Lesson Plan - Is Playing Video Games a Sport?

Watch a Video: Video Games: Then and Now

Discuss: What are some ways that video games have changed over time?

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• traditional 
• category

Set a Purpose for Reading

As students read, have them think about how esports are similar to and different from traditional sports.

1. What’s the purpose of the paragraph about Brady Donbeck at the start of the article?
The purpose is to get readers’ attention by comparing Rocket League with traditional sports. In Rocket League, Brady plays every day, practices with teammates, and competes. But he does it on his computer, not on a field.
^{(RI.3.6 AUTHOR’S PURPOSE)}

2. Why does Daniel Kane compare esports to skateboarding?
Kane compares esports to skateboarding to point out that what counts as a sport can change over time. Skateboarding was once not taken seriously; now it’s an Olympic sport.
^{(RI.3.8 REASONS AND EVIDENCE)}

3. Why do some people think playing video games is not a sport?
Some people argue that video games don’t require enough physical exercise to count as sports and that esports are more similar to games like chess than they are to games like football.
^{(RI.3.2 MAIN IDEA)}

FEATURED SKILL: Opinion Writing
Use the Skill Builder “Seeing Both Sides” to have students plan and write an opinion paragraph based on the debate. 
^{(W.3.1 OPINION WRITING)}