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Pacing Yourself

Eighth graders learn pacing — managing their effort so they don’t start too fast and run out of energy. Starting easy, holding a steady pace, breathing well, and saving a finishing kick help you go farther. They order the steps, then pace an activity.

Grade 8Pacing Yourself45 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…

  • ✓Pace your effort.
  • ✓Hold a steady pace.
  • ✓Breathe well.
  • ✓Finish strong.
Essential Question

Why do people who start a race too fast often finish last?

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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 Pacing Steps

Project this and have students put the pacing steps in order.

🏃 Put the pacing steps in orderTry it
Tap the first step of pacing yourself!
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 — Too Fast?

5 min

Ever sprint at the start and then have nothing left?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

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

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Pacing

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Pacing Steps.
  • Order the steps.
  • Note steady pace.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Jog at an easy pace.
  • Find a steady rhythm.
  • Control your breathing.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Easy.
  • Steady.
  • Breathe.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pace a timed activity.
  • Save energy for the end.
  • Finish strong.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pace.
  • Save.
  • Finish.
5

Cool-Down — Cool-Down

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What’s the first step?
  • Why not start too fast?
  • 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

Apply pacing to sustain activity.

SHAPE
PE.4

Self-manage effort safely.

SHAPE
PE.2

Use fitness concepts.

SHAPE
HE.7

Build healthy activity habits.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Pacing-step cards.
  • Frame: "first I start ___."
  • Model pacing.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Use 3 core steps.
  • Jog an easy pace.
  • Use a visual.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Pace a longer run.
  • Track split times.
  • Teach pacing to a peer.
Materials

What to gather

  • 🏃Open space / track
  • ⏱️Timer
  • 💻Order the Pacing Steps
  • 📋Pacing sheet
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

pacingmanaging your effortsteady pacean even, sustainable speedsustainableable to keep goingendurancelasting powerrhythma steady patternsplittime for part of a distancefinishing kicka strong end pushefforthow hard you work
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 the first pacing step?
Start easy to warm up.
QUESTION 2
Why not start too fast?
You’ll run out of energy before the finish.
QUESTION 3
What helps you finish strong?
Saving some energy for the end.

Cool-down: pacing yourself.

Have students pace a timed activity and finish strong. A printable pacing 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.

🃏 Pacing YourselfFlip
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.

📝 Pacing YourselfQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

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.

🖨️ Pacing YourselfPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: effort, endurance, finishing kick, pacing, rhythm, split, steady pace, sustainable
  1. time for part of a distance
  2. able to keep going
  3. an even, sustainable speed
  4. how hard you work
  5. lasting power
  6. managing your effort
  7. a steady pattern
  8. a strong end push

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the first pacing step?
  2. Why not start too fast?
  3. What helps you finish strong?
Answer key — Part A: 1) split · 2) sustainable · 3) steady pace · 4) effort · 5) endurance · 6) pacing · 7) rhythm · 8) finishing kick
Part B: 1) Start easy to warm up. 2) You’ll run out of energy before the finish. 3) Saving some energy for the end.