Virginia AHPERD_SpringSummer2026

concepts, characters, or states to deepen their understand ing (Merrill & Gonser, 2021). Table 1 outlines eleven strate

gies for movement-in curriculum, including examples for specific academic subjects.

TABLE 1 Movement-in Curriculum Strategies

Name

Type

Application for Academics

Source

Hopscotch Movement Game

Math: Label squares with answers, have students jump to the correct solution to a problem stated by the teacher. Science: Label squares with steps in a process (water cycle) and have students jump the correct sequence. Health/Science: Students draw a large diagram with chalk and label the parts and then physically module how it operates by walking through it (blood flow through the heart). Create many different stations, prompts, documents, readings, and questions posted up around the room for students to travel to each one to complete. For even more fun, go outside and hang these up around a safe outdoor space (columns of the bus canopy). Math: Students use their arms and legs to form geometric shapes/angles or even represent coordinate pairs like it would on a graph. History: Map out the route of a historical journey (migration or exploration) on the floor using tape and writing key stops and then have students walk the path while discussing its importance and impact. Health/Science: Have students create charts and diagrams to show a range of motions for joints, bones, ligaments, or muscles and include labels on them for what each one is. Create a question about your content/lesson and label four corners of your class space with possible answers. Students will move to the corner that represents their chosen answer and then will defend their choice to someone who chose differently. This can also be done with only 2 corners/walls and pose true/false or yes/no questions. Have students physically act out scenes, dialogue, and conflicts from readings, scenarios, and debates.

(Cuthbertso n, 2024)

Outside Fun

Kinesthetic learning

(Merrill and Gonser, 2021)

(Cuthbertso n, 2024)

Gallery Walk

Project-based Movement

(Erwin et al., 2022)

Physical Modeling

Kinesthetic Learning

(Sinha, 2014)

Movement Mapping

Kinesthetic learning

(Merrill and Gonser, 2021)

(Erwin et al., 2022)

4-Corners Movement Game

(Merrill and Gonser, 2021)

Role Play

Creative Movement

(Merrill and Gonser, 2021

8 • Virginia AHPERD • SPRING/SUMMER 2026

Scavenger Project-Based Hide clues and materials of your content

(Merrill and