Contextualization

Welcome to the Physical Education project on American Football! This sport, which is one of the most watched and played in the United States, has a rich history and complex rules, being an interesting challenge for learning and practicing physical activities.

Introduction

American Football is a sport that emerged as a variation of Rugby, being formalized with its set of rules in 1876, at Harvard University. The NFL (National Football League), the main league of the sport, was founded in 1920 and has a great tradition and history.

Each team has 11 players on the field, with offense, defense and special teams groups that enter according to the game situation. The score is made through touchdowns (6 points), field goals (3 points), safeties (2 points) and conversions after touchdown (1 or 2 points).

To understand American Football, it is important to know not only the game itself, but also its history, its rules and strategies, and its cultural relevance. The project we propose will seek to relate these elements from practical and theoretical activities.

Contextualization

American Football has great cultural importance, especially in the USA, where it is more than a sport, it is a social event. The Super Bowl, the NFL final, is the event with the highest audience on American television, with more than 100 million viewers.

In Brazil, American Football has been growing exponentially, both in the number of athletes practicing and in the number of spectators. The broadcast of NFL games and the popularization of the practice of the sport help to strengthen the modality in the country.

To delve into the subject and carry out the project, we recommend the following resources:

1. Book "American Football: History, Rules and Curiosities" by Keith Jackson.
2. Videos from the YouTube channel "Escola de Futebol Americano".
3. ESPN Brasil website, American Football section, available at: https://www.espn.com.br/nfl/
4. Official NFL Brazil website, available at: https://www.nfl.com/pt-br/

Practical Activity: "Touchdown on Learning"

Objective

The objective of this activity is to increase students' understanding of American Football through the practical execution of the rules, game strategy, and team formation. In addition, students should research the history and evolution of American Football rules.

Project Description

Students will be divided into groups of 3 to 5 students and each group will be responsible for understanding and presenting a different aspect of American Football. The topics will be:

1. Rules and Scores
2. American Football History and Evolution
3. The NFL and Its Cultural Impact
4. American Football Strategy
5. Differences between American Football, Rugby and Traditional Football

In addition, the groups should organize an “American Football Day” where each group will explain their topic to the class, organizing short practical activities to help demonstrate key concepts.

Required Materials

• Internet access for research
• Presentation material (computer, projector, paper, markers, etc.)
• American football and cones to mark the field on game day

Step by Step

1. Divide students into groups of 3 to 5 people.
2. Assign each group one of the topics listed above.
3. Each group should research their topic, using the suggested resources or any other they deem relevant.
4. Groups should prepare a 15-20 minute presentation to explain the main points of their topic. The presentation should include a hands-on activity to help demonstrate key ideas.
5. Organize the "American Football Day", where groups will give their presentations and activities.
6. After completing the activities, each group should provide a written report on the project. The report should include:
   • Introduction: Contextualization of the theme, its relevance and application in the real world as well as the objective of your project.
   • Development: Detailed explanation of the theory, description of the activity in detail, methodology used and presentation and discussion of the results obtained.
   • Conclusion: Return to the main points, explanation of the lessons learned and conclusions about the project.
   • Bibliography: Indication of the sources used for the work.

The project should be developed over a week, and the estimated workload per student is 2 to 4 hours.