Social studies activity
Pelé and the Rise of Soccer
Meet the greatest soccer player in the world.
Materials and setup
No special materials are listed; check each step before starting.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Meet the greatest soccer player in the world.
Steps
- Tell your child: There was a boy in Brazil named Pelé who loved to kick a soccer ball. He practiced and practiced.
- He got so good that he became the most famous soccer player in the whole world.
- Kick a ball together. Ask: What do you think you could get really good at if you practiced every day?
Learning objectives
- Learn that Pelé was a famous soccer player from Brazil
- Connect practice and dedication to becoming skilled
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Learn how Pelé helped Brazil win the World Cup three times.
Steps
- Tell the story: Pelé grew up in Brazil and loved soccer. He worked hard and became the best player in the world.
- Every four years there is a big soccer tournament called the World Cup. The best teams from every country compete.
- Pelé helped Brazil win the World Cup THREE times — in 1958, 1962, and 1970. That had never happened before.
- Find Brazil on a map. Ask: Why do you think winning three World Cups is so amazing?
Learning objectives
- Know that Pelé helped Brazil win the World Cup three times
- Locate Brazil on a map
- Understand what the World Cup is
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Learn about Pelé's three World Cup victories and why he is called 'The King.'
Steps
- Read about Pelé (his full name: Edson Arantes do Nascimento). He was born in 1940 in Brazil and grew up in poverty, sometimes practicing with a grapefruit or a stuffed sock because he didn't have a real ball.
- He scored his 1,000th goal in 1969 — an almost unbelievable number. He led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
- He is often called 'O Rei' — The King — and 'The Greatest' by many fans and experts.
- Look at a world map: Brazil is in South America. Find it.
- Write: What did Pelé overcome to become the greatest, and why is that part of his story?
Learning objectives
- Know Pelé won three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) with Brazil
- Understand the context of his childhood and rise
- Locate Brazil on a map
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Explore Pelé's impact on soccer's global growth and his cultural significance.
Steps
- Research Pelé's career statistics and why they are considered extraordinary.
- He played in a time when Brazil won three of four World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970 — missing 1966 due to injury). Research what made those Brazilian teams special.
- In the mid-1970s, Pelé came out of retirement to play for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League. Research why: Why did American promoters want him, and did it help grow soccer in the US?
- Research: Brazil is soccer-obsessed. Why is soccer (called 'futebol' in Brazil) so central to Brazilian culture and identity?
- Discuss: Pelé grew up in Bauru, Brazil, in serious poverty. What barriers did he overcome? How does his background connect to why he became a global symbol?
- Write a paragraph: 'Pelé's importance goes beyond his goals and World Cups because...'
Learning objectives
- Analyze Pelé's three World Cup victories in historical context
- Evaluate soccer's growth as a global sport and Pelé's role in it
- Connect an athlete's background to their cultural significance
- Research the role of sport in national identity
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
Related social studies activities
Advanced Map Skills
Learn what maps are! Follow a simple treasure map around your house or yard. Maps show us where things are.
Alabama's Story: Cotton, Civil Rights & Red Hills
Did you know that one woman sitting down on a bus helped change America forever? Rosa Parks sat down in Alabama — and the whole country stood up. And Alabama is also home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville — where scientists designed the Saturn V rocket that sent people to the Moon! Ten years after Rosa Parks's bus protest, thousands of people marched together across a bridge in Selma, Alabama to ask for the right to vote. Let's draw that bridge!
Alaska's Story: Glaciers, Gold Rush & Seward's Folly
Alaska is so gigantic that if you put it on top of the rest of the United States, it would stretch from Florida all the way to California! And it has rivers made of ice — called glaciers — that move SO slowly you can't see them move. Let's build an icy Alaska scene!
American History Timeline
Color an American flag together — count the 13 stripes and 50 stars! Then wave it and sing a patriotic song.