Week 11 - Football The Beautiful Game

Read - Football the Beautiful Game.  Answers the below questions in your reading book using full sentences.

Literal Questions

These questions check if students can find information directly stated in the text.

1. Who wrote the book My Life and the Beautiful Game, which gave football its famous nickname?

2. Where and when did the rules for the game we call football officially begin?

3. Why did New Zealand’s national football competition stop in 1992?

4. What is the name of New Zealand’s only professional club side, and who gave the NZFA the Chatham Cup?

Inferential Questions

These questions require students to "read between the lines" and connect clues from the text with what they already know.

1. The text states that the All Whites didn't make it past the first round in the 2010 World Cup, yet it calls them "the only unbeaten team in the competition." How is it possible to be unbeaten but still get knocked out early?

2. Look at the section about the Wellington Phoenix. Why is having just one professional club side a challenge for growing the sport of football within New Zealand?

3. Annalie Longo debuted for the Football Ferns at just 15 years old. What does this tell you about her skill level and commitment compared to typical teenagers?

Critical Thinking Questions

These questions ask students to evaluate ideas, form opinions, and connect the text to the real world.

1. Many parents choose football for their children because they believe it has fewer injuries than contact sports like rugby. Do you think safety should be the main reason someone chooses a sport to play? Why or why not?

2. The author mentions that "football-mad countries often come to a stop" when the World Cup is on. Why do you think sports have the unique power to bring whole countries together (or pause them entirely) in a way that other hobbies don't?

3. The Football Ferns qualified for the World Cup more times than the All Whites (as of the writing of this article). If a women's team is more successful internationally, do you think they should get more funding and media attention than the men's team? Explain your reasoning.

Create:The 30-Second Radio Commentator

• The Task: Watch the video (below) on mute. With a partner make up the commentary and write a script. Perform this on a Google Vid. Watch the original with volume - how close did you get?

• Resources Needed: Reading books to write out your script, chromebook to record the Google vid.

• How to do it in 15 minutes:

  • Write (7 mins): Work with a partner to write action-packed sentences..

  • Practice (5 mins): Read it aloud to each other, practicing their best excited sports-commentator voice.

  • Perform (3 mins): Pair up with another duo and take turns performing their 30-second clip for each other.

Groups