learn, play,score! - Young Minds Inspired

LEARN, PLAY, SCORE!
Dear Educator:
This year, make math your students’ favorite subject with this free educational program from the NFL.
Based on the NFL’s free online fantasy football game just for kids, NFLRUSH Fantasy — Learn,
Play, Score! is a semester-long learning adventure that challenges students to use math and critical
thinking skills to choose their ultimate fantasy team each week at the official NFL fantasy football
website for kids, NFLRUSH.com/Fantasy.
Throughout the semester, students use standards-based classroom activities developed by the
curriculum specialists at Young Minds Inspired (YMI) to chart, graph, and compare player statistics,
calculate scores, and discover how math can help with real-life decision making. In addition, students
build computer skills as they visit the NFLRUSH Fantasy website each week to gather data, update
their fantasy team roster, and check for news from the NFL.
We encourage you to share this program with other teachers grades 3-4 at your school. The program
materials are copyrighted, but you have permission to reproduce all components of the program for
educational purposes.
Please let us know your opinion of NFLRUSH Fantasy — Learn, Play, Score! by returning
the enclosed reply card, or by responding through our feedback form at ymiclassroom.com/
nflrushfantasy. And be sure to check your email in the coming months for additional classroom
activities that will keep your students eager for math class throughout the NFL season.
You will see what a “RUSH” it can be when math and NFL football join forces!
Sincerely,
Dr. Dominic Kinsley
Editor in Chief
Young Minds Inspired
SIGN-UP TODAY FOR FREE AT NFLRUSH.COM/FANTASY
LEARN, PLAY, SCORE!
TARGET AUDIENCE
Designed to supplement the math curriculum for grades 3-4. Visit
ymiclassroom.com/nflrushfantasy to review the program’s alignment with
Common Core standards for math.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
• To channel student enthusiasm for the NFL toward standards-based
educational goals.
• To engage students in highly motivational learning activities that reinforce
critical thinking and math skills.
• To provide teachers with an innovative supplement to the math curriculum
that will spark fresh excitement every week.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
• This poster guide, which includes a one-page teacher’s guide, three
reproducible activity sheets, a reproducible letter for parents, and a
classroom wall poster.
• Two additional activity sheets and a football “primer” available online at
ymiclassroom.com/nflrushfantasy.
• Monthly email alerts and new activity sheets throughout the NFL season.
HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM COMPONENTS
1.Photocopy the teacher’s guide, activity sheets, and take-home letter before
displaying the poster in your classroom.
2.Download the additional activity sheets and football “primer” at
ymiclassroom.com/nflrushfantasy.
3.Make additional sets of all these reproducible components to share with
other teachers in your school.
4.Schedule the activities as part of your class plans for the start of the fall
semester.
5.Work with your school’s technology coordinator to provide students with
Internet access to NFLRUSH.com/Fantasy for each activity.
6.Check your email every month for new student activities to make NFLRUSH
Fantasy part of your math curriculum throughout the fall semester.
HOW TO USE THE NFLRUSH FANTASY WEBSITE
1.Sign up for free at NFLRUSH.com/Fantasy to access player statistics and
other information used in the learning activities.
2.Send home the parent letter to have students sign up at home. Students can
also sign up in class, or as a group activity.
3.Remind students to select TEACHER from the drop-down menu when they
sign up, to identify your class as part of this program.
4.Encourage students to visit NFLRUSH.com/Fantasy frequently each week
to evaluate their fantasy team roster and set their fantasy roster.
Activity One • Know the Score
In this activity, students use the NFLRUSH Fantasy scoring chart to solve
football ‘word problems’ by calculating how many points the players involved
in each play would score. Then have students research actual performance
statistics for these players and debate which ones they would pick for their
fantasy team roster. Extend this activity by having students challenge each
other with football word problems they create on their own.
Answers: 1. Manning: 6 points; Thomas: 11 points. 2. Charles: 0 points;
Smith: 0 points. 3. Brees: 2 points; Graham: 5 points; Thomas: 1 point.
4. Newton: 0 points; Olsen: 5 points; Williams: 2 points; Cotchery: 0 points.
5. Bryant: 11 points; Romo: 6 points; Murray: 1 point.
Activity Two • Gaining Yardage
In this activity, students use graphing to investigate what proportion of
a player’s NFLRUSH Fantasy points are earned by gaining yardage. Have
students log in to NFLRUSH.com/Fantasy and use the Add or Edit buttons
on their roster page to access statistics for the players named in the activity.
Students record the passing/receiving and rushing yards for each player,
determine total yardage, and use the scoring chart to convert total yardage into
NFLRUSH Fantasy points. Students then draw bar graphs to represent these
yardage points, after determining an appropriate scale for their graphs. Finally,
students look up and graph the total points for these players and use this
comparative data to discuss how much yardage matters when picking a player
for these positions.
Answers: Player statistics will vary depending on when you use this activity.
Based on 2013 statistics for the players named in the activity, a quarterback
earns approximately 68% of total points by gaining yardage, a running back
82%, a wide receiver 82%, and a tight end 85%.
Activity Three • Check Your Roster
This activity guides students through the NFLRUSH Fantasy roster selection
process. Students first log in to NFLRUSH.com/Fantasy to research players
included in this activity and record their statistics on their sheet. Finally,
students choose a Wild Card player, and record his statistics in a table that
they create on the back of the activity sheet. When they have completed their
picks, have students make a class presentation explaining how math helped
them make their choices.
Note: Use this activity to have student teams compete against one another
for the most NFLRUSH Fantasy points each week. You might also have
classrooms compete at your school, adding up total points for all student
teams in each class and rewarding the winning class with a party at the end
of the NFL season.
Online Activities
Visit www.ymiclassroom.com/nflrushfantasy to download additional
learning activities. And watch for your NFLRUSH Fantasy email alert each
month to download new activity sheets throughout the NFL season. For
questions, contact YMI at 800-859-8005 or [email protected].
SIGN-UP TODAY FOR FREE AT NFLRUSH.COM/FANTASY