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A Lesson on The Football Team Export Lesson as PDF | Save As Favorite
A Lesson on The Football Team Grade: Grade 4
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Keith Evans
Lesson Length: 1 hour
Keywords/Tags: Team, Character
Lesson Description: The goal of this lesson is to read and learn what being on a team is all about. After reading students will be able to identify qualities a team member possesses and understand character building skills.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
 
     
     
 
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.

The Football Team

A team is a group of people with a common goal. A school’s football team has two goals. One goal is to win. That is what the team wants to do. The other goal is to build character. Character is what a person values, how a person relates to others. That is why schools have football teams. They want to help students build good values. 

There are many character traits that a football player can develop. One is leadership. The quarterback of the team is a leader. The quarterback makes choices—which play to make, who will get the ball. The quarterback has a big job. The quarterback has to inspire the players to work together. If they are losing, the quarterback has to work even harder, to give the players hope they still can win. 

There is another leader, too. The leader of the defensive group. When the defensive group is playing, that means the team may lose points. So the leader has to keep the team members working together to stop that. 

Each team member builds character. They learn to cooperate. They learn to make good decisions. They work hard. They practice every day. They learn to follow the rules. If a team member does not follow the rules, the entire team suffers. 

Each team member has a position. Each position is part of winning. No one player has the ability to win the game for the team. Only if the team works together does a team win. 
People often say, “There is no I in TEAM.” 

Whether the team wins or loses, at the end of the game they congratulate the other team. That is called sportsmanship. While they fight to win during the game, it is just a game. They cannot be angry with the other team. If they are, they’ll hear from their coach. 

The coach makes sure the team reaches the school’s goal. The coach cares about the whole team. The coach gives each player advice. When the team wins, everyone celebrates. And the coach is glad. But after the season is over, the coach is still happy. The coach gets to see the players as they go to school every day. The character they have built is part of their success in school, too. 

Some coaches say that if you go into a classroom at their school you’ll be able to tell the players. It is not that they are bigger than the other students. It is the ones who are helping other students work. Teamwork is part of their lives. 
 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.
Vocabulary Questions
Word/Phrase: inspire | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q1 "The quarterback has to inspire the players to work together." What does the word "inspire" mean in this sentence?
A. to criticize
B. to encourage or motivate *
C. to make fun of
D. to disrepect
Which sentence below uses the word "inspire" correctly?
A. The teacher uses creative lessons to inspire his students. *
B. Billy is an inspiring actor unable to find work.
C. Shelly inspires to be President one day.
D. Donald is always being mean to others by being very inspiring.
Word/Phrase: goal | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q2 "A team is a group of people with a common goal." What does the word "goal" mean in this sentence?
A. score
B. point
C. plan or desire *
D. fight
Which sentence uses the word "goal" correctly?
A. Peter's goal after high scool is to attend college. *
B. Billy scored a goal in soccer.
C. Shelly scored the game winning goal.
D. The final score of the game was one goal to zero.
Word/Phrase: tell the players | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q3 "Some coaches say that if you go into a classroom at their school you'll be able to tell the players." What does the term "tell the players" mean in this sentence?
A. you can start a conversation with them
B. they stand out from other students *
C. they are talking more
D. they are disruptive
Which sentence uses the term "tell the players" correctly?
A. The coach had to tell the player to run faster.
B. The teacher had to tell the player he was not passing the class.
C. I could tell the player because he was taller than the other students. *
D. I could not tell the player he couldn't play baseball anymore.
Word/Phrase: character | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q4 "The other goal is to build character." What does "character" mean in this sentence?
A. a silly person on tv
B. an actor in a movie
C. a drawing of Spongebob
D. a person's values *
Which sentence uses the word "character" correctly?
A. Spongebob is very funny character.
B. The character in the movie was very sad.
C. Billy is very respectful person; he has great character. *
D. Sally drew her favorite character on the paper.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.
  Topic Title Replies
Message "Each team member builds character."
"Each team member builds character." After reading this passage what are a few character skills team members learn? (List at least 2)
Sent on: Feb 12, 2019 by: Keith Evans		 0
Message "There is no I in TEAM."
"There is no I in TEAM." What is meant by this phrase?
Sent on: Feb 12, 2019 by: Keith Evans		 0
Message "Teamwork is part of their lives."
"Teamwork is part of their lives." How does being a part of a team also help in other aspects of school?
Sent on: Feb 12, 2019 by: Keith Evans		 0
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (30 points)
Instructions: In 1-2 paragraphs describe what being a part of a team means to you. How does being part of team affect other parts of life?
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2,
 
     

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