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Agility

Sixth graders explore agility, the skill of starting, stopping, and changing direction fast without losing balance, and learn why it powers so many sports and how simple drills sharpen it.

Grade 6Agility45 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…

  • ✓Define agility.
  • ✓See where it matters.
  • ✓Link it to balance and speed.
  • ✓Train it with drills.
Essential Question

A player sprints, stops on a dime, cuts, and takes off again, all in a second. That is agility. What makes someone quick to change direction, and how do you build it?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore Agility · Interactive

Explore Agility

Project this and open each card to explore what agility is and how to build it.

🏃 Explore what agility is and how to build itTry it

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 — Stop, Cut, Go

5 min

A player sprints, stops on a dime, cuts left, and takes off again, all in a second. That is agility. What makes some people so quick to change direction?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a quick change of direction.
  • Ask what skill that is.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Explore Agility

12 min

Students explore what agility is.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Explore Agility.
  • Open each card.
  • Note the ideas.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explore.
  • Read.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — Spot the Agility

13 min

Students find agility in action.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a sport or game.
  • Point to an agile move in it.
  • Say why agility helps there.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name.
  • Point.
  • Say.
4

Create — My Agility Drill

15 min

Students design a drill.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Set up a simple course.
  • Add cuts and turns.
  • Explain what it trains.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Set up.
  • Add.
  • Explain.
5

Reflect — Quick and in Control

5 min

Students reflect on agility.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What is agility?
  • Why is control as important as speed?
  • 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.2

Define agility and demonstrate quick changes of direction.

SHAPE
PE.3

Explain how agility supports performance in sports.

SHAPE
PE.4

Perform agility drills with control and safety.

SHAPE
PE.5

Value agility as part of lifelong fitness.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Agility picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “Agility is ___ .”
  • Explore one card at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with what agility is.
  • Try one slow cut together.
  • Explore one idea before the next.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Compare agility with straight-line speed.
  • Design a timed agility course.
  • Explain how balance supports quick cuts.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🚧Cones or markers
  • 💻Explore Agility
  • 👟An agility ladder
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

agilitythe ability to change direction quickly and under controlchange of directionstopping and moving a new waybalancestaying steady and in control of your bodyfootworkhow you place and move your feetcoordinationyour body parts working smoothly togetherreactionhow fast you respond to a cuedrilla repeated exercise that builds a skillcontrolmoving on purpose, not out of balance
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 agility?
The ability to change direction quickly and under control, starting, stopping, and cutting without losing balance.
QUESTION 2
Why is control as important as speed in agility?
If you are off balance you cannot change direction well, so being quick only helps when you stay in control.
QUESTION 3
Name one drill that builds agility.
For example, ladder drills, cone weaves, or shuttle runs.

Create: my agility drill.

Have students set up a simple course with cuts and turns and explain what it trains, so agility becomes something they can practice. A printable agility 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.

🃏 AgilityFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 AgilityQuiz
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.

🖨️ AgilityPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: agility, balance, change of direction, control, coordination, drill, footwork, reaction
  1. how you place and move your feet
  2. your body parts working smoothly together
  3. a repeated exercise that builds a skill
  4. moving on purpose, not out of balance
  5. staying steady and in control of your body
  6. how fast you respond to a cue
  7. the ability to change direction quickly and under control
  8. stopping and moving a new way

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is agility?
  2. Why is control as important as speed in agility?
  3. Name one drill that builds agility.
Answer key — Part A: 1) footwork · 2) coordination · 3) drill · 4) control · 5) balance · 6) reaction · 7) agility · 8) change of direction
Part B: 1) The ability to change direction quickly and under control, starting, stopping, and cutting without losing balance. 2) If you are off balance you cannot change direction well, so being quick only helps when you stay in control. 3) For example, ladder drills, cone weaves, or shuttle runs.