Have you ever seen a game where your students pick their future travel destination by putting their finger on a globe and spinning it? Wherever their finger stops are where they get to go. If they land in the ocean, they get to spin again. This classroom game became the inspiration for practicing our cardinal directions in PE. Instead of using a finger to determine what country the class lands in, this game will use soccer. When I first introduced this game to my students, the title was "Where in the World is (insert class name here)." To my surprise, they had no idea it was a reference to Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. This was definitely one of those moments where I felt pretty old. I probably should have used Dora the Explorer instead.

This lesson works for both lower and upper elementary. For lower elementary, this can serve as an introduction to globes and maps and reinforce the cardinal directions. For the upper elementary, this lesson can reinforce coordinate studies, build their knowledge of longitude and latitude, and give an excellent refresher for the cardinal directions. If your students love soccer, then this is the game for them. It becomes action-packed very quickly and involves everyone. Whether trying to score on multiple targets, playing defense, or fending off attacker after attacker, everyone's involved (unlike some games where most of the game is only a couple of students playing).

Materials: 

·      A large play area

·      Eight cones and hula hoops

·      Soccer balls (3)

·      A map or globe from the classroom

Minimum Number of Students Needed: This game is best played with an entire class.

Age: All Ages