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Listening to Your Body

Fourth graders learn to read the signals their body sends when they are active, telling the normal signs of good effort from the warning signs that mean stop, and sort real signals into keep-going and stop-and-rest.

Grade 4Listening to Your Body45 minutes1 class periodSHAPEExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Know the body sends signals.
  • ✓Tell effort from warning signs.
  • ✓Know when to stop and rest.
  • ✓Sort each signal.
Essential Question

During exercise your body talks to you: a pounding heart is normal, but dizziness is a warning. How do you tell a good effort signal from a stop signal?

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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 the Signals · Interactive

Sort the Signals

Project this and sort each body signal into normal effort or a warning to stop and rest — tap a signal, then tap where it belongs.

🧍 Sort each body signal: keep going or stop and rest?Try it
🟢 Normal, keep going
🛑 Warning, stop and rest
Tap a body signal, then tap whether it is a normal sign of effort or a warning to stop and rest.
The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

45 minutes, five moves

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

1

Hook — What Is Your Body Telling You?

5 min

When you exercise, your body talks to you: a pounding heart and heavy breathing are normal, but sharp pain or dizziness is a warning. How do you tell a good signal from a stop signal?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a feeling during exercise.
  • Ask if it is normal or a warning.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Sort the Signals

12 min

Students sort body signals into keep-going and stop-and-rest.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Sort the Signals.
  • Drop each signal.
  • Explain each one.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
3

Modify — What Would You Do

13 min

Students respond to a signal.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a warning signal.
  • Say what to do about it.
  • Say who to tell.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name.
  • Say.
  • Say.
4

Create — My Body-Signals Guide

15 min

Students make a signals guide.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • List normal effort signs.
  • List warning signs to stop.
  • Add what to do for each warning.

🎒 Student Actions

  • List.
  • List.
  • Add.
5

Reflect — Smart and Safe

5 min

Students reflect on listening to their body.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Which signals mean keep going?
  • What should you do if you feel dizzy or have sharp pain?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the SHAPE America National Standards for Health Education and Physical Education.

SHAPE
PE.3

Recognize the body's signals during physical activity and respond safely.

SHAPE
HE.1

Explain how the body responds to exercise and why rest matters.

SHAPE
PE.4

Participate safely and adjust effort to how the body feels.

SHAPE
HE.7

Monitor the body and know when to stop, hydrate, or get help.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Body-signal picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ means I should ___ .”
  • Sort two signals at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with a faster heartbeat.
  • Sort one signal together.
  • Sort all the normal ones first.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add what to do for each warning sign.
  • Discuss the difference between tired and hurt.
  • Make a class rule for when to stop and tell an adult.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🧍Body-signal cards
  • 💻Sort the Signals
  • 💧A water bottle reminder
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

signala sign your body sends about how it feelsefforthow hard your body is working during activitywarning signa signal that means stop and rest or get helprestto pause and let your body recoverhydrateto drink water so your body keeps working welldizzyfeeling lightheaded or unsteady, a warning signoverdo itto push so hard it becomes unsaferecoverto let the body return to normal after effort
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
Which signals mean keep going?
Normal effort signs like a faster heartbeat, heavier breathing, sweating, and tired-but-okay muscles.
QUESTION 2
What should you do if you feel dizzy or have sharp pain?
Stop and rest, drink water, and tell a trusted adult or coach; these are warning signs, not normal effort.
QUESTION 3
Why is listening to your body important during exercise?
It helps you work hard safely and know when to stop, so you avoid getting hurt or overdoing it.

Create: my body-signals guide.

Have students list normal effort signs, list warning signs to stop, and add what to do for each warning, so they can exercise hard and stay safe. A printable body-signals worksheet 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.

🃏 Listening to Your BodyFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Listening to Your BodyQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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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.

🖨️ Listening to Your BodyPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: dizzy, effort, hydrate, overdo it, recover, rest, signal, warning sign
  1. to pause and let your body recover
  2. to drink water so your body keeps working well
  3. to push so hard it becomes unsafe
  4. to let the body return to normal after effort
  5. a signal that means stop and rest or get help
  6. feeling lightheaded or unsteady, a warning sign
  7. a sign your body sends about how it feels
  8. how hard your body is working during activity

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Which signals mean keep going?
  2. What should you do if you feel dizzy or have sharp pain?
  3. Why is listening to your body important during exercise?
Answer key — Part A: 1) rest · 2) hydrate · 3) overdo it · 4) recover · 5) warning sign · 6) dizzy · 7) signal · 8) effort
Part B: 1) Normal effort signs like a faster heartbeat, heavier breathing, sweating, and tired-but-okay muscles. 2) Stop and rest, drink water, and tell a trusted adult or coach; these are warning signs, not normal effort. 3) It helps you work hard safely and know when to stop, so you avoid getting hurt or overdoing it.