Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Back to Syllabus Search | Browse by Department
Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Promoting Health and Physical Movement in Elementary Classrooms (Online)

ELED 2300-30I

Course: ELED 2300-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Teacher Education
CRN: 32674

Course Description

This course offers a look into the unique role physical activity has on academic outcomes for elementary students. This course also examines the interconnectedness of physical, mental and emotional, and social health in Utah's Health Triangle. Participants will analyze Utah's Elementary PE and Health standards as they plan, deliver, and assess these content areas with children. This course requires face-to-face demonstration opportunities in elementary classrooms.

Required Texts

There is not a textbook required for this course. Course readings will be provided in class by the professor.

Additional Resources
  • SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators www.shapeamerica.org
  • UEN - Utah Core Standards www.uen.org/core

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Advocate for the delivery of effective physical education programs for elementary students.
  2. Indicate scientific and theoretical foundations of an effective lesson plan.
  3. Model and evaluate appropriate skill progressions in physical education content areas.
  4. Plan and deliver developmentally appropriate learning experiences aligned with state and/or SHAPE America’s National standards in addition to state and/or national health standards.
  5. Design appropriate accommodations and adaptations to address the diverse physical needs of all students.
  6. Design and utilize effective management strategies, including appropriate transition cues, within a lesson involving physical activity.
  7. Create suitable formative and summative assessments and provide specific feedback based on a standard and objective.
  8. Utilize technology and additional resources to enhance a lesson plan.
  9. Integrate physical education standards with other content areas such as math, science, etc.
  10. Implement appropriate Universal Design for Learning strategies to enhance student learning.
  11. Promote healthy strategies to support the development of health literate individuals.
  12. Articulate the importance of effective health education delivery using research-based evidence.
  13. Utilize Utah’s Health Triangle to explain the interconnectedness of physical, mental and emotional, and social health in various contexts, as aligned with the Utah Core Standards for Health Education.

Course Requirements

Learning Activities
  • Listening to Guest Speakers - Students will have the opportunity to hear from experts in the field of health and physical education.
  • Research-Based Journal Writing and Discussions - Each week, current journal and/or research will be presented to the class. Students will review the reading assigned for the week and create a journal entry with their findings. This reading will be used in group discussions throughout the week.
  • Integrating Physical Movement Activities - Throughout the semester, the professor and students will be sharing ideas and activities with the class that can be integrated into elementary content areas.
  • Practicum Field Experience Teaching- Students will teach one PE lesson and one Health lesson in an elementary school.
  • Practicum Field Experience Supporting - Students will observe one PE lesson and one Health lesson taught by their peer in an elementary school.
  • Practicum Field Experience Reflecting and Providing Feedback - Students will meet with their peer after each lesson they teach and reflect on effective physical literacy methods within the lesson as well as areas that could be improved upon.
  • Scaffolded Lesson Planning - Students will learn the foundations of an effective lesson plan including an objective, action steps with proactive management, formative and summative assessments, and meeting all learners' needs with accommodations. This lesson planning will happen in increments with personalized feedback provided by the professor at each stage before the final lesson plan is submitted.
  • Promoting Effective PE - Over the course of the semester, through lecture, reading passages, guest speakers, etc. students will develop a personal philosophy of the importance of highly effective physical education programs in our elementary schools. These students will use their personal philosophy supported by research-based evidence to give a mock presentation to fictional school district leaders, advocating for a high-quality PE program in their school.

Required Practicum: Participation in an in-person practicum elementary classroom is required to pass this course. Practicum placements will be assigned by SUU once a background check has been completed. Students are expected to spend 1 hour per week in their practicum experience, totaling 12 practicum hours by the end of the semester. 

Course AssessmentsCourse Outcomes

Research-Based Journal Entries

  • Students will be assessed on their basic content knowledge of physical literacy as well as methods of health education based on the depth of their reflections upon the readings provided by the professor. Entries should include a development of a personal philosophy of high quality education with an emphasis on physical movement and wellness supported by cited research-based evidence. Each entry will have a prompt directly aligned with the reading passage assigned for the week as well as a clear rubric to follow.
1, 3, 8, 11

PE Behavior Management Plan

  • Students will be assessed on specific behavior management plans based on the lessons they have created for their practicum experience. Plans must include proactive management approaches including cues and scaffolded instruction throughout the entirety of the lesson.
6

Elementary PE Final Lesson Plan

  • Students will be assessed on planning a developmentally appropriate learning experience that aligns with the Utah PE Standards. This lesson plan must include a developed objective, formative and summative assessments, appropriate accommodations, effective management strategies, highlighting skill progressions, and utilize technology and/or appropriate resources to enhance student learning.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10

Elementary Health Integrated Final Lesson Plan

  • Students will be assessed on planning a developmentally appropriate learning experience that aligns with the Utah Health Standards. This lesson plan must include a developed objective, formative and summative assessments, appropriate accommodations, effective management strategies, highlighting skill progressions, and utilize technology and/or appropriate resources to enhance student learning.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Field Experience Mentor Evaluation

  • Mentors will fill out an evaluation form on students’ professionalism and effective teaching strategies.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10

Physical Movement Integration Activity

  • Students will be assessed on their ability to integrate physical movement into a regular education classroom experience. For example, students will develop and demonstrate to the class a way to teach a math concept using movement that raises the students’ heart rates.
9

Mock District Presentation

  • Students will be assessed on their ability to advocate for effective physical education programs for elementary students by developing a presentation to give to a fictional school district administrator. This presentation must include cited evidence describing what high quality physical literacy instruction should look like as well as the benefits for the elementary students supported by data.
1, 11, 12

PE and Health Reflection Paper

  • Students will be assessed on their knowledge of effectiveness after teaching in an elementary school setting as they reflect on behavior management, effective accommodations, assessment data collected, and overall methods used or what could be improved in the future.
12, 13, 14
Grading

All assignments must be submitted in order to receive a grade and pass this course. Attendance and participation are essential components of this course. Percentages for grades are as follows:

A 100-95 B- 82-80

A- 90-94 C+ 79-77

B+ 89-87 C 76-73

B 86-83 C- 72-70

Course Outline

Schedule

Week 1

Background Checks, Introduction to the importance of physical activity

Week 2

The Science of Exercise and the Brain  (Dr. John Ratey: SPARK)

Week 3

SHAPE Standards 

Week 4

Developing a Plan

Week 5

Making Accommodations and Developing a Management Plan

Week 6

Highlighting Effective methods, Assessment and Finalizing plan - Peer Reviews

Week 7

Field Experience Teaching #1, Reflection and Mentor Evaluation

Week 8

Introduce Utah’s Health Triangle and Health Standards

Week 9

Integration

Week 10

Developing an Integrated Plan

Week 11

Making Accommodations and Developing a Management Plan

Week 12

Highlighting Effective methods, Assessment and Finalizing plan - Peer Reviews

Week 13

Field Experience Teaching #2, Reflection and Mentor Evaluation

Week 14 and Finals

Final Presentation - “Present the importance of Physical Education and Health to the District”

Practicum Reflection

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Policy: This course is designed to have assignments scaffolded with feedback given at each step. If assignments are turned in late, it could potentially derail your projects. If you need additional time on an assignment, please communicate your needs before the day of the deadline. Requests for extensions after the deadline will be denied. Assignments will be docked 10% every 24 hours that passes beyond the deadline.

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

Online classes provide unique challenges for interaction. For messages sent to me, I will do my best respond in the specified amount of time. Feedback is an important part of learning please look for feedback on your assignments that I provided in the specified amount of time, to find feedback look at this tutorial 

How do I view assignment comments from my Instructor?

How do I view annotation feedback comments from my instructor?

It is my goal to:

  • Respond to student messages within 1-2 business days
  • Provide grades and feedback within 2 - 7 days from the due date

Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy: Attendance and active participation is required. Attendance points will be lost each time a class is missed or excessive tardiness occurs. As active discussion with your peers is essential, assignments accomplished during the face-to-face class session cannot be made up. For extenuating circumstances, please contact the professor ahead of time. In order to receive academic accommodations, you must follow university protocol.

Course Fees

Program and Course Fees

Statement of risk

Statement of risk: This course requires physical movement including running, jumping, and/or throwing. Proper footwear is necessary. This course also requires traveling to elementary schools within your local school district.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.