This guide has been designed to assist the middle grades (5-8) physical educator in planning and providing Georgia students with meaningful activities to prepare them for physically active, healthy lives. Designed to provide middle grades physical education teachers with a framework for local curriculum development, this guide is available for the teacher to expand, constrict, adapt, and use in designing meaningful learning experiences for students. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the manual, and the second chapter discusses characteristics of the transescent youth and physical education. The third chapter describes Georgia laws, policies, and standards. Chapter 4 (the longest chapter) discusses the instructional program, by outlining the framework for units of instruction and offering descriptions of 10 different physical education units. The fifth chapter provides information on conducting the instructional program, and chapter 6 offers class organization and management information. Chapters 7 and 8 respectively talk about measurement and evaluation, and extended programs. Nine appendices supply such things as a film list, an accident report form, and a content area/skill match-up chart. (JMK)