Assignment: Elementary Methods

Standards-based lessons are the foundation of education; they give consistency and structure to the lessons you teach. As a provider of health and physical education, you need to be familiar with these subjects` content standards (both state and national) to effectively incorporate the necessary concepts and skills into your instruction and classroom environment. In this assignment, you compare your state`s health and physical education standards with the national content standards to understand their similarities and differences.

Preparation

To begin, review the national standards for health and physical education at the links below:

I. Standards for Health Education from CDC Healthy Schools
II. Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education from SHAPE America

Once you have reviewed the national standards, locate your state`s content standards for health and PE by researching your state`s Department of Education website.

After you have located your state`s health and PE content standards, compare the state standards with the national standards by considering the following criteria:

I. Overall Alignment

II. How closely do the sets of standards align?

III. Do the national standards seem to be the foundation of your state`s standards?

IV. Health Education Concepts and Performance Indicators

V. Are the key health concepts that are covered within the standards similar? How are they alike and/or different?

VI. Are the performance indicators that measure what a student should know or be able to do in support of the standards similar? How are they alike and/or different?

VII. PE Skills/Concepts and Performance Outcomes

VIII. Are the key PE skills and/or concepts that are covered within the standards similar? How are they alike and/or different?

IX. Are the performance outcomes that measure what a student should know or be able to demonstrate in support of the standards similar? How are they alike and/or different?

Task

Write a minimum 525-word summary of your findings from the comparison. Address the following:

Question I. Identify your state and provide a link to your state`s health education standards and a link to your state`s PE standards.

Question II. Describe the overall alignment between your state`s health and PE standards and their corresponding national standards.

Question III. Explain the overall similarities and differences between the health education concepts and performance indicators within your state`s standards and the national health education standards.

Question IV. Explain the overall similarities and differences between the PE skills/concepts and performance outcomes within your state`s standards and the national PE standards.