.
A skill that moves your body — like running, jumping, or skipping.
QUESTION 2
What is a manipulative skill? Give an example.
A skill that controls an object — like throwing, catching, or kicking.
QUESTION 3
Is kicking a ball locomotor or manipulative?
Manipulative — it controls an object.

Cool-Down: use your skills.

Have students name one locomotor and one manipulative skill they use in a favorite game. A printable movement-skills sheet is in the PE & Health library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Movement SkillsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Movement SkillsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Movement SkillsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: catch, coordination, dribble, locomotor, manipulative, movement skill, run, throw
  1. a basic way to move
  2. moves your body through space
  3. a locomotor skill
  4. a manipulative skill
  5. to receive a ball
  6. controls an object
  7. moving smoothly
  8. to control a ball

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a locomotor skill? Give an example.
  2. What is a manipulative skill? Give an example.
  3. Is kicking a ball locomotor or manipulative?
Answer key — Part A: 1) movement skill · 2) locomotor · 3) run · 4) throw · 5) catch · 6) manipulative · 7) coordination · 8) dribble
Part B: 1) A skill that moves your body — like running, jumping, or skipping. 2) A skill that controls an object — like throwing, catching, or kicking. 3) Manipulative — it controls an object.