Are you ready to bring the excitement of football season into your ELA classroom? To capitalize on the hype with your students, check out these ten football lesson plans designed to engage them while building critical reading, writing, and analytical skills. These football lesson plans are perfect for ELA teachers looking to tap into the energy of football season and connect learning with something students already love, whether that is football or the halftime show, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Read more about these touchdown-worthy football lessons plans below.

1. Halftime Show Close Reading

Looking for a way to score big with your students while teaching close reading? Samantha in Secondary’s free Super Bowl Halftime Show Close Reading Resource is here to help. This football lesson plan takes students through the fascinating history of the halftime show, from its humble beginnings with marching bands in 1967 to the dazzling, star-studded performances we know today. Did you know Michael Jackson’s 1993 show was the turning point that made the halftime show a global spectacle? Or that U2’s 2002 tribute to 9/11 victims turned entertainment into a powerful moment of reflection? With a high-interest passage, vocabulary activities, and thought-provoking questions, this resource makes reading as exciting as the big game. Ready to bring the thrill of the halftime show to your classroom? Download it here for free!

2. Football Themed Paragraph of the Week

Take your students’ paragraph writing skills to the next level with the Paragraph of the Week: Football Edition! These engaging football lesson plans combine the excitement of football with the fundamentals of great writing. Featuring three passages—informational, narrative, and opinion—it includes prompts that challenge students to think critically and express themselves clearly. Plus, the detailed writing checklists will guide students through the writing process, helping them craft their best work while building confidence. Score a classroom win and spark a love of writing with this topic that your students will love! 📝🏆

3. Quick Nonfiction Read and Response

Do you need a quick informational text activity that will capitalize on students’ excitement for the big game? This football lesson plan, from Lauralee of Language Arts Classroom, uses a popular article from ESPN to analyze domain-specific vocabulary, a timely topic, and applicable concepts to young students. Included is an answer key and a rubric for writing responses.

4. Grammar Activities for the Big Game

Looking to shake up your classroom grammar routine? These four grammar activities from Mrs. McManus ELA, are perfect for keeping students engaged while building essential language skills. From physical or digital sentence scrambles that challenge students to piece together proper syntax to expanding sentence activities that encourage creative and critical thinking, there’s something for every learning style. These activities can easily fit into your football lesson plans or any other theme-based curriculum. Bring a little fun to grammar practice and watch your students tackle new challenges with confidence!

Get the Big Game Grammar Activities for Free now!

5. Football Feedback Strategies

Imagine if football teams just watched game film and nodded along. No analysis. No discussion. No real learning. Just “Yep, missed that tackle” or “Should’ve caught that pass” – and then the same mistakes next game.

That’s exactly what happens in our classrooms when students “revise” their essays.

We spend hours giving thoughtful feedback, and students dutifully make the marked changes. Fix this comma. Add that evidence. Follow directions. But just like watching game film without analysis doesn’t create better players, reading comments without real engagement doesn’t create better writers.

Intercept this frustrating cycle with The Feedback Huddle! Transform for students think about revision with: 

• Ready-to-use AutoCrat templates that spark real revision conversations
• Interactive station activities that make revision meaningful and manageable
• Question banks that get students thinking deeply about their choices
• Easy-to-implement rubrics that grade revision thinking, not just changes
• Flexible implementation guides that work with your teaching style

Make revision your winning strategy for building better writers!

6. Teach Persuasive Strategies Using Ads

Grab students’ attention with this persuasive writing activity from @whimsyandrigor that uses popular ads as a vehicle to analyze how to create an effective argument!

Included in this download is a full slide deck with notes on all persuasive strategies, a link to a curated 

YouTube list with commercials to analyze, and a rubric to assess the ads students create. It’s an all-in-one resource ready for your class!

You can grab this lesson plan right here!

7. Hello, Kendrick Lamar!

After the 2025 half-time performance, everyone knows his name! And Kendrick Lamar is worth knowing! 

From his birth in 1987, all the way through to his 2025 half-time performance, your students will learn about Lamar’s life as an artist with this original 2-page nonfiction profile and accompanying activities. 

When it comes to nonfiction, Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12 likes to include more than simple short answer questions to ensure students’ understanding. Examine vocabulary activity and content with a matching activity that reveals a secret word or phrase related to the hip-hop star. This works well on its own or pair it with a poetry exploration of Kendick Lamar’s lyrics.

Make sure to grab this free resource today!

8. Analyzing Poetry Using Pop Culture

Did you know that Kendrick Lamar, the 2025 halftime performer, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning artist? He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest poets and cultural icons of our time. His lyrics are layered with meaning, social commentary, and literary devices that rival the works of traditional poets. Your students probably also think he’s the GOAT.

Daina from @mondaysmadeeasy is a big fan of using pop culture to hook students on an intimidating medium: poetry. By using song lyrics as a gateway for annotating poetry, students can gain their bearings and build confidence in analyzing the complexity of a poem.

This free lesson plan explores the connection between music and poetry with an interactive slideshow lesson and accompanying informational handout. Students will then explore the lyrics of Kendrick Lamar’s song “DNA” from his award-winning album DAMN. Kendrick’s performance was one for the books, making this a relevant addition to your football lesson plans.

Grab your free poetry lesson here!

9. Plan Your Own PERFECT Halftime Show

The history of the Halftime Show is actually super iconic – from Michael Jackson’s revolutionary performance in 1993 that transformed the show into the spectacle you see today, to Beyonce’s historic all-female performance, and J-Lo and Shakira’s all Latinx performance, the Halftime Show has had its fair share of memorable moments over the years.

Your students will love the project, Plan the Perfect Halftime Show for the Big Game, which walks them through the process of designing a show for their favourite artist including choosing the headliner, guest performers and set-list, designing the costumes and stage design, planning the look and choreography of the backup performers, and special effects, to reflecting on the political or social message your artist may convey and the lasting impact of their performance.

These interactive Google Slides from Mochas and Markbooks are sure to be a hit!

10. Argumentative Essay Writing Challenge

Make argumentative essay writing a touchdown with the Argumentative Essay Writing Challenge from Mrs. Spangler in the Middle! This football lesson plan transforms the writing process into an engaging and rewarding game. With step-by-step scaffolding, middle school students tackle everything from unpacking the prompt to crafting a polished essay. Along the way, they earn puzzle pieces for each completed step, working toward a customizable reward that will motivate and excite them.

With editable materials, graphic organizers, and two counterclaim options, this resource empowers teachers to meet students where they are—whether they need support or a challenge. Break down essay writing into fun, manageable pieces your students will love, while you enjoy seeing their skills and confidence grow!

Which Football Lesson Plan will you use first?

Make sure to capitalize on the energy by bringing these football lesson plans to life in your classroom while still teaching and reinforcing key English Language Arts components. We can’t wait to hear how it goes for you!