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Warming Up Safely

Sixth graders learn why and how to warm up before activity — starting easy, stretching gently, and building up gradually to get the body ready and help prevent injury. They order a safe warm-up, then lead one.

Grade 6Warming Up Safely45 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…

  • ✓Warm up safely.
  • ✓Use dynamic stretches.
  • ✓Build up gradually.
  • ✓Prevent injury.
Essential Question

Why should you warm up before you exercise hard?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Warm-Up

Project this and have students put the warm-up steps in order.

🏃 Put the warm-up steps in orderTry it
Tap the first step of a safe warm-up!
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

Warm-Up — Cold Start

5 min

What might happen if you sprint hard with cold muscles?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pose the question.
  • Share ideas.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Warm-Up

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Warm-Up.
  • Order the steps.
  • Note start easy.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do light movement.
  • Try a dynamic stretch.
  • Build up the pace.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Easy.
  • Stretch.
  • Build.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Build a warm-up routine.
  • Lead a partner through it.
  • Stay hydrated.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Build.
  • Lead.
  • Hydrate.
5

Cool-Down — Cool-Down

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Why warm up?
  • What’s the first step?
  • 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.4

Apply safe warm-up practices.

SHAPE
PE.3

Prepare the body for activity.

SHAPE
HE.7

Practice injury-prevention habits.

SHAPE
PE.2

Explain the purpose of a warm-up.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Warm-up step cards.
  • Frame: "first I start ___."
  • Demonstrate each.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Use 3 core steps.
  • Do a simple warm-up.
  • Model each step.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Design a sport-specific warm-up.
  • Compare dynamic vs static.
  • Lead the class.
Materials

What to gather

  • 🏃Open space
  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💻Order the Warm-Up
  • 📋Routine sheet
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

warm-uplight movement to preparedynamic stretchstretching while movinggraduallya little at a timeheart ratebeats per minuteinjurygetting hurtpreventstop from happeninghydratedrink enough waterroutinea set order of steps
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
Why warm up before exercise?
To get the body ready and prevent injury.
QUESTION 2
What’s the first warm-up step?
Start with easy movement to get warm.
QUESTION 3
What kind of stretches warm you up?
Gentle dynamic (moving) stretches.

Cool-down: warming up safely.

Have students build and lead a short warm-up. A printable routine 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.

🃏 Warming Up SafelyFlip
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.

📝 Warming Up SafelyQuiz
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.

🖨️ Warming Up SafelyPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: dynamic stretch, gradually, heart rate, hydrate, injury, prevent, routine, warm-up
  1. beats per minute
  2. stretching while moving
  3. light movement to prepare
  4. a set order of steps
  5. getting hurt
  6. a little at a time
  7. drink enough water
  8. stop from happening

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Why warm up before exercise?
  2. What’s the first warm-up step?
  3. What kind of stretches warm you up?
Answer key — Part A: 1) heart rate · 2) dynamic stretch · 3) warm-up · 4) routine · 5) injury · 6) gradually · 7) hydrate · 8) prevent
Part B: 1) To get the body ready and prevent injury. 2) Start with easy movement to get warm. 3) Gentle dynamic (moving) stretches.