Basic Information about Project Adventure's K-12 Physical Education Curriculum:

PA's PE curriculum modules were developed with standards in mind and promote the attainment of many state and national standards.

You might want to obtain a copy of Moving Into the Future: National Standards for Physical Education, developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, WCB/McGraw-Hill 1995 (ISBN 0-1851-7338-5).

The following are the seven NASPE Standards:

1. Demonstrates competency in many movement forms and proficiency in a few forms
2. Applies movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills
3. Exhibits a physically healthy lifestyle
4. Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness
5. Demonstrates responsible personal and social behavior in physical activity settings
6. Demonstrates understanding and respect for differences among people in physical activity settings
7. Understands that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and social interaction

Project Adventure's Physical Education Curriculum aligns with most, if not all, State Physical Education Standards. It provides a comprehensive program that is relevant and specific to the needs of students at various grades and in various subjects. Since standards in many states are similar, the standards that appeared in multiple states were used.

Following are the Desired Results for students engaging in this curriculum. These Desired Results define the broad knowledge, skills and behaviors that serve as the foundation of the K-12 Adventure Program.

Students participating in a Project Adventure curriculum will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of movement concepts and the use of motor skills
   

   Although Adventure can do so much more than just teach motor skills, physical movement is central to Physical Education. This curriculum integrates motor skill development in a subtle way. Students experience and master critical motor skills in an environment that is fun and non-threatening. The non-competitive nature of the activities allows for more exploration of primary motor skills that supports the varying levels of ability in a class setting. The acquisition of motor skills is just part of the experience that has captivated the student's attention.

2. Demonstrate responsible personal and social behavior
   

   Learning how to appropriately engage with others is crucial to a student's future academic, social, and professional future. "How do I follow rules while still thinking critically about them? How do I learn when to trust someone and when not to? How do my actions impact the group that I am a part of?" Students involved in this Adventure curriculum will, every year, have opportunities to explore these questions. Students learn how to share or follow rules as they experience a process that allows them to explore, to question, to participate, and to reflect on themselves.

3. Demonstrate the ability to use effective interpersonal skills
   

   It is important that we provide students with concrete tools that they can learn, practice, and apply to future settings. The Adventure process does exactly this. Conflict is managed, the group process is reflected upon, and leadership models are discussed. When major colleges and corporations are asked what they look for in a prospective student or employee, it inevitably boils down to someone who possesses the ability to work effectively with others, someone with leadership qualities, someone who can work well with others to solve conflict and create solutions.

4. Demonstrate the ability to use the decision-making skills of appropriate goal setting, risk taking and problem solving
   

   Providing opportunities for students to explore the decision-making process, of which risks are and are not positive for each individual, is a key component of Adventure programming. "How does the risk I am about to take fit in with the goals I have set for myself or this team?" Another crucial component of making good decisions is understanding how the risks taken impact individual and team goals. Ultimately this process results in the ability to make better decisions and to more effectively solve problems.

5. Understand that challenge, enjoyment, creativity, self-expression and social interaction are important, life-enhancing experiences and are found in Adventure activities
   

   This curriculum provides an array of activities that can be customized to meet the needs of all students. Because these activities are so different from traditional sports, creative and self-expressive behaviors often naturally emerge. Students actually find themselves thoroughly enjoying looking silly, taking risks, and laughing unabashedly with others.

6. Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for differences
   

   This curriculum offers a number of activities that expose children to issues of difference in a setting that is safe and reflective. These activities illustrate the subtleties of difference and the need to understand each of our roles in embracing difference. There is no time in our recent history when respecting the differences of others has been more critical. But this does not solely come from reading a book or from hearing adults tell children that this is important. It comes also from experiencing the power in difference, from seeing the results of inclusion, from spending time with people of different abilities and backgrounds.

Demonstrate an Understanding of Movement Concepts and the Use of Motor Skills

Grades K-2

• Establish a beginning movement vocabulary as it applies to Adventure activities
• Acquire basic skills to be applied to activities and games
• Explore and adapt fundamental movement skills to meet a variety of challenges
• Use a variety of manipulative, locomotor, and non-locomotor skills as individuals and in teams.
• Use concepts of space awareness and movement control with a variety of basic skills while interacting with others during Adventure activities.
• Use feedback to improve performance.

Grades 3-5

• Adapt a skill to the demands of a dynamic, unpredictable environment.
• Combine movement skills in applied settings.
• Recognize and apply concepts that impact the quality of increasingly complex movement performance.
• Use information from a variety of internal and external sources to improve performance.

Grades 6-8

• Demonstrate increasing competence in more advance specialized skills.
• Adapt and combine skills to the demands of increasingly complex situations of selected movement forms.
• Recognize general characteristics of movement that can be applied to specific settings.
• Use combinations of manipulative, locomotor, and non-locomotor skills to develop movement sequences and patterns, both individually and with others.
• Identify the critical elements of more advanced movement skills.

Grades 9-12

• Demonstrate competence in an increasing number of more complex versions of movement forms and motor skills as they relate to Adventure activities.
• Use more specialized knowledge to develop movement competence or proficiency.
• Identify and apply critical elements to enable the development of movement competence/proficiency.
• Understand and independently apply discipline specific information to performance.
• Understand how sport psychology affects the performance of physical activities (e.g., the effect of anxiety on performance).
• Exhibit a level of competency, advancing to a level of proficiency in a particular skill (e.g., belaying, knot tying). Perform basic skills with consistency in the Adventure setting.

Demonstrate Responsible Personal and Social Behavior

Grades K-2

• Understand the purpose of rules in games.
• Apply, with teacher reinforcement, classroom rules and procedures and safe practices.
• Share space and equipment safely and with others.
• Work cooperatively with another to complete an assigned task.

Grades 3-5

• Follow, with few reminders, activity-specific rules, procedures and etiquette.
• Utilize safety principles in activity situations.
• Work cooperatively with a partner or small group.
• Work independently and on-task for short periods of time.
• Identify the various feelings that most people experience and describe the physical and emotional reactions of the body to intense positive and negative feelings.
• Know behaviors that communicate care, consideration, and respect of self and others.
• Understand how one responds to the behavior of others and how one's behavior may evoke responses in others.

Grades 6-8

• Participate in establishing rules, procedures and etiquette that are safe and effective for specific activity situations.
• Work cooperatively and productively in a group to accomplish a set goal in both cooperative and competitive activities.
• Make conscious decisions about applying rules, procedures, and etiquette.
• Utilize time effectively to complete assigned tasks.
• Understand the physical and environmental dangers associated with particular activities and demonstrate proper procedures for safe participation in Adventure activities.
• Identify and describe the experience of different feelings and how feelings affect daily functioning.
• Understand proper attitudes toward both winning and losing.

Grades 9-12

• Apply safe practices, rules, procedures, and etiquette in all Adventure activities.
• Act independently of peer pressure.
• Keep the importance of winning and losing in perspective relative to other established goals of participation.
• Initiate independent and responsible personal behavior in Adventure settings.
• Anticipate potentially dangerous consequences and outcomes of participation in Adventure activities.

Demonstrate the Ability to Use Effective Interpersonal Skills

Grades K-2

• Understand the elements of socially acceptable conflict resolution in Adventure settings (e.g., cooperation, sharing, consideration).
• Identify different types of communication (e.g., verbal and non-verbal).
• Identify why communication is essential in human relationships.
• Describe some of the ways that young children can be intentionally helpful and intentionally hurtful to one another.

Grades 3-5

• Apply both verbal and non-verbal communication skills to develop positive relationships
• Demonstrate self-control and the ability to cope with success and failure.
• Work constructively with others to accomplish a variety of goals and tasks.
• Develop skills needed for peacefully resolving conflicts in socially acceptable ways.
• Know the difference between positive and negative behaviors used in conflict situations.
• Explain factors that could escalate and reduce conflict.
• Identify the effects of leadership skills on the promotion of teamwork.
• Describe the concept of friendship and contrast qualities that strengthen or weaken a friendship.
• Know strategies for resisting negative peer pressure.

Grades 6-8

• Apply attentive listening, feedback, and assertiveness skills to enhance positive interpersonal communication.
• Describe and demonstrate necessary elements of conflict resolution (e.g., nature of conflict, feelings, active listening, "I" messages, and restating), and show effective communication skills, in general.
• Work constructively with others to accomplish a goal in a group activity, demonstrating consideration for others involved.
• Understand the role of adventure activities as a possible arena in which to develop and sharpen leadership.
• Analyze the possible causes of conflict among youth in schools and communities.
• Explain how peer pressure influences choices and apply strategies for managing negative and positive peer pressure.
• Demonstrate effective communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution for resolving potentially violent conflicts.
• Know appropriate ways to build and maintain positive relationships with peers, parents, and other adults.
• Know techniques for seeking help and support through appropriate resources.

Grades 9-12

• Define the functions of leadership in Adventure activities.
• Apply conflict resolution skills appropriately.
• Use leadership and follower roles, when appropriate, in accomplishing group goals in Adventure activities.
• Identify techniques for handling anger and resolving conflicts in the family, friendships, and the workplace.
• Explain the purpose of friendship and describe how friends can support one another in making healthy decisions.
• Identify those character traits that are connected with peaceful living in society, such as respectfulness, tolerance, honesty, self-discipline, kindness, and empathy.
• Apply skills used to communicate effectively with family, friends, and others, and understand the effects of open and honest communication.
• Work constructively with others to accomplish a goal in a group activity, demonstrating consideration for others involved.

Demonstrate the Ability to Use the Decision Making Skills of Appropriate Goal Setting, Risk Taking, and Problem Solving

Grades K-2

• Know ways to seek assistance when needed.
• Identify behaviors that are safe or risky.

Grades 3-5

• Demonstrate the steps of decision-making and refusal skills.
• Explain and practice a model for decision-making that includes gathering information, predicting outcomes, listing advantages and disadvantages, identifying moral complications, and evaluating decisions.
• Know methods used to recognize and avoid threatening situations and ways to get assistance.
• Know behaviors that are safe, risky, or harmful to self and others.
• Utilize decision-making, refusal skill and goal setting in an Adventure setting.

Grades 6-8

• Analyze potential consequences when confronted with a behavior choice.
• Describe the contribution of a personal support system to good mental health.
• Understand the difference between safe and risky or harmful behaviors in relationships.
• Implement decision-making skills, refusal skills and goal setting to avoid risky situations.
• Solve problems by analyzing causes and potential solutions.

Grades 9-12

• Anticipate and avoid potentially dangerous situations in Adventure settings.
• Develop and practice effective coping skills for managing stress to prevent self-destructive behaviors.
• Identify ways in which decision-making is influenced by sound character, family, and personal beliefs.
• Explain positive techniques for handling difficult decisions.
• Demonstrate skills for refusal, negotiation, and collaboration to avoid potentially harmful situations in personal, work, and community relationships.
• Understand the short- and long-term consequences of safe, risky, and harmful behaviors.

Understand the Potential Outcomes for Participating in Adventure Activities, Including Challenge, Enjoyment, Self-Expression and Social Interaction

Grades K-2

• Engage in physical activities.
• Gain competence to provide increased enjoyment in movement.
• Associate positive feelings with participation in Adventure activities.
• Try new movement activities and skills.
• Identify and share feelings in appropriate ways.
• Express feelings about and during Adventure activities.
• Enjoy interaction with friends through Adventure activities.

Grades 3-5

• Experience enjoyment while participating in Adventure activities.
• Enjoy practicing activities to increase skill competence.
• Interact with friends while participating in group activities.
• Use Adventure activities as a means of self-expression.
• Understand that Adventure activities provide personal challenge.
• Apply methods to accommodate a variety of feelings in a constructive manner in order to promote well-being.

Grades 6-8

• Recognize Adventure activities as a positive opportunity for social and group interaction.
• Demonstrate enjoyment from participation in Adventure activities.
• Use Adventure activities to express feelings.
• Seek personally challenging experiences in physical activity and Adventure opportunities.
• Identify factors that promote a positive self-image (e.g., accepting responsibility; respect for self, authority and others; self-discipline, self-control and the right to be assertive).
• Understand long-term psychological benefits of regular participation in Adventure activities.
• Exhibit openness to try new and different types of activities.

Grades 9-12

• Enjoy participating in a variety of Adventure activities.
• Pursue new activities both alone and with others.
• Enjoy working with others in an Adventure activity to achieve a common goal.
• Recognize that Adventure activities can provide a positive social environment for activities with others.
• Display heightened self-confidence through participation in Adventure activities.
• Identify and display factors that promote a positive self-image (e.g., accepting responsibility; respect for self, authority and others; self-discipline, self-control and the right to be assertive).
• Understand that Adventure activities can provide the opportunity in which to demonstrate leadership and problem solving skills.
• Use Adventure activities to express feelings.
• Seek personally challenging experiences in physical activity and Adventure opportunities.
• Understand long-term psychological benefits of regular participation in Adventure activities.
• Exhibit openness to try new and different types of activities.

Demonstrate an Understanding of and Respect for Differences

Grades K-2

• Recognize the joy of shared play.
• Play and cooperate with others regardless of personal difference.
• Treat others with respect during play.
• Understand individual similarities and differences (in terms of appearance, behavior).

Grades 3-5

• Explore cultural/ethnic self-awareness through participation in Adventure activities.
• Recognize the attributes that individuals with difference can bring to group activities.
• Accept teammates regardless of ability and treat opponents with respect and courtesy.
• Define intolerance and explain how it can be harmful.
• Understand the role of Adventure in learning more about others of like and different backgrounds.
• Understand the physical challenges faced by people with disabilities.

Grades 6-8

• Acknowledge differences in the behaviors of people of different gender, culture, ethnicity and disability and seek to learn more about both similarities and differences.
• Cooperate with disabled peers and those of different gender, race, and ethnicity.
• Understand and respect the contributions of others with like and different skill levels to the group or team goal.
• Work cooperatively with both more and less skilled peers.
• Identify behaviors that are supportive and inclusive and those that are not supportive and exclusionary in Adventure settings.
• Willingly join others of diverse culture, ethnicity, and race during Adventure activities.
• Demonstrate strategies for inclusion of all students in Adventure settings.

Grades 9-12

• Invite others with differences to join in personally enjoyable Adventure activities.
• Recognize the influence of participation in Adventure activities on fostering appreciation of cultural, ethnic, gender and physical diversity.
• Develop strategies for including persons from diverse backgrounds and characteristics in Adventure activities they select.
• Describe the influence of the larger social group on individual conduct.