World Sports Maps

Overview

Students will learn that different places in the world have popular sports, then describe connections among places using informational reading strategies. They will write a short informative sentence set using facts from a teacher-provided mini source.

Learning intentions

• Students will be able to identify a sport played in one of these places: Egypt, Costa Rica, China, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, and Samoa.
• Students will be able to describe information from a text by stating key facts (place and sport).
• Students will be able to explain a connection between two places using words like because and also.
• Students will be able to write an informative paragraph with a topic sentence and concluding statement.

Success criteria

• I can name at least two places from the list and the sports associated with them.
• I can say a fact from the text using complete sentences.
• I can describe how two places are connected (sports are similar or different).
• I can write an informative paragraph that starts with a topic sentence, includes facts, and ends with a closing sentence.

Curriculum links

• Reading: Informational Text — describe the connection between ideas or concepts in a text (RI.2.3).
• Reading: Informational Text — read and comprehend informational text with scaffolding in the appropriate complexity band (RI.2.10).
• Writing — write informative/explanatory text with a topic, facts/definitions, and a concluding statement (W.2.2).
• Writing — organize writing clearly using facts accurately (W.2.2, CCRA anchor alignment).

Lesson structure (20 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Hook (Show & Predict). Teacher shows a world map and 6 picture cards labeled with Egypt, Costa Rica, China, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, and Samoa, plus a few sport icons. Students make a quick prediction: “Which sport icon do you think matches each place?” (turn-and-talk, one share).

2. 3–8 min · Direct teach (Mini informational read). Teacher displays a short, teacher-made informational text (2–3 short paragraphs or a one-page graphic text) with “Place — sport.” Students follow along and underline or point to the place and the sport in each section.

3. 8–12 min · Guided practice (Find facts). Teacher uses a chart with two columns: Place and Sport. Students work in pairs to complete 6 rows by rereading the text and checking each row out loud to a partner. Teacher circulates and prompts: “What is the fact? What is the place?”

4. 12–15 min · Connection talk (Compare and connect). Teacher models one example sentence: “China and Nigeria both have popular team sports, so their games can be similar, even though the places are far apart.” Students choose two places and tell a partner one connection using a sentence frame:

• “___ and ___ are connected because ___.”
• “They are also the same/different because ___.”

5. 15–19 min · Writing (Informative paragraph). Teacher explains and posts a simple structure:

• Topic sentence: “In this text, I learned about popular sports in ___.”
• Facts: 2–3 sentences naming place + sport.
• Concluding sentence: “This shows that sports are important in many places.” Students write independently using sentence starters and a word bank (place names, because, also, same, different).

6. 19–20 min · Exit ticket (Quick check). Students write one final sentence on a sticky note: “One place I learned about is ___, and the sport is ___.” Teacher collects.

Resources

• World map (paper or digital) with the 6 locations marked
• Picture cards for each place (Egypt, Costa Rica, China, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Samoa)
• Sport icon cards (team sport and individual sport options)
• Teacher-made informational text (short, grade-appropriate; place + sport)
• Place/Sport chart on the board
• Writing paper or lined sentence writing sheets with frames
• Pencil, colored pencils for highlighting place and sport in the text

Assessment

• Teacher observation during pair chart completion: correct matching of place to sport
• Listening check during connection talk: student uses a complete sentence with because/also
• Exit ticket sentence: place and sport stated accurately in one complete sentence

Differentiation

• Support: Provide a filled-in example model on the board; give sentence frames and a word bank of place names and connector words (because, also).
• Support: Offer a read-aloud of the informational text and a second smaller version for students who need reduced text.
• Extension: Challenge students to add a third sentence in their writing that explains whether the two sports are similar or different and why they think so.
• EAL/SEN: Allow oral rehearsal before writing; use picture cards to reduce language load; confirm understanding of place names by pointing to them on the map.