Use these differentiated questions as essay or debate topics too.
Football is the United States’s favorite sport – and at times, its most contentious. Each week of the season presents new evidence for why one team might win over another. Between games we’re immersed with commentaries and replays that argue why one player made their move or what call should have been made instead.
The information is constant, and the questions are endless. It’s not just, “Who will win the Heisman? The Super Bowl?” but also, “Is football too dangerous for young people to play?” and “Should college players unionize?”
Use these argumentative writing prompts as the quarterback sneak your students aren’t expecting. By focusing on a topic students care about, they’ll be on the edge of their seats debating in no time.
Grades 3-5
- Which are better sports: individual or team? Pair with lesson >>
- What generalizations can you make about how a change in rules affects scoring patterns in the NFL? Pair with lesson >>
Grades 6-8
- How does changing where NFL teams kick off from affect returns? Pair with lesson >>
- Are the “life lessons” gained from losing in team sports lessons that kids can’t learn anywhere else? Pair with lesson >>
- Should college athletes be paid? Pair with lesson >>
Grades 9-10
- Is football too dangerous for young people to play? Pair with lesson >>
- What are the causes and effects of the concussion crisis in football? Pair with lesson >>
Grades 11-12
- Do the football players and coaches featured in this article correctly apply the laws of physics to the game of football? Pair with lesson >>
- What role do college athletes have in shaping social consciousness? Pair with lesson >>
- Does the use of face-recognition software at football games violate the Fourth Amendment? Pair with lesson >>
Mallory Busch is ThinkCERCA's Editor of Content Strategy. A graduate of Northwestern University, Mallory came to ThinkCERCA from stops in audience strategy at TIME magazine and news applications development at Chicago Tribune and The Texas Tribune. She holds degrees in Journalism and International Studies, and was a student fellow at Knight Lab in college.