Adapted PE Basketball Unit Plan for Special Education | Grades 6-12

An adapted PE basketball unit for middle and high school: 7 lessons with Level A, B, and C written into every one, so a mixed-ability class works on the same skill at the same time.

Why I made this: Basketball is the sport my students ask for most, and it is also the one where a mixed class can fall apart fastest. Some students need a low hoop and a textured ball, some are ready for a real 3 v 3. Writing three levels into every lesson keeps everyone on the same skill, with the hoop height and ball they need.

What's included:

• Teacher overview: what Levels A, B, and C mean, how I run the unit, and a 7-day calendar

• Equipment list (standard and modified) and a drawn gym setup diagram

• Safety and inclusion notes with a student setup chart

• 7 one-page lessons: ball handling, dribbling on the move, chest and bounce pass, shooting form, defense basics, modified games, and tournament day

• Every lesson has an objective, warm-up, cue words, practice, a Level A/B/C table, a skill check, a teacher tip, and a cool-down question

• A 5-station basketball rotation with A/B/C tasks at each station

• A skill check rubric with look-fors at each level, plus a class record sheet

• A 5-team round-robin (every pair plays once, every team keeps score once), a blank chart, and game roles

• Student self-rate cards for the start and end of the unit

How I use it: I teach one lesson a day and use the station rotation as a review day before the tournament, so the unit runs about 8 class periods. Students pick their ball and hoop height on day one, and I write it on the setup chart so it carries over.

Who it is for: Adapted PE teachers, general PE teachers with inclusive classes, and special education teachers who run PE in a self-contained setting, grades 6 to 12.

Every lesson, station, rubric, and game page in this unit is original to it. If you need a quick change on the fly, change the space, the task, the equipment, or the people, one thing at a time.

What you download: one printable PDF, 17 pages, US Letter.

Also in my Adapted PE series: the Soccer, Bowling, Bocce, Track and Field, and Volleyball units, plus the Adapted PE IEP Goal Bank and Movement Break Timer Slides. Every sport unit uses the same Level A/B/C layout, so students know the routine when you move to the next sport.

Written by Jeremy D. Gooch, a transition coordinator with 20+ years in education. Part of the Adapted PE series from The Transition Cliff.

At a glance: grades 6-12, one-page lessons, Level A, B, and C on every lesson table, skill check rubric, class record sheet, and student self-rate cards. 17-page PDF, US Letter. Print and teach; equipment swaps are listed for gyms with very little equipment.