To begin the lesson, lead a discussion about the Super Bowl. Depending upon their cultural backgrounds, some students may not be familiar with the Super Bowl. Thus, it is important for students who have watched the Super Bowl to share their experiences with other students in the class.
Ask students to identify some of the expenses related to the Super Bowl. They may suggest the following expenses:
- price of a ticket
- ads/commercials on television
- coaches and players’ salaries
- cost of food at the game
- security, maintenance, and other expenses
Ask students which of these costs are easier to estimate than others. Students may say that they need to do some research using internet resources to obtain relatively close estimates.
You may wish to give students time to explore the Super Bowl website. At this website, they can learn more about some of the finances and statistics of the Super Bowl.
Distribute a copy of the Football Finances activity sheet to each student.
Have the students read the introductory information and examine the pictures.
Discuss the pictures with the students and have them identify techniques that they can use to make the best estimates possible.
Such techniques might include the following:
- Students can answer the question, "How may people can sit on benches 10 yards long?"
- Survey people about the number of hot dogs they eat at a football game.
Students should make their estimates on the information that is available.
Have students identify factors that will make it difficult for their estimates to be as accurate as they would like them to be.
