The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. However it doesn't seem to get as much coverage or attention in Canada as it should.We seem to focus on hockey, football, baseball, and the Olympics with much more attention than we ever give to the sport of soccer.
I love soccer. I used to play on house league teams when I was younger. I studied the rules of the game and became a Registered Referee with both the Ontario and the Canadian Soccer Association. I even had the chance to referee a game of the Ontario Cup. That was quite the experience and one I will never forget.
It's Teaching Tip Tuesday and since the World Cup gets under way this weekend, I was thinking it would be great to bring it into the classroom somehow.
It's a great game and very accessible. You don't need a lot of equipment to play. You don't have to have a lot of money to invest in to start. All you need is a ball. You don't even need a net. You can mark off a goal using anything at hand. That is one of the reasons this is a worldwide game.
As teachers, we can use this popular event to teach about world geography, mathematics, sportsmanship, and citizenship. The possibilities are endless.
I follow Sean Banville's Blog because of all the great Teaching Resources he posts. Today, he posted about the World Cup and shared quite a few resources. It's a great place to start of you want to bring the World Cup into your classroom.
http://seanbanville.com/2010/06/07/the-beautiful-game-2010/
UPDATE - Sean has posted some other great activities focused on the World Cup
http://seanbanville.com/2010/06/15/world-cup-activities/
I've even heard of some schools holding a school wide tournament by placing the students into teams. Each team does research on their assigned country and plays under their flag. I think it's a great way to get the kids involved in this event, to make it fun, and to tie in some learning about the world as well.
So let's try it out. Let's bring the World Cup into the schools.
Hi Chase .. personally I hate football - it seems to bring to the fore the selfishness of people - both as players and as supporters - I realise this relates to the top teams and clubs: so many poor role models and these are the things people absorb and act similarly ..
ReplyDeleteHowever grass roots it should be encouraged - team work, leadership etc ..
Maths and stats you could incorporate .. good grounding .. I struggled with stats - though I did manage it when I did my professional qualification - how I have no idea!
Enjoy this period .. personally I hope it doesn't take away too much tennis time - that's what I love! But only the last couple of days of the French, Queen's on now - Eastbourne next week (& it's a stone's throw from here!), then Wimbledon .. my time of year.
Have fun .. Hilary
Hi Hilary,
ReplyDeleteI totally hear what you are saying about professional football (soccer)
However, I think the spirit of the game is pure. It encourages teamwork and athleticism. I love the fact that the game doesn't stop and start like football and baseball. It encourages fitness as it gets the players running and moving around.
I also like that most people can play it right away. It's rules are simple and clear and most students can join in on the game with little problem.
I agree that the Olympics are more unifying and that the World Cup can sometimes just be a selfish affair but I want to celebrate a worldwide community and think I can use this event to do so. That's my goal anyway.