Cross Curricular Fit – A Fresh Approach to Integrating Core Content in PE

Integrating core content in physical education enforces knowledge while keeping kids active. Since movement increases attention levels and learning, hands-on-learning experiences help students to process info physically and store it in their brains.

How can you add core content in your PE class?

1. Flash Cards

Incorporate math in physical education with flashcards. Once your students have a flashcard, they need to correctly complete the math problem. The right answer is the amount of reps they need to complete for each exercise.

2. Vocabulary

Enforce language arts while remaining active! Students need to learn the meaning and spelling of their vocabulary term. Add math into the lesson by having students count the amount of letters in the word, and complete that number of reps for the exercise.   

3. Task Cards

From reading charts, to counting money, task cards can help student become familiar with testing questions and math! Once students answer the questions correctly they need to complete an activity that goes along with it.

4. Tabata

Tabata is known to produce the same benefits as a 30 minute jog, and it only takes 4 minutes! Within eight reps, 20 seconds of activity broken up with 10 seconds of rest between each activity burst, you can creatively implement language arts, math, or any core content into PE.

5. Tag Games

Oh Dish is an acronym for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, inactivity, smoking, and high cholesterol. Troilet’s class plays Oh Dish Tag to learn the risk factors of heart disease. Each tagger uses a different colored pool noodle, colors represent different risk factors. If another student is tagged they need to move to the correlating station and learn about the risk factor that tagged them, complete an exercise, and then re-enter the game.

Two-Line Tag can be a fun way to implement content from any subject. Pair up students and ask the class a question about history, science, math, or language arts. Whoever answers the question correctly is the tagger and tries to tag their partner before they can move to the other side of the gymnasium.

Collaborate with other teachers for more ideas and perspectives on the content you plan to implement in your class. Fellow teachers can share topics that your students would benefit from this extra reinforcement, helping your students and physical education be more successful.

You can watch the full Webinar Cross Curricular Fit- A Fresh Approach to Integrating Core Content in PE on our website!

Webinar Presenter: Chad Triolet holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership. He has 18 years of experience in teaching Elementary Physical Education, and is passionate in promoting active lifestyles. Triolet has presented in 27 states, Canada, and Spain; his most recent focus is presenting to classroom teachers about physical activity and its connection to learning.