With the upcoming sporting event captivating the interest of the nation, why not use that enthusiasm to inspire learning?

The Super Bowl is filled with statistics, history, and opportunity.

When looking at this sporting event through the eyes of a teacher, one might see first the opportunity to have students plan a trip to the event. This requires finding flights, accommodations, transfers between the events, purchasing tickets, finding other things to do around the city, along with figuring out expenses. How much would it cost to take two people to the Super Bowl? To take this activity even further students could log the information into a spread sheet.

Geographically speaking, the Super Bowl has travelled throughout the United States. Students can find the locations of all the Super Bowls and then put that information onto a map of the United States.

Evaluating the history of the entertainment for the National Anthem and the half-time show is another activity. Why were these people selected? What types of groups performed? What was happening in the country at that time?

The tickets to the Super Bowl are also reflective of the location. Looking at tickets from the past is interesting. Thinking about what a ticket would look like if your city was hosting the Super Bowl is another activity. What aspects of your city are highlights that would warrant being a part of the design of the ticket?

Evaluating the data of the team members provided on the team rosters is another activity worth exploring. Are there any team members that came from colleges in your state? How do the two teams compare based on the information on the rosters?

Statistics are readily available through the National Football League. If you review the statistics of all of the teams throughout the season, did the very best teams make it to the Super Bowl, or are there other teams with betters stats?

Create your own playoff series, and gather and evaluate statistics by having your own “football” games. Fold the piece of paper, make footballs, and then flick them across the table to hold tabletop football games. Gather data and evaluate.

The learning opportunities that come from seemingly celebrating a national sporting event can inspire students to enthusiastically learn new skills while creating engaged minds!