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Gators Win
April 3, 2007







Last night the Florida Gators beat the Ohio State Buckeyes in the
NCAA championship game. Time Magazine is running an article
entitled, "NCAA Finals: Florida 84, Ohio 75."

Since the Gators won the championship in 2006 as well, this year's
win was a repeat.

The article quotes Florida coach Jeremy Foley, ""These guys turned
their backs on millions and they came back for a reason..This (repeat
championship) is the reason. They played all season with a target on
their back. It was hard to do. This is quite an exclamation point."

Read a Similar Article!!


Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

  • Would your students like to be in the Guiness Book of World
    Records? Why/why not? What could they do to get into this
    book? Do they think it would be easy or hard? Why?
  • Consider creating a record book for your class.
    Categories might include: number of books read within a
    month; most words spelled correctly; number of math
    problems solved in two minutes; number of times one
    can dribble a ball without losing control of it; and, more.

  • If your students had to choose between getting $100 or being
    in the Guiness Book of World Records what would they
    choose? Why?
  • Consider comparing and contrasting how each of these
    "awards" would benefit students. Mention that often the
    best feeling has nothing to do with money but something
    that comes from inside the person!!

  • Have your students ever played a game against somebody
    several times. If they lose the first time that they play, do they
    want to win more or less, than they did the first game, during
    the second game that they play? Why? How might somebody
    feel if they lose every game that they play?
  • Consider holding a tournament or two in your class.

  • If somebody wins every game that they play how might they
    feel? Would this feeling make them a better or worse player?
    Why? Do your students think that there is anybody alive who
    can win every game that they play? Encourage them to explain.
  • Even the best baseball players hit less than 1/2 of the
    time that they come up to bat. Consider asking students
    to draw a picture to demonstrate that one important (and
    good) part of failure is learning from it.



Discussion-Starters for Older Students

  • Vocabulary terms to discuss: "Take a Chomp Out"; Target;
    Exclamation Point; and, Morph.

  • Do your students think it takes skill to win a college
    championship two years in a row? Why/why not? Does it take
    luck to win a college championship two years in a row?
    Why/why not? Ask students, what percentage of a repeat
    championship is luck and what percentage is skill? Encourage
    them to explain their answers. Which variables involved in the
    victory are skill? Which are luck? Does the ratio between skill
    and luck change if the score changes? Why/why not?
  • Consider asking students to develop graphic organizers
    to demonstrate the roles that skill and luck play in
    winning a repeat championship.

  • Does the following analogy make sense: A basketball coach is
    to his/her team as a chess player is to his/her pieces?
    Encourage your students to explain what parts of the analogy
    work and what parts don't work. Can your students think of a
    better analogy to explain the relationship between a basketball
    coach and his/her team?
  • Ask students to develop several analogies that might
    work in groups of two or three.

  • According to the article, several Gator players decided to stay
    in the NCAA an additional year, instead of joining the National
    Basketball Association, so that they could win a repeat
    championship. What can we infer about the players who made
    this decision? Do your students think that they would have
    made a similar decision if they had the chance to make several
    million dollars playing in the NBA? Encourage them to explain!!
  • Based on the information provided in the article, ask
    students to develop a character sketch of the Gator
    players who decided to play college ball for an extra
    year.
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