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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: Melissa Dison
Lesson Length: 1 hour 30 minutes
Keywords/Tags: The Football Team
Lesson Description: The purpose of this lesson is to engage students in a nonfiction reading activity about the purpose of a football team and how being on a team can develop a persons character. This lesson requires that students think critically and analytically, read methodically, and write purposefully. This lesson focuses on students reading a short passage and analyzing the passage. The students are then asked to identify the meaning of vocabulary words and their context within the text. Next, the students develop critical thinking skills by answering questions about the text. In conclusion, the students are asked to write a short essay in response to the text.
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.4.4: 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.RI.4.8: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
  • 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.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).
 
     
     
 
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 (20 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: Character | Tier: 3 | Points: 5
Q1 The text mentions that one of the "goals" of school football teams "is to build character..." What does the word "character" mean in this context?
A. A person in a novel or movie
B. A person considered to be funny
C. A persons reputation
D. A persons moral qualities *
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "character" in the same context as the author of "The Football Team"?
A. Allison's favorite character is Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter book series.
B. The bullies made a lot of personal attacks to damage Jennifer's character.
C. My mother always said that going to church develops character. *
D. Some character in the back row kept making jokes the entire movie!
Word/Phrase: Build | Tier: 2 | Points: 5
Q2 The text says that schools, "want to help students build good values." What does the word "build" mean in this sentence?
A. To make or construct.
B. To develop. *
C. A persons body size.
D. To increase in intensity.
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "build" in the same context as the author of "The Football Team?"
A. The teacher was trying to build their memorization skills for the upcoming test. *
B. Did you hear that they plan to build a new skyscraper downtown?
C. The movie producers planned to build suspense towards the middle of the film.
D. The woman described him as having brown hair, blue eyes, and an athletic build.
Word/Phrase: Sportsmanship | Tier: 3 | Points: 5
Q3 The author states that the act of congratulating the opposing football team "is called sportsmanship". What does the word "sportsmanship" mean in this sentence?
A. A type of boat.
B. A type of tackle used in tackle football.
C. The type of attitude that is appropriate for athletes to have. *
D. A type of hip injury.
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "Sportsmanship" in the same context as the author of "The Football Team"?
A. His sportsmanship injury kept him from playing for 6 weeks.
B. The sportsmanship sails swiftly, reaching speeds of 80 miles per hour.
C. The sportsmanship is a very powerful move.
D. The fans do not like him because he does not show very good sportsmanship while he plays. *
Word/Phrase: Values | Tier: 2 | Points: 5
Q4 The text mentions that "character is what a person values..." What does the word "value" mean in this sentence?
A. A principle or standard that is considered important or desirable. *
B. A number.
C. The worth of an object.
D. A fair price.
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "values" in the same context as the author of "The Football Team"?
A. The value in the tenths place is 3.
B. That gold watch is of high value.
C. No one can deny the value of a good education. *
D. The store advertises some great values.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.6,
 
     
     
 
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 response and two peer responses for each question. Each question is recommended to be worth 10 points each for a total of 30 points.
  Topic Title Replies
Message Team Goals (10 pts.)
The author states that football teams have two goals: 1) to win, and 2) to build character. After reading this passage, which goal do you think the author finds more important and why? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer. 

 


Sent on: Feb 25, 2016 by: Melissa Dison		 0
Message Character Traits (10 pts.)
The author states that having experience on a football team can help a person develop certain character traits. Use the text to identify at least 3 character traits that the author claims are developed through being a teammate (I was able to identify 6 traits). Use text evidence to support your identifications. 

 

 


Sent on: Feb 25, 2016 by: Melissa Dison		 0
Message No "I" in "TEAM" (10 pts.)
The author states that, "there is no "I" in "TEAM"." Why does author include this phrase, and what point is the author trying to make by including this phrase? Use text evidence to support your answer.

 

 

 


Sent on: Feb 25, 2016 by: Melissa Dison		 0
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.8, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (50 points)
Instructions: Write and post a 500 word essay describing a situation in your life that helped build your character. Use the vocabulary words from the text in your essay (with the exception of the word "sportsmanship" if it does not apply). Make sure to provide at least one specific example of how this situation built your character. Relate your example to the author's example. Provide text evidence to show how your example relates to the example provided by "The Football Team".
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.4,
 
     

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