Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Football

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The objectives stage is crucial for establishing a clear basis of what is expected for students to learn and develop during the lesson. By defining specific objectives, the lesson plan guides both the teacher and students on the goals to be achieved, ensuring that the content reviewed at home is effectively applied and consolidated in class. This stage also serves to motivate students, showing the practical and cultural relevance of football, a sport that transcends borders and generates passions worldwide.

Main Objectives:

1. Ensure that students understand and can explain the fundamental rules of football.

2. Explore the characteristics, history, and development of football as a global sport.

3. Familiarize students with the main club and international tournaments, highlighting their importance and interesting facts.

Side Objectives:

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students and activate the knowledge they have previously acquired about football. The problem situations encourage the practical application of the rules and strategies of the sport, preparing students for more in-depth discussions and activities. The contextualization, in turn, links football content to real events and interesting facts, increasing students’ interest and demonstrating the relevance of studying football across various aspects of life.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are watching a football match and the referee calls a penalty. What is needed for this decision to be correct within the rules of the sport?

2. Think of two classic football teams, like Barcelona and Real Madrid. What are the differences in their game strategies and how can these strategies be influenced by the rules of football?

Contextualization

Football is more than a sport; it is a global cultural phenomenon. From the first rules established in 1863 in England to the modern video assistant referee systems, football has evolved not just as a game but as a narrative that reflects social, political, and economic aspects of different societies. For example, the World Cup, which started in 1930, is the most-watched sporting event in the world, surpassing even the Olympics. This context helps to understand why football is so ingrained in the culture of many countries.

Development

Duration: (65 - 75 minutes)

The development stage is designed to allow students to apply and deepen the knowledge acquired about football in a practical and interactive way. Through the proposed activities, students will have the opportunity to work in teams, think critically, and express creatively what they have learned about the rules, history, and cultural impact of football. Each activity is structured to be challenging and engaging, ensuring that students can explore the theme in a playful and educational manner.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Football Knowledge Cup

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: To review and deepen students' knowledge about the history, rules, players, and interesting facts of football in a competitive and fun way.

- Description: In this activity, students will be divided into groups of up to 5 people to participate in a quiz tournament about football. Each group will receive a set of cards with questions from different categories, such as 'History of Football', 'Great Players', 'Tactics and Strategies', among others. The objective is to accumulate points by answering questions correctly, and at the end, the group with the most points will be declared the winner of the 'Football Knowledge Cup'.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute the question cards, ensuring each group has access to all categories.

• Set a time limit for each round of questions (for example, 2 minutes per question).

• Each group picks a card and answers the question. If correct, they earn points; if wrong, the question passes to the next group.

• Continue the game in rounds until all cards are used.

• Add up the points at the end and declare the group with the most points as the winner.

Activity 2 - Building the Perfect Team

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: To develop analytical and decision-making skills, as well as promote teamwork and critical argumentation.

- Description: Students, organized in groups, will be tasked with forming the 'Perfect Team' based on criteria such as technical skills, tactics, and player personalities. Each group will have a fictional budget and must choose players from different eras and nationalities to fill specific positions in a football team, justifying their choices based on the established criteria.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Provide each group with a fictional budget and a list of positions to be filled (e.g., goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, forward).

• Groups must quickly research players, considering their skills, tactics, and personalities.

• Each group must choose players that best fit the positions and budget, justifying their choices.

• Present each group's 'Perfect Team' to the class, discussing the justifications and choices made.

• Vote to decide which group formed the best team, considering the justifications and fit of the pieces.

Activity 3 - Drama of a Classic Match

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: To explore the history of football in a creative and engaging manner, promoting research and artistic expression among students.

- Description: In this activity, each group of students will stage a historical moment from a classic football match, such as the World Cup final in 1958 between Brazil and Sweden. Groups will research the game, its circumstances, and the characters involved to create a theatrical representation that reflects the intensity and importance of the moment.

- Instructions:

• Organize students into groups of up to 5 people.

• Assign each group a classic football match for research and staging.

• Groups quickly research the game, including historical context, players involved, and the decisive moment they must reenact.

• Each group prepares a small theatrical piece representing the moment of the game, focusing on the emotion and impact of the event.

• Each group presents its piece to the class, followed by a brief discussion on what they learned from the research and staging.

• Vote to decide which representation was most faithful and moving.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to allow students to articulate the knowledge acquired and share insights with their peers. Group discussion helps to consolidate learning, allowing students to see different perspectives and approaches on the same theme. Additionally, it offers the teacher the opportunity to assess students' understanding and clarify any remaining doubts, ensuring that learning objectives have been effectively achieved.

Group Discussion

To start the group discussion, the teacher should ask each group to share their experiences and learnings from the activities conducted. It is suggested that the teacher begins with a general question for all groups, such as 'What were the biggest challenges you faced in building the Perfect Team and how did you overcome them?' Then, the teacher can proceed to more specific questions according to the students' answers to deepen the reflection and understanding of football and its nuances.

Key Questions

1. What are the main lessons you took from the activities about the importance of rules in football?

2. How do history and major events in football help to better understand the sport and its global influence?

3. In what ways can today's activities be applied in your daily life or in other areas of study?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The aim of the conclusion is to consolidate learning, reinforcing the integration between theory and practice and summarizing the key points discussed and explored during the lesson. This stage also serves to emphasize the relevance of football as a cultural and sporting phenomenon, preparing students to apply the knowledge acquired in real-life situations and appreciate learning in broader contexts.

Summary

To conclude, the teacher should summarize the main points covered about football, including the fundamental rules, the history of the sport, major events and tournaments, and the practical activities conducted. It is essential to reinforce the knowledge consolidated by the students during the lesson, ensuring a clear and comprehensive understanding.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, the connection between theory and practice was established through interactive activities that allowed students to apply the theoretical concepts studied at home. Activities such as the 'Football Knowledge Cup' and 'Building the Perfect Team' not only reinforced learning of the rules and strategies of football but also demonstrated how these theoretical aspects manifest in practice and the culture of the sport.

Closing

Finally, it is crucial to highlight the importance of football not only as a sport but as a cultural and social phenomenon that unites people around the world. Understanding these dimensions helps students appreciate the diversity of perspectives and the applicability of knowledge in different contexts, both on and off the field.