Sports words are everywhere—in PE instructions, English readers, and even math problems about scoring. By Grade 3, students have the fine‑motor skills and reading fluency to tackle longer words like CRICKET and KARATE, but they still need explicit instruction to spell multisyllabic terms correctly. Sports vocabulary also connects directly to SEL goals (teamwork, fairness) and to NGSS Physical Science standards on motion and force.
Learning Targets (I‑Can Statements)
I can identify and define 18 common sports words.
I can spell each sport word without visual cues.
I can use at least five sports words in complete sentences.
I can collaborate respectfully during a puzzle‑based team challenge.
3‑Day Mini‑Unit Plan
Day
Time
Activity
Resource
Notes
1
20 min
Active Charades – act out soccer, ski, surf… class guesses word then spells on mini‑whiteboard
none
Kinesthetic warm‑up
15 min
Introduce Word List & meanings
slideshow
Add visuals + action verbs
2
10 min
Sports Word Search independent solve
grade3-sports-word-search
Diagonals allowed ↘
15 min
Pair‑check & highlight answers on projector
puzzle “Show Answers”
Peer teaching
15 min
Vocabulary notebook sentences (choose 5 words)
worksheet
Include verb + equipment
3
30 min
Team Maze Relay – each team finds route then answers flash‑cards to advance
SHAPE America. (2014). National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K–12 Physical Education. Human Kinetics.
Council of Europe. (2020). CEFR Companion Volume – Section 6 “Vocabulary Range”.
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