“A Day on the Ice”: A Language Arts Lesson Through Hockey Stories (Grades 5-6)
Where Creative Writing Meets Team Spirit
Students love telling stories—especially when they get to be the heroes. This lesson uses the game of hockey to spark imagination. Whether they’re stepping onto the ice for the first time or scoring the game-winning goal in their story, students gain confidence by grounding their writing in action-packed, relatable moments.
Big Idea: Personal Narratives with a Hockey Twist
For Grade 5-6 students write stories—real or imagined—set in the world of hockey. The sport becomes a storytelling guide for vocabulary, sequencing, and expressive voice, while exploring teamwork, perseverance, and fair play.
The NHL highlights these same values—teamwork, preparation, and resilience—both on and off the ice, making hockey a natural bridge to literacy.
Why This Lesson Works
Ever hear a student groan, “I don’t know what to write about”? Hockey solves that. The game of hockey offers built-in story ideas:
Getting ready in the locker room
Learning a new skill at practice
Feeling nervous before a big game
Helping a teammate with an assist
Scoring a goal—or learning from a loss
By connecting writing to something students love, they can jump in without fearing the blank page. NHL.com contributes to the notion that storytelling helps young fans feel the game, making hockey a perfect entry point for narratives.
Lesson Idea at a Glance
Grade Level: 5-6 | Subject: Language Arts | Time: 40–60 min
Learning Objectives: Narrative writing, vocabulary, sequencing, oral storytelling
Materials: Chart paper/whiteboard, markers, notebooks, crayons/colored pencils, NHL game clips and/or images (see NHL.com for a starting point)
Learning Activities:
Kick-Off Vocabulary (10 min)
Ask the students what they know about hockey. Build a word bank: rink, puck, goalie, skate, helmet, stick, assist, goal, team, hat trick, winger (*Optional: use images or game clips to reinforce these hockey-related terms).
Story Writing: “A Day in the Life of a Hockey Player” (20–30 min)
Ask the students to imagine themselves as the main character of their story.
Examples of Potential Prompts:
Who are your teammates?
What’s the most exciting moment of the day?
What happens in the locker room before a big game?
Who’s one of your teammates, and how do you work together?
Describe your most exciting play of the game.
Share & Reflect (10 min)
Ask a few students to read their stories aloud.
Celebrate creativity, voice, vocabulary, and sequencing.
Reflection shows that, like hockey, storytelling improves with practice.
Bonus Lesson Ideas to Implement
Ask students to draw action-packed hockey pictures, label with verbs
Ask the students to focus on the story’s beginning–middle–end; ask, “What happens first, next, last?”
Ask the students to add descriptive details and emotions: “What does it feel like when you score or miss a goal?”
Coach’s Tip
Using hockey reduces blank-page anxiety for students. With energy, teamwork, and well-placed prompts, every student can step onto the page with confidence—just like stepping onto the ice—for a highly engaging and meaningful learning opportunity.
Final Whistle
Anchoring writing in something exciting—like the game of hockey—lets students focus on storytelling instead of the blank page. Hockey’s fast pace, imagery, and teamwork make it a natural literacy tool. When students step onto the page like stepping onto the ice, every story starts with courage—and a lot of fun.