It Might Not Be a Matter of Life Or Death, but Does Soccer Really Explain the World?1

Social Education 81(4), pp. 234–238 ©2017 National Council for the Social Studies Teaching Social Studies with Sports It Might Not be a Matter of Life or Death, But Does Soccer Really Explain the World?1 Emma S. Thacker, David Hicks, and Adam M. Friedman Whether it is called football, fútbol, footy, or soccer, it is little secret that “the ticket could be found for £11 ($19.75 beautiful game” has been and continues to be immensely popular throughout the in 1992 dollars). world. One billion people worldwide viewed the men’s 2014 World Cup final, In contrast, 22 years later to the day, according to estimates.2 Televised soccer has not been as popular in the United Tottenham played against Manchester States; however, an estimated 25.4 million people watched the women’s 2015 United. The increased diversity of World Cup final, in which the U.S. Women’s National Team sealed its third World players was apparent: though 20 of Cup championship. The 2015 final game was the most watched soccer match in the 22 players starting that match were U.S. television history, bettering the men’s 2014 World Cup game between USA European, 11 countries were represented, and Portugal, which had over 18 million viewers, as well as the final game of the and only 9 of the players were English. 2015 NBA playoffs, which had just over 23 million viewers.3 While soccer is a The Tottenham players wore shirts pastime, it is simultaneously a massive worldwide business that has undergone designed by Under Armour and spon- major transformation in the past quarter century, and offers a lens through which sored by AIA (a Pan Asian insurance to teach social studies in an authentic, inquiry-based manner. provider), while Manchester United players’ shirts were designed by Nike Soccer provides a context for learning The English Premier League and and advertised Chevrolet. All players history, economics, and geography. At Globalization: An Illustrative had their names on their shirts, the match the same time, soccer serves as a meta- Case was broadcast live around the world, and phor for global interconnectedness On December 28, 1992, about halfway ticket prices started at £25, going up to by studying who plays (both amateur through the inaugural season of the £81 ($41.25 to $133.65 in 2014 dollars). and professional), where they play, the English Premier League, Tottenham It is now commonplace for foreigners to teams they play for, the leagues and Hotspur and Nottingham Forest played view as well as attend Premier League international tournaments they play in, in London. Of the 22 starting players, matches, as evidenced by the multitude how individuals and corporations con- 18 were from England, with one from of supporters’ clubs around the world, tribute to and are impacted by the eco- Scotland, one Wales, and one Ireland; as well as a worker at their ‘ground’ (sta- nomics of soccer, who watches soccer, only one was not from Great Britain. dium) who noted that he has “spoken to and where and with whom they watch. The Tottenham players wore shirts that fans from North Carolina, New York, In this article, we provide an Inquiry were designed by Umbro and sponsored Florida, and other places.”5 Design Model (IDM) that is framed by by Holsten (a German beer company); This juxtaposition of two matches the compelling question: Does soccer the Nottingham Forest players’ uniform exemplifies the changes that have taken really explain the world?4 Prior to this, was also designed by Umbro and had place and is representative of soccer’s we provide an example of how soccer a Labatt’s (a Canadian beer company) globalization. This is apparent in the can be used with students to illustrate logo on it. Players only wore a number players themselves; in the highest level the concept of globalization. without their name and the match did of English soccer, the English Premier not have a live television broadcast; a League (EPL), the number of English Social Education 234 players was halved. Players’ names on in expert groups before coming back tracks provide corresponding resources shirts illustrate the growth of individual together to collaborate and share ideas student expert groups could use as they player brands as well as team brand. in base jigsaw groups. We developed work to complete a formative perfor- Uniform makers such as Umbro (an two “tracks” through which students mance task for supporting questions English company) and Under Armour could investigate the compelling ques- one, two, or three. For example, in the and Nike (American companies) along- tion. In this way, teachers have the option national track, as students compare and side shirt sponsors such as insurance to choose the track that is most relevant contrast the salaries of male and female companies from Asia and car makers for their students and course content or professional soccer players, they will from the United States reflect devel- combine the two tracks into one inquiry. be prompted to analyze the economic opments in international marketing as One track focuses on national interpre- inequality between the two groups. To various industries strive to reach an ever tations of soccer’s globalization; the other organize their emerging expert knowl- growing global audience. offers an international lens. Throughout edge about their assigned supporting Soccer Studies, we contend, can be the national track, students explore the question and prepare for reporting an engaging inquiry-based pathway to professional soccer leagues in the United back to their base group, students can learning social studies. The inquiry- States—Major League Soccer (MLS) and complete a graphic organizer such as an based sequences outlined in this article the National Women’s Soccer League adapted FRAME (See figure 1).10 follow the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) (NWSL). Throughout the international Each track builds to a suggested sum- format (developed in response to the track, students explore the international mative performance task, to be com- C3 Framework), which emphasizes the governing body of soccer, the Fédération pleted in the base jigsaw groups, which use of compelling and supporting ques- Internationale de Football Association represents the culmination of the inquiry tions and follows the C3 Inquiry Arc.6 (FIFA), and look at the English Premier through which students communicate Compelling questions are open-ended League (EPL) as a case study of one their argument about the compelling and require students to “apply disciplin- international league. Following the question. In the summative performance ary concepts” and use evidence to “con- IDM format, the inquiry is organized task, students share their expert note struct arguments and interpretations.”7 into three supporting questions. The two FRAMES as they collaborate to craft Supporting questions align with a compelling question to help students inves- Figure 1. Example of an expert notes FRAME tigate the compelling question as they move through an inquiry; they “focus on Does soccer really explain the world? descriptions, definitions and processes about which there is general agreement Expert Notes—Group# Key Topics 8 within the social studies disciplines.” Soccer Studies is about… Supporting questions have an answer, Exploring how soccer explains the world: Expert Group 1–Who plays soccer? and as students figure out those answers, they build their understanding and their Main idea from exploring resources argument about the compelling question as well. The Inquiry Arc is “a set of inter- locking and mutually reinforcing ideas” Essential details to support your main idea built from the four dimensions of the C3 Framework: (1) Developing questions and planning inquiries; (2) apply- ing disciplinary concepts and tools; (3) evaluating sources and using evidence; and (4) communicating conclusions and taking informed action.9 Soccer Studies and the C3 Inquiry Arc To explore the inquiry, “Does soccer really explain the world?” in a timely Signiﬁcance? (What’s important to understand and be ready to share?) manner, we envision a jigsaw method, in which students work to investigate one of the three supporting questions September 2 017 235 an argument for the compelling ques- can consider how these factors reflect range and types of industries that spon- tion. Finally, we envision a full class dis- national and/or global issues, such as sor teams over time. Students can also cussion and deliberation as base groups population patterns, economic inequal- evaluate women’s soccer and the continu- share their ideas and arguments for the ity, religious trends, and impacts of glo- ing gender inequalities in the World Cup, summative performance task. The class balization. In the national track, students in FIFA investment and leadership, as could create a final class FRAME, using will explore MLS and NWSL, taking well as in the NWSL. deliberation strategies to come to a con- note of the teams’ rosters, including the In supporting question 3, “How does sensus on how to answer the compelling nationality of the players, and comparing soccer shape and reflect our affiliations?,” question, or each individual student the roster rules for the two leagues. In students take a broader look at the socio- could create a final argument after hear- the international track, students look at cultural, political, and geographical ing ideas from each group. FIFA and its members (more countries implications of soccer and soccer teams. are members of FIFA than the United In Great Britain, for example, the seem- Initiating the Inquiry and Engaging Nations!) and also tape an in-depth ingly simple revelation of which team Students look at the players in the World Cup one supports can also indicate whether Prior to beginning an inquiry, IDM and where they play soccer. In addition, a person is Catholic or Protestant.

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