Super Bowl Monday: How to Merge Football and Learning

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL). Hosted in a different city each year, the winner of the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC) duke it out during the Super Bowl to determine who takes the championship. 

The Super Bowl is a widely celebrated event in American families and culture — why not use it as a central theme for content during the month of the Super Bowl? 

Hone Research and Fact-Checking Skills

Before, during, and after the Super Bowl, news and media outlets are responsible for communicating information to a variety of audiences. It’s important to check the facts and do the research ahead of time in order to write a good script. Because the Super Bowl is such a large event, students will likely be inundated with possible resources they can use to gather background information. Use this as an opportunity to teach students how to fact-check. To help students check their facts, check out ISTE’s list of 10 fact-checking websites for students. 

Study Simple Geography 

This year, the Super Bowl will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Encourage students to take the time to learn more about Tampa and the Tampa Bay area, and map its resources, amenities, and more. Use Google Earth to visit, explore, and learn about this city. 

Apply Practical Skills

Have your students apply practical skills by creating an itinerary for a trip to the Super Bowl using a defined budget (or different trip budgets for different teams), including putting together inspiration boards, identifying the necessities, price-comparison shopping, and planning fun activities. How will they get there? Where will they eat? What do they need to pack?

Grasp Math and Science Concepts

How does the world of physics affect football (and NASA)? Explore the science of the sport to help your students use football to grasp simple physics concepts. This online football-themed math game is a useful tool for students to practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication skills. What’s more, geometry can be found in the game of football. Think about the angles in the game — from a pass to a kick, even plays and coaching decisions require math. And, what about statistics? Check out this Khan Academy lesson that uses content provided by the 49ers Museum Education Program.

Educators are always determined to make their content relevant and timely. Use the Super Bowl as an overarching umbrella for your lessons this winter. And you don’t have to stop at the Super Bowl. The Summer Olympic Games that were set for Tokyo in 2020 were postponed to July 2021. All the more opportunity to connect classroom conversations!