Three Fun Ideas for Celebrating the World Cup in the Classroom

Do your students love soccer as much as mine do? If so, why not use that love of the sport as a launching point for lesson or unit? I do this all the time. When students have a passion, I try to find a way to incorporate it. Love dinosaurs? We're going to Jurassic Park. Interested in space? A mission to Mars is just the thing. Enjoy camping? Welcome to Camp Share-a-Story. I just love bringing the passion of my students to life. It doesn't have to be hard. It can really be quite simple actually. Let's take a look at a few ways to make this happen in your classroom. We'll look at some ideas from the very simple to more elaborate. 

1. Soccer Books

It's a Numbers Game! Soccer is a great way to tie in math in a real life way, through soccer. Students can explore how math plays a role in the game of soccer. This is especially great for students who are reluctant learners in math, but love soccer. From timing to angles, soccer is full of real-world examples of how math is used daily in this favorite game. 

Ronaldo: A Boy Who Became a Star brings to life the true story of Christiano Ronaldo who is considered one of the best soccer players of all time. Students who love soccer will recognize his name and will instantly be engaged in a book about one of their favorites. (You can also find many other simple biographies of other inspiring players.

Mia Hamm is the perfect book to engage your girls. Be sure to have some books that feature girl athletes. This book shows how Mia developed a tough mental attitude and a strong work ethic. These character traits make her a perfect role model to young girls. 

The Floating Field is the true story of a group of boys who live in Thailand and have a passion for soccer. They live in a floating village, so a soccer field is nearly unthinkable. However, due to their determination and ingenuity, they find a way to create a floating field and spend time perfecting their soccer plays there. I love that it incorporates and shares a different culture. You get a peak into the lives of kids (just like you) across the globe who also happen to share a passion for the sport. It is the perfect book to use to compare your student's life with. 

Here are some ways that I use this book, The Floating Field in my classroom. It is one of my favorites and the students had an amazing time while learning a lot. While reading the book, we stopped and talked about some of the vocab, especially words that were unique to Thailand. I absolutely LOVE bringing new and unfamiliar cultures into my class.

My students create a S.T.E.M. project. The project asks them to create their own floating field. They must create a field of a certain size that also holds some soccer players on top. 

Students also learn about the principles of floating and sinking my doing two experiments that follow the scientific process. One experiment is a floating egg. Another is to create a floating rainbow (density column).

I also use this book to have my students set goals. This can be done anytime of year. We make a fun craftivity that goes with this one. 

 

Students even get to study a soccer player and create their own player trading/fact card. 

2. Soccer Themed activities

Take your regular curriculum and turn it into a soccer activity. Maybe you could use soccer clipart to create cards for a game. Create a game of scoot with a soccer theme. This can be done with any curriculum topic. I love to do it with math. Creating math games that I can use in centers is easy to do and fun for my students. I take advantage of their love of soccer and use that as a theme. 

3. Go All Out with a Soccer Room Transformation

Have you ever done a room transformation? It does not have to be super intimidating. It can be a lot of fun and is often just the spark your students will look forward to and talk about for years. You can keep it as simple or elaborate as possible. Here are some of my ideas for changing the room around to give it a soccer feel. 

Part of a transformation begins with your outfit. Become a soccer player for the day. Or, you could even be a referee with a black and white striped shirt. Students always seem to love it when I dress up for the day. 

Create a field out of astro turf or for a more economical version, you could use a green tarp or even table cloth. If your school has small portable soccer goals, be sure to borrow them to set to each side.

You can do so much to give it the feel of a real field right in your classroom. Use printable soccer balls labeled with a number for each of your classroom teams. Teams can earn points for different challenges or even curriculum. Keep score all day and have a small trophy for the winner if you want. 

As you can see, bringing in student passions does not have to be hard. It can be a ton of fun for both you and the students. You can get a lot of learning done no matter the theme. 

If you are interested in any of the resources mentioned above, you can click on the links below.