📚

Created byKara Omesol

4 views2 downloads

Gridiron GMs: Scoring with Math and City Research

Grade 2EnglishMath30 days

In this interdisciplinary project, students step into the role of NFL General Managers to manage a professional football franchise through math and research. Students apply mathematical concepts such as elapsed time, fractions, and multi-step word problems to coordinate team schedules, evaluate player performance, and manage roster logistics. The experience culminates in the creation of a professional "Fan Guide," where students use city research and text features to write an expository report introducing their team and city to the public.

General ManagerSports AnalyticsExpository WritingApplied MathematicsText FeaturesData InterpretationElapsed Time

Want to create your own PBL Recipe?Use our AI-powered tools to design engaging project-based learning experiences for your students.

📝

Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we, as NFL General Managers, use math and research to build a championship-ready team and create an official fan guide for our home city?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.

How can we use math to predict a player's success and manage our team's schedule effectively?
How do ratios and percentages help us compare the performance of different players on our roster?
How can we use maps, graphs, and other text features to learn about the geography and culture of our team's home city?
How do we use addition, subtraction, and multiplication to solve the daily challenges of being a General Manager?
How can we write an informative report that introduces our team and city to our fans using facts and evidence?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:

Calculate practice and game-day schedules by determining end times when given start times and elapsed durations in whole hours and minutes.
Analyze and represent offensive player performance by converting simple rational numbers into fractions or percentages to compare statistics.
Solve one- and two-step real-world word problems related to team management (e.g., roster counts, stadium seating) using addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
Interpret information about an NFL team's home city using text features such as maps, graphs, and illustrations to support geographical and cultural research.
Write a structured expository fan guide that introduces an NFL team and its city using facts, evidence from research, and a clear introductory section.

Florida B.E.S.T. Standards (Access Points)

MA.3.M.2.AP.2

Primary

Solve for end time in one-step real-world problems when given start time and elapsed time in whole hours or minutes within the hour.Reason: This standard is directly used when students manage the 'General Manager' schedule, calculating when practices or games end based on provided durations.

MA.6.NSO.3.AP.5

Primary

Rewrite a positive rational number 3 or less, as a fraction, decimal or a percent.Reason: Students apply this when calculating player statistics (like completion rates or touchdown ratios) to evaluate offensive performance.

MA.5.AR.1.AP.1

Primary

Solve one- and two-step real-world problems involving any combination of the four operations with whole numbers. Explore problems in which remainders must be interpreted within the context.Reason: This forms the mathematical backbone of team operations, from managing roster spots to calculating ticket costs or equipment needs.

ELA.2.R.2.AP.1

Primary

Show how text features—including titles, headings, graphs, maps and/or illustrations—contribute to the meaning of texts.Reason: Students must use maps and graphs of their team's city and stadium to gather the data needed for their fan guide.

ELA.2.F.1.AP.4

Primary

Write an expository text about a topic, using a source, providing an introduction and facts.Reason: This is the summative writing task where students synthesize their research into an official fan guide for their team.

Florida B.E.S.T. Standards

ELA.2.R.2.2

Supporting

Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.Reason: This standard supports the research phase as students read about their NFL city and organize their fan guide into logical sections.

MA.2.AR.1.1

Supporting

Solve one- and two-step addition and subtraction real-world problems.Reason: This provides the foundational grade-level context for the more advanced multi-step word problems involving team management.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The Commissioner's Locked Briefcase

A mysterious, locked briefcase arrives in the classroom addressed to 'The New General Managers.' Inside, students find a 'glitched' scouting report where player stats are written in confusing fractions and decimals, along with a ticking digital clock showing a countdown to the NFL Draft. Students must decode the player data and calculate the exact time they need to be on stage to save the team's season.

The Social Media Sabotage

The team’s social media manager has 'lost' the team's digital files, and a rival team has replaced their website with confusing, unlabeled maps and graphs of their home city. Students are tasked with using text features to reclaim the team’s identity and write an emergency 'City Profile' blog post to help fans find the stadium. They must solve word problems to figure out how many fans can fit in the remaining seats after a 'ticket glitch.'

Race to Kickoff: The Transport Tangle

The team bus is stuck in traffic, and the game starts soon! Students receive a 'Live Traffic Map' and a series of flight/bus schedules where they must calculate elapsed time to see if their star Quarterback, Wide Receiver, and Running Back will arrive before kickoff. This high-stakes simulation requires them to solve multi-step problems to coordinate the team's arrival while exploring the landmarks of their team's city.

The Scouting Lab: Decoding Greatness

Students enter a 'Scouting Lab' where they are presented with a 'Player Value' chart using percentages and ratios to describe player success (e.g., catching 3 out of 4 passes). They discover that several star players have identical stats on paper, and they must use their math skills to determine which 'fraction' of a player's performance is actually the most valuable. They will then write a formal 'GM Recommendation' explaining their choice using facts from the data.

📚

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.

Activity 1

The NFL City Recon Mission

In this introductory activity, students begin their journey as General Managers by researching the city where their NFL team is based. They will examine a 'City Dossier' filled with maps of the stadium area, graphs of local weather, and illustrations of famous landmarks. The goal is to identify how these text features help them understand the environment where their team will play.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Select your NFL team and receive the 'City Dossier' containing various text features about the team's home city.

2. Use a highlighter to identify titles and headings that tell you what each page is about.

3. Analyze the city map to find the stadium and two nearby landmarks. Circle them and explain how the map helps you find them.

4. Look at a bar graph showing average attendance or city temperature and write down one fact you learned from the data.

5. Create your 'City Snapshot' poster by arranging these features and writing a 'GM Note' for each one, explaining why it is important for the fans to see.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'City Snapshot' poster featuring at least three different text features (a labeled map, a weather graph, and a captioned illustration) with notes explaining what information each feature provides.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with ELA.2.R.2.AP.1: Show how text features—including titles, headings, graphs, maps and/or illustrations—contribute to the meaning of texts.

Activity 2

Roster Mathematics: The GM's Calculator

Now that the city is scouted, the GM must manage the roster and equipment. Students will solve word problems related to team logistics, such as distributing 24 jerseys among 3 position groups or determining how many buses are needed if 50 players must travel and each bus holds 20 people (interpreting the remainder).

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Receive the 'Training Camp Inventory' list which includes player counts, jersey numbers, and equipment totals.

2. Solve a 2-step problem: 'If the team has 40 helmets and orders 15 more, but 5 are the wrong size, how many total helmets are ready for use?'

3. Solve a 'Remainder Challenge': 'We have 25 footballs to put into bags that hold 6 balls each. How many bags do we need so no balls are left on the ground?'

4. Calculate the total number of seats needed for a specific position group using multiplication or repeated addition.

5. Double-check your 'Logistics Report' and present your final roster counts to the 'Team Owner' (the teacher).

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Team Logistics Report' showing the step-by-step math work for five different roster and equipment challenges.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with MA.5.AR.1.AP.1: Solve one- and two-step real-world problems involving any combination of the four operations with whole numbers. Explore problems in which remainders must be interpreted within the context.

Activity 3

The Stat Scouter’s Performance Lab

To build a championship team, the GM needs to understand player performance. Students will look at scouting reports showing 'catches made vs. targets' (e.g., 3 out of 4). They will learn to represent these 'success rates' as fractions and simple percentages (like 50% or 100%) to decide which players to start.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Review the 'Draft Day Scouting Report' which lists how many successful plays a player made out of their total attempts.

2. Write the success rate as a fraction (e.g., if a Quarterback completes 2 out of 4 passes, write 2/4).

3. Use a 'Stat Decoder' tool (visual models) to convert that fraction into a percentage or a simple decimal (e.g., 2/4 is 50%).

4. Compare two players' stats to determine who is more efficient. Write a sentence explaining your choice based on the numbers.

5. Design the 'Pro-Player Stat Card' with the player's name, position, and their calculated stats.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Pro-Player Stat Card' for three different offensive players, featuring their stats written as a fraction and an equivalent percentage or decimal.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with MA.6.NSO.3.AP.5: Rewrite a positive rational number 3 or less, as a fraction, decimal or a percent.

Activity 4

Race to Kickoff: The Master Schedule

It's game day! The GM is responsible for the team's schedule. Students must calculate the end times for various events like warm-ups, team meetings, and kickoff. If the team meeting starts at 1:00 PM and lasts 45 minutes, what time does it end? This ensures the team is never late to the field.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Receive the 'Game-Day Task List' with several start times and durations (e.g., Warm-ups: 10:00 AM, lasts 30 minutes).

2. Use a physical or digital clock model to count forward from the start time by the given duration.

3. Solve for the 'Kickoff Countdown': 'The bus leaves at 11:15 AM and the drive takes 40 minutes. What time do we arrive at the stadium?'

4. Calculate the end time for the post-game press conference and the team flight home.

5. Transfer all calculated times onto the 'Official Game-Day Itinerary' to be handed out to the players.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityAn 'Official Game-Day Itinerary' for the team, listing start times, durations, and calculated end times for the entire day.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with MA.3.M.2.AP.2: Solve for end time in one-step real-world problems when given start time and elapsed time in whole hours or minutes within the hour.

Activity 5

The Ultimate NFL GM Fan Guide

In the final activity, students synthesize everything they have learned into a professional fan guide. They will write an expository text that introduces their team and city, provides facts about the stadium location (from Activity 1), highlights star player stats (from Activity 3), and includes the game-day schedule (from Activity 4).

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Draft an introductory paragraph that welcomes fans to the city and introduces the NFL team.

2. Create a 'City Facts' section using the information gathered from maps and graphs in Activity 1.

3. Write a 'Meet the Stars' section, using the stats and percentages calculated in Activity 3 to explain why these players are great.

4. Include the 'Game-Day Schedule' from Activity 4 so fans know when to arrive.

5. Review your writing to ensure it uses facts from your research and includes a clear title and headings.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA multi-page 'Official NFL City & Team Fan Guide' featuring a clear introduction, factual sections on the city and players, and a concluding summary.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with ELA.2.F.1.AP.4: Write an expository text about a topic, using a source, providing an introduction and facts.

🏆

Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

NFL General Manager: Championship Season Portfolio Rubric

Category 1

Team Logistics & Operational Math (MA.5.AR.1.AP.1)

Measures the student's ability to manage team resources and logistics using the four operations and interpreting numerical outcomes.

Criterion 1

Operational Problem Solving & Logistics

Ability to solve one- and two-step real-world problems using addition, subtraction, and multiplication, including the interpretation of remainders in context (e.g., equipment bags or bus seating).

Exemplary

4 Points

(Independent) Solves complex multi-step problems with perfect accuracy. Interprets remainders with high sophistication, providing logical reasoning for why a number must be rounded up or down based on team needs.

Proficient

3 Points

(Independent) Accurately solves one- and two-step problems with minimal errors. Corrects interprets remainders within the context of the problem (e.g., correctly identifies the need for an extra bag or bus).

Developing

2 Points

(Minimal Support) Solves one-step problems correctly but struggles with the second step in multi-step problems. Shows emerging understanding of remainders but may not always apply them correctly to the context.

Beginning

1 Points

(Moderate to Full Support) Requires significant assistance to solve basic one-step problems. Struggles to identify which operation to use or how to handle remainders.

Category 2

Player Performance Analytics (MA.6.NSO.3.AP.5)

Focuses on the conversion of scouting data into actionable performance metrics to evaluate offensive players.

Criterion 1

Rational Number Conversions

Ability to represent player performance data by converting ratios (successes/attempts) into fractions and simple percentages or decimals.

Exemplary

4 Points

(Independent) Flawlessly converts all scouting data into fractions, decimals, and percentages. Provides insightful comparisons between players using numerical evidence to justify GM decisions.

Proficient

3 Points

(Independent) Correctly converts player stats into fractions and equivalent percentages or decimals for at least three players. Accurately identifies which player is more efficient based on data.

Developing

2 Points

(Minimal Support) Converts stats into fractions correctly but makes errors when translating to percentages or decimals. Comparisons between players are based on partial data.

Beginning

1 Points

(Moderate to Full Support) Struggles to write stats as fractions. Requires high levels of prompting to understand the relationship between a part and a whole in player performance.

Category 3

Game-Day Time Management (MA.3.M.2.AP.2)

Evaluates the student's ability to manage the 'Master Schedule' and ensure the team is ready for kickoff.

Criterion 1

Elapsed Time & Scheduling

Ability to determine end times for team events by calculating elapsed time in hours and minutes from a given start time.

Exemplary

4 Points

(Independent) Creates a complex, error-free itinerary including multiple events. Demonstrates advanced understanding by accurately calculating times across the noon/midnight boundary.

Proficient

3 Points

(Independent) Correctly calculates end times for all scheduled game-day events when given a start time and duration in minutes or hours. The itinerary is logical and functional.

Developing

2 Points

(Minimal Support) Calculates end times correctly for whole hours but struggles with adding minutes. May make errors when the duration pushes the time into a new hour.

Beginning

1 Points

(Moderate to Full Support) Requires assistance to move clock hands or use a digital model to represent time. Struggles to identify the difference between start time and duration.

Category 4

City Research & Informational Systems (ELA.2.R.2.AP.1)

Measures the student's ability to extract information from non-prose text elements to understand their team's environment.

Criterion 1

Text Feature Analysis

Ability to identify and explain how maps, graphs, and illustrations provide information about the team's home city and stadium.

Exemplary

4 Points

(Independent) Identifies all required features and provides deep analysis of how they interact (e.g., explaining how weather graphs might influence game-day decisions on the map).

Proficient

3 Points

(Independent) Clearly identifies titles, headings, maps, and graphs. Provides accurate 'GM Notes' for each feature explaining its factual contribution to the fan guide.

Developing

2 Points

(Minimal Support) Identifies basic text features like titles and maps but struggles to explain how a graph or illustration adds specific meaning to the text.

Beginning

1 Points

(Moderate to Full Support) Locates text features only with significant prompting. Cannot explain what information a map or graph is conveying.

Category 5

Official GM Fan Guide Synthesis (ELA.2.F.1.AP.4)

Focuses on the synthesis of all research and math into a final, professional Fan Guide for the public.

Criterion 1

Expository Writing Quality

Ability to write an organized expository text that includes an introduction, research-based facts, and a summary.

Exemplary

4 Points

(Independent) Writes a professional-grade fan guide with a compelling introduction, perfectly integrated math data as facts, and a clear, logical structure that guides the reader.

Proficient

3 Points

(Independent) Writes a complete fan guide with a clear introduction and at least three distinct factual sections (city, stats, schedule). Uses evidence from previous activities correctly.

Developing

2 Points

(Minimal Support) Includes an introduction and some facts, but the writing may lack organization or fail to integrate the math data gathered in earlier stages.

Beginning

1 Points

(Moderate to Full Support) Writing is incomplete or lacks a clear topic. Facts are missing or not based on the research provided in the 'City Dossier' or scouting reports.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning

Question 1

Now that you have completed your Fan Guide, how did using math (like calculating schedules and player stats) help you feel like a real NFL General Manager?

Text

Required

Question 2

Which text feature was the most helpful when you were researching your team's city for the Fan Guide?

Multiple choice

Required

Options

The maps of the city and stadium area.

The bar graphs showing weather or attendance.

The headings and titles in the City Dossier.

The illustrations and captions of landmarks.

Question 3

How confident do you feel now in solving 'GM challenges' that use addition, subtraction, and multiplication?

Scale

Required

Question 4

In the Roster Mathematics activity, you had to decide what to do with 'remainders' (like extra footballs or players). Why was it important to think about the 'leftovers' instead of just doing the math?

Text

Required

Question 5

When you were writing your 'Meet the Stars' section, how did using actual numbers and percentages make your writing more convincing for the fans?

Text

Optional