Summary
After an impressive run, Morocco’s journey to the World Cup championship came to a close after its match against France, a country that shares a complicated history with the North African nation. Get the latest on the World Cup including Messi's amazing "banal" side and who might take the cup home. Read the transcript here .Five Facts
- Who are the individuals and groups featured in this World Cup update?
- What makes Morocco fans and players so special, according to Shireen Ahmed of CBC Sports? (CBC = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
- Where is the World Cup taking place? Why has this location attracted so much attention?
- When did the World Cup start and when will it finish?
- Why does Ahmed refer to Lionel Messi as "banal"?
- How does Ahmed describe Morocco's position in North Africa?
Focus Questions
Why do you think World Cup fans are so passionate? Can you think of a time when you or others expressed true joy and happiness around a topic you felt passionate about? Media literacy : Do you think more context should have been provided around Morocco and France's "complicated history" as described in the piece's opening? Why or why not?For More
What students can do :- Watch this NewsHour story to learn more about major controversies that have surrounded Qatar hosting the World Cup. For the sake of time, watch 1m:30s to 5m:55s . Some fans have decided to not watch the World Cup given allegations of corruption made against Qatar and FIFA.
- You may also want to read "The What Matters rules for watching the World Cup" by CNN's Zachary B. Wolf who states, "Assuming you do watch, here are the informal rules I’ve developed, with help from fellow fans on text chains, for my own enjoyment of the World Cup. And by the way, these rules often contradict each other, so you have to weigh the importance of one over the other. That’s up to you. Or make up your own rules."
- Discuss with a family member, friend or classmate if you think it's possible to still enjoy the games but also be aware of or take a civic action over the treatment of workers who built the infrastructure to take place in Qatar and violations of human rights for LGBTQ people by the government and FIFA leaders. Were you able to come up with any of your own rules for watching?
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