The Game of Soccer

The History

The game of soccer started a very long time ago in another country, England. They named the sport of soccer, “football.” They called this game “football” because the players played the game on and with their feet. In America, we call the sport “soccer.” Although they may call it by different names, many people play the game of soccer all around the world.

The Teams

A soccer game has two teams. Each team has eleven players on the field at a time. One of those players is called the “goalie.” The goalie’s job is to stop the ball from going into the goal. The goalie is the only player that is able to touch the ball with his hands during a soccer game.

The Game

Most soccer games last 90 minutes and there is only one break in the middle of the game. During a soccer game, each team tries to kick the ball into the opposite team’s goal. Unlike many other sports, soccer games can end in a tie, meaning there might not be a winner or a loser after each game because each team has the same score.

Marine Animals

Marine animals live in the sea. Many animals call the sea home. Some spend all of their time in water while others also live on land.

Dolphins

Dolphins are mammals. They spend all of their time in water. Dolphins are fast swimmers. They have sleek bodies and a strong tail, called a fluke, to help them move quickly through the water.

Dolphins are social animals. They live in groups called pods. Dolphins are very smart. They talk to each other by making whistling and clicking sounds. Dolphin sounds can be heard from very far away.

Dolphins cannot breathe underwater. They must come to the surface to breathe. Dolphins love to jump and play. They like to play with seaweed and ride waves.

Whales

The largest living animal on Earth is the Blue Whale. All whales are mammals. They spend all of their time in the water. Whales have long, round bodies with flippers and a tail. A whale's tail has 2 fins called flukes. It uses its strong tail to help it swim.

Whales can stay underwater for a long time, but they must come to the surface to breathe. Whales have a blowhole on top of their head that they use to breathe air.

Whales are mostly solitary animals and prefer to live alone. Whales communicate through low, deep noises that can be heard from miles away.

Sharks

Sharks are fish. Sharks spend all of their life underwater. Like fish, sharks have gills on the sides of their heads that help them breathe underwater. Sharks have fins and a strong tail to help them steer and swim through the water. Many sharks also have a fin on top of them.

Sharks have very strong senses. Sharks have good eyesight to help them see underwater. They also have an excellent sense of smell. A shark can smell a drop of blood in the ocean from 5 miles away.

Walruses

Walruses live on ice and in cold water. They have a thick layer of fat, called blubber, to help them stay warm. 

Walruses have 2 long tusks, or teeth. They use their tusks to help them dig for food, protect themselves from predators and move around. Walruses have flippers to help them swim in the water and walk on ice. They bark and make loud snorting noises to communicate with other walruses.

Sea Lions

Sea lions got their name from the roaring sound they make. Sea lions also make honking and barking noises. Sea lions like to live in large groups. They are very playful and clever. Sea lions can be trained to do tricks and are often seen in shows at zoos and at the circus.

Sea lions spend their time on land and in water. They have flippers that help them swim in water. When on land they use their flippers to help them walk. Sea lions also have short fur and blubber to help them stay warm in the cool water.

Sea Otters

Sea otters are marine mammals. They use their feet and tails to swim, but spend most of their time floating on their backs on the water. Sea otters even sleep and eat while floating on their backs.

Sea otters do not have blubber. They have thick fur to keep them warm in cold water.

Sea Turtles

The leatherback turtle is the largest turtle in the world. Sea turtles have two sets of flippers that they use to help them swim in the water. Their large, front flippers are very strong and help them move through the water. Their back flippers help them steer. Sea turtles can stay underwater for over an hour before they need to breathe air.

Sea turtles live almost all of their lives in water, however, female sea turtles travel to land to lay eggs. Female sea turtles dig holes in the sand with their flippers to make a nest for their eggs. After it lays eggs, sea turtles return to the sea, leaving their eggs buried on the beach. When baby sea turtles hatch, they crawl towards the water and begin life in the sea.