Alabama / VA Tech pre-game comment prompts Leigh Tiffin and the Teachable Moment

September 6, 5:04 PMAtlanta Teachable Moments ExaminerCarol Aitken

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Larry, Moe and Curly Joe, just in case you didn't know. It's a wonder the Baby Boomers survived with role models like these.

What a game!  The Crimson Tide rallied in the 4th quarter and rolled over the VA Tech Hokies last night in the 2009 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff at the GA Dome. 

Before the game, a comment was posted to my page.

"David says, 'I love college football, but I have no idea how this article is related to a teachable moment.'"  (Read my reply HERE.)

Thank you, David, for providing an opportunity -- a teachable moment -- and a prompt to elaborate on today. 

Making Math Count
Believe it or not, math is not everyone's favorite subject.  It's confusing, it's boring, it's useless, right?  The way around these roadblocks is to make math fun by using numbers that mean something to the learner. Sports stats are second nature to many grown-ups, so use them to teach math.

Here's the link to Final Stats at RollTide.com and (an easier to read version) at HokieSports.com.  Let's take a look at kicker Leigh Tiffin's contributions to Alabama's victory.

* How many field goals did Tiffin attempt in the first quarter? In the entire game?
* How many yards did Tiffin's first field goal travel? The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th?
* Add them together to get total yards, and then figure out his average kicking distance.
* Now, go outside and walk, or measure car lengths, or use a stop watch to see how long it takes to run that distance.
* Figure out the total number of points Tiffin scored in the game.
* If you subtract Tiffin's points from Alabama's final score, which team would win?
* If you go to Chick-fil-A on Labor Day (tomorrow) for a FREE sandwich, how much money will you save?

Reading Matters
Reading comprehension is tough for some kids. Again, if they're interested in the subject, that's half the battle, so, for some teachable (reading) moments, here's the link to Leigh Tiffin's bio.

* What is Leigh Tiffin's hometown?
* Leigh has been nominated for and received a number of awards in his football career.  He is a candidate for what national award this season?  In his sophomore year, Leigh was named 2008 ___________.
* Leigh is a senior this year. When did he start kicking for the Crimson Tide?
* Look at Leigh's Career Stats.  Which season did he scored the most points? How many?
* Who is Leigh Tiffin's dad?  He held a school record that Leigh broke in 2007.  What was it?

Teachable (Quote of the Day) Moment

"We can get there. We’re just a little bit too young right now, but we’re going to be a little bit older next week.”  -Coach Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech.  What does Coach Beamer's quote mean? Is it true? Why or why not?

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