The Super Bowl is Sunday and it’s time to work up some team spirit in your classroom! Divide your class into two teams and let each one decide on a name, a mascot, and team colors.
Throughout the week, use the following activities to help your students learn more about football and the teams, logos/mascots, and places involved in this year’s match.
Ask your students if they know what a raven is. Explain that it is a bird and show the head and beak of the raven in the Baltimore Raven’s team logo.
Find photos of ravens to show the class and share information about the bird, its habitat, and other facts. Then share information about how the Baltimore Ravens chose their name:
“Baltimore Ravens"
"Ravens, a reference to Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem, beat out Americans and Marauders in a contest conducted by the Baltimore Sun. Poe died and is buried in Baltimore.” http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=25650
Ask your students what they think the term “49ers” means. Some may think it’s the number of players on the team or refers to someone age, or something else related to numbers.
Give them a brief history of the California Gold Rush after sharing information about how the San Francisco team chose its name:
"The 49ers, who began play in the All-America Football Conference in 1946, were named after the settlers who ventured to the San Francisco area during the gold rush of 1849.” http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=25650
Try some Super Bowl Math with your students. Ask them, “How long is a yard (or 100 yards)” Use a yardstick to measure various objects in classroom for younger children.
Have older kids measure 100 yards in the hallway, the length of a football field and show where the 50-yard line would be and how far a ball would have to go make a field goal.
If possible, have students try running to see how many can run/walk 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 yards. If any of your students are able to, have them attempt to run or walk 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 yards.
Next, teach Super Bowl Geography! Ask your students, “Where are San Francisco and Baltimore?” Use a U S map to show that the two cities are on opposite sides of the country.
Make a wall chart that shows the differences in climate, culture, foods, etc., as well as similarities (both are coastal cities) in the two cities and talk about what they think it’s like to live in each.
Test your students’ knowledge of football by playing “Punt, Pass, Tackle: Rules of the Game” with them each day, asking a different question about how football is played.
Examples: What is a field goal? What does the quarterback do? How many points is a touchdown worth? What does “punt” mean? How many players are on each team?
On Friday hold your own SUPER BOWL GAMES, tossing balls across a “goal,” playing football video games, and doing cheers that each team makes up to boost team spirit.
End your party with a “Sports Bar” celebrating the upcoming Super Bowl game, with photos of each team’s mascot, colors used to decorate your “bar.” Students may also wear football jerseys.
Watch video clips of each team's playoff game, eat Super Bowl snacks (taking into consideration each student’s dietary requirements) and drink juice or bottled water.
Send each student home with a note to parents about the activities that took place during the week and a request to help their child record how her family celebrated Super Bowl Sunday.
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