Meeting TEKS Standards with the SPARK Curriculum
Mary Lou Baranowski
What are standards and why are they a critical component of physical education? Standards establish well-defined and measurable objectives that encompass the skills and knowledge that students need in order to maintain a healthy and physically-active lifestyle.
Standards-based instruction means that teachers design, plan, deliver, and assess content that is aligned to standards and grade-level outcomes. Educators choose lessons based on student needs and interests, and several lessons within the SPARK curriculum can be selected to reach the same goal.
For example, grade-level outcome 3F in TEKS grade 5 addressing striking techniques can be addressed through a variety of different lessons within several units in the 3-6 curriculum, including Hockey, Racquets and Paddles, Softball, and Volleyball. Factors influencing lesson selection include available equipment, facilities, time/teaching schedules, weather, and community/cultural interests.
Standards may also be addressed through Reflection Questions or the SPARK It Up! variations that provide activity modifications and challenges to each lesson.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Elementary Standards:
The SPARK curriculum addresses all 16 overarching TEKS elementary standards: 1. Movement patterns and movement skills—locomotor skills 2. Movement patterns and movement skills—non-locomotor skills 3. Movement patterns and movement skills—manipulative skills 4. Movement patterns and movement skills—spatial and body awareness 5. Movement patterns and movement skills—rhythmic activities 6. Performance strategies—games and activities 7. Performance strategies—outdoor and recreational pursuits 8. Health, physical activity, and fitness—fitness principles 9. Health, physical activity, and fitness—analyze data 10. Health, physical activity, and fitness—nutrition and hydration 11. Health, physical activity, and fitness—environmental awareness and safety practices 12. Social and emotional health—personal responsibility and self-management 13. Social and emotional health—resolving conflict and social interaction 14. Social and emotional health—perseverance 15. Social and emotional health—accepting and providing constructive feedback 16. Lifetime wellness—application of lifetime wellness
Featured K-2 lesson: Partner Hoop Rolling (Unit: Manipulatives) addresses TEKS standards 1B, 1C, 1D, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 6A, 6C, 8B, 8C, 10A, 10B, 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 12C, 13A, 13B, 14, 15, 16A, and 16B.
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SPARK K-2 Manipulatives Lesson 11 - Partner Hoop Rolling sample lesson plan
SPARK_K2_Manipulatives_L11_WEB.pdf
Featured 3-6 lesson: Choices Count (Pedometer Activity) (Unit: Jump Rope) addresses TEKS standards 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2B, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3F, 3H, 4A, 4B, 4C, 5, 6B, 6C, 8A, 8B, 8C, 9B, 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 12C, 13A, 13B, 14, 15, 16A, and 16B.
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SPARK 3-6 Jump Rope Lesson 12 - Choices Count sample lesson plan
SPARK_36_JumpRope_L12_WEB.pdf
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Middle School Standards:
The SPARK curriculum addresses all 16 overarching TEKS middle school standards, mirroring the same categories as the elementary level with age-appropriate progressions in movement skills, performance strategies, health and fitness, social and emotional health, and lifetime wellness.
Featured middle school lesson: Zone and Player-to-Player Defenses (Unit: Flying Disc) addresses TEKS standards 1A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 6A, 6B, 6C, 7, 8A, 8B, 8C, 10A, 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 12C, 13A, 13B, 14, 15, 16A, and 16B.
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SPARK Middle School Flying Disc Lesson 11 - Zone and Player-to-Player Defenses sample lesson plan
SPARK_MS_Flying_Disc_L11_WEB.pdf
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills High School Standards:
The SPARK curriculum addresses all 5 overarching TEKS high school standards: 1. Movement patterns and movement skills 2. Performance Strategies 3. Health, physical activity, and fitness 4. Social and emotional health 5. Lifetime wellness
Featured high school lesson: iStrike/Field (Unit: iGames) addresses TEKS standards 1A, 1B, 1C, 1E, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5E, 5F, and 5G.
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SPARK High School iGames Lesson 8 - iStrike/Field sample lesson plan
SPARK_HS_iGames_L8.pdf
View the detailed alignment for all TEKS standards and grade-level outcomes to see how the full SPARK curriculum maps to Texas state requirements.
About the Author
Mary Lou Baranowski— Retired physical education teacher; curriculum writer for SPARK
Mary Lou Baranowski retired from teaching physical education in June 2020, where she also served on the elementary physical education leadership team. She holds a BS in physical education from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and an MA in kinesiology from San Diego State. She taught PE for 39 years, was an adjunct professor at SDSU, earned National Board Certification, and received the 2013 National Elementary PE Teacher of the Year award from the Southwest district.