Associated Press. Social Studies

Transcription

1 Associated Press Social Studies Through these lessons your middle school students will learn about basketball s contributions to society as well as the NCAA s contributions to higher education and sport. Students will have fun while being challenged with historical, geographic, social, environmental and economic questions. By the end of this unit, students will have a unique understanding of not only the influence of basketball on our society but also how they, as students, fit into their world historically, socially and geographically. 336

2 LESSON 1 Basketball s Birth This lesson will help your students position the birth of basketball within the cultural, political and economic context of the United States in the 1890s. National Standard: NSS-USH Skills: Researching cultural, political and economic events; applying perspective to historical events Estimated Lesson Time: minutes, plus time to research and present final products Teacher Preparation Materials Duplicate the Basketball s Birth worksheet on page 340 for each student. Locate resources that will help students learn about the late 1800s: encyclopedias, history books, periodicals of the time, newspaper articles or Internet sites. 1 copy of the Basketball s Birth worksheet on page 340 for each student Background Information The late 1800s were filled with changes for America. People moved west and settled millions of acres; railroads expanded; industrialists built corporations and trusts; immigrants flocked to America; and farmers, undone by mechanization and financial hardship, either abandoned their farms or helped organize the Populist movement to promote pro-farmer legislation. Industrialization, urbanization, mass production and mechanization all contributed to the rise of America as a world industrial power and the establishment of labor organizations. Several western states adopted women s suffrage in the late 1800s. In 1890 two national suffrage organizations merged into the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and Susan B. Anthony became its president in In 1881 Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee University in Alabama and became the most prominent black leader in America. Blacks started the Great Migration north and west in the 1890s, contributing greatly to the U.S. economy and culture, and yet the minstrel shows of the time ridiculed African American culture. Almost every city and town had a band that played mostly waltzes and two-steps for the public. John Philip Sousa composed dozens of military marches. The piano became a popular home instrument and ragtime music entered the scene, with Scott Joplin as its father. The books of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) entertained American readers. Presidents Cleveland, Harrison and McKinley presided over this era. 337

3 Against this backdrop, Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in a Massachusetts gymnasium in Who knew then how influential this game would become in American culture? Today, about 30,000 male and female student-athletes play college basketball and thousands of youngsters play on schoolyards and in gyms around the country. The NCAA is proud to have been a part of the history of basketball and other intercollegiate athletics, which are integral to our system of higher education. In this lesson, your students will learn about the beginnings of basketball as well as how the game s invention fit within the cultural, political and economic scenes of the time. Introduce the Lesson Tell students that today they will learn how basketball got its start and their assignment will challenge them to find out what else was going on in America at the same time. Follow These Steps 1. If you have had previous lessons on the history of the late 1800s, ask students to recall what they have learned. Topics covered may have included the Old West, the Indian Wars, the Gilded Age, railroad expansion, industrialism, corporations and trusts, establishment of labor organizations, immigration, the Populist and Progressive movements, the Great Migration of African Americans, the suffragist movement and the Spanish-American War. If these have not been a part of recent curriculum, briefly summarize the changes that took place in American society in the late 1800s. 2. Distribute the Basketball s Birth worksheet on page 340 to each student. 3. Remind students that the game of basketball was invented in 1891, amid all these cultural, political and economic changes. The popularity of basketball grew very quickly; within a few years, hundreds of men s and women s teams had formed. 4. As a class, read The Invention of Basketball on the worksheet. 5. Review the assignment with students. Tell students that if they choose to research and portray a character not on the worksheet, they need to seek your approval first. Help students understand how to weave basketball into the viewpoint of their character (e.g., students may play an immigrant who is excited about reaching America and curious about this new game, a laborer who wishes he had time to play such a game, a bankrupt farmer who sees no point in playing games or a ragtime musician who composes a song about basketball). 6. Give students as many resources as possible to conduct their research. Allow time in class to work on the projects. 7. Give all students an opportunity to present their finished products. Extend and Vary the Lesson Have small groups work together to complete this project. Allow students who are too shy to speak in front of the class to present their readings to you or to a small group rather than to the entire class. 338

4 Instead of assigning a narrative, dramatic reading or letter, ask students to bring in visual aids to symbolize their character and their character s view of basketball (e.g., a student playing a businessman might bring in a suit and coat, a couple of dollars, a time clock and a basketball). Students must explain what each visual aid represents. Perhaps the businessman (wearing a suit and coat) might think basketball (represented by the basketball) is a waste of time (the time clock). Every minute a worker is playing basketball, the worker is not earning money (the dollars) for the businessman. On the other hand, another student might play a businessman who sees the potential for building a business related to basketball (manufacturing equipment or apparel). 339

5 Basketball s Birth Name Date Your Assignment 1. Read The Invention of Basketball below. 2. Choose one person from the 1890s. You will take on the role of that person in this assignment. Consider one of the following: Cowboy in the Old West Jane Addams Susan B. Anthony Booker T. Washington Laborer Member of a town band or minstrel troupe Immigrant Scott Joplin Farmer Mark Twain Native American President Grover Cleveland, President Benjamin Jay Gould, James J. Hill, Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Harrison or President William McKinley Vanderbilt or John D. Rockefeller (railroaders and industrialists) 3. Use encyclopedias, history books, newspaper articles, periodicals and the Internet to research this person and the circumstances of the late 1800s. 4. Pretending to be this person, write a narrative, dramatic reading or play or a letter to someone (perhaps to a family member, or to Dr. James Naismith or Senda Berenson). Use the first person to write from this character s point of view (e.g., I am writing to tell you..., My family thinks basketball is... ). Describe who you are, what you do, where you are from and so forth. From this person s perspective, comment on the game of basketball. (Based on this person s position and role in society, how would this person react to the new game?) 5. Be ready to present your narrative, dramatic reading, play or letter in class. The Invention of Basketball It was a cold New England winter and Dr. James Naismith wanted to teach his students at the International YMCA Training School a safe game to play indoors. Dr. Naismith, originally from Canada, had played rugby, hockey and soccer, but these were too rough to play indoors. Instead, he invented basketball. The year was The place was Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Naismith used a soccer ball and two peach baskets. He hung the peach baskets from balcony railings to create the goals. The first baskets did not have holes in the bottom, so the ball stayed in the basket instead of falling through to the ground. The first uniforms were made mostly of wool and the shoes were made of leather and canvas. Cages were often built around the playing area to protect the spectators. Senda Berenson, the director of physical education at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, introduced women to the game. The first women s basketball game was played in 1893 at Smith College. Soon hundreds of women s teams formed across the country. Basketball became popular very quickly. It spread across the United States and then around the world. To this day, it is played around the world by people of all ages. 340

6 LESSON 2 An Indoor/Outdoor Game This lesson will help your students learn how environment influenced the birth of basketball. National Standard: NSS-G.K-12.5 Skill: Analyzing the influence of environment on human actions Estimated Lesson Time: minutes; can divide into two lessons if desired Teacher Preparation Materials Duplicate the How Environment Affects Games worksheet on page 343 for each student. Obtain one sheet each of red, blue, brown, green, white and gray poster board. (Students will be divided into groups of three or four; you will need 1 sheet of poster board for each group. You can use fewer colors for smaller classes.) 1 copy of the How Environment Affects Games worksheet on page 343 for each student Markers, crayons, pens and pencils Poster board, as described under Teacher Preparation Background Information James Naismith invented basketball largely because of the environment: Massachusetts winters were cold and long and he wanted to create a safe game for his students to play indoors. He also needed to come up with a game that people could play in a relatively small space without damaging the gymnasium. In today s lesson, your students will recall the details that influenced the invention of basketball. Then they will be challenged to think about how certain types of environments affect the sports and activities students participate in around the world. Introduce the Lesson Tell students that today they will learn how climate influenced the invention of basketball. They will also think about how the physical environment may affect the games people play around the world. Follow These Steps 1. Ask students if they remember from lesson 1 where basketball was invented. (Massachusetts.) In what part of the nation is Massachusetts? (Northeast.) What do you know about the climate of Massachusetts compared to our state? (If you 341

7 teach in Massachusetts, simply ask What is our climate like in Massachusetts?) What time of year was it? (Winter.) How did the fact that it was winter influence the invention of basketball? (Because it was too cold to teach his physical education classes outdoors, Dr. James Naismith wanted to teach his students an indoor game.) Dr. Naismith had to come up with a game that people could play in a relatively small indoor space. How might this have affected Dr. Naismith s choice of equipment and rules? (He chose equipment that would not damage the walls or the wood floors. He made it a noncontact game, to protect players.) 2. Discuss how the climate affects the sports and activities the students participate in. For instance, if you live in a state that is warm year-round, discuss how your sports might be different from those played in states and countries where it is cold year-round or where the seasons change. Tailor this discussion to your particular situation. 3. Also discuss how the physical environment affects the sports and activities your students participate in. If you live in an urban environment, discuss how the sports your students play might be different from those played in rural environments. Have students identify advantages and disadvantages. If your school does or does not have a full-size gymnasium, discuss how this affects the sports you play. Consider such physical environment issues as sidewalks, playgrounds, parks, gymnasiums and sports complexes particular to your community. 4. Wrap up the discussion by pointing out that just as our environment affects the activities we do, the climate of Massachusetts and an indoor gymnasium influenced the invention of basketball. 5. Divide the class into several small groups the same number of groups as you have sheets of poster board. 6. Distribute a sheet of poster board to each group and the worksheet on page 343 to each student. 7. Explain to each group what environment their color of poster board represents: red poster board = hot climate; blue = cold; brown = desert, dry; green = lush, wet (rainforest, if the group desires); white = large, open spaces; gray = small, enclosed spaces. (If students wish to see what countries share these characteristics, they can find climate and topographic maps of the world in their social studies textbooks or an online encyclopedia.) 8. Read through the instructions on the worksheet step-by-step. After you read step 1, allow students time to complete it. Do the same for step 2 and so on, until the posters are finished. 9. Ask a representative from each group to explain their poster to the rest of the class. Extend and Vary the Lesson Consider using a second class period to do the Our Invention section and the bonus activity. This will allow your students to focus on the most creative and challenging part of this lesson. Have students choose a country with a particular climate. Ask them to write a paragraph about the native games and sports of that country. Alternately, students could simply come to class prepared to describe the games and sports aloud. As a class, choose a sport other than basketball to discuss (football, water polo, soccer). Ask students to hypothesize what environmental factors may have influenced the birth of that sport. 342

8 How Environment Affects Games Name Date Your group has a poster board of a certain color. Your teacher will tell you the type of environment that your poster represents (e.g., red poster = hot climate). To create your poster, work with your classmates to do the following: 1. Title your poster with the type of environment assigned to your group (for example, Hot Climate or Large, Open Spaces). 2. Divide your poster into four equal sections. You can do this any way you want: four squares, four rows, four circles or whatever else you can think of. 3. Write the heading Places at the top of one section. In this section, list some states or countries that have the type of environment your poster color represents (for example, if you have a red poster board, representing hot, list some states or countries that are often hot). If you have a poster representing large, open spaces or small, enclosed spaces, list some places that match this environment (for example, a field is a large, open space). 4. Write the heading Games Played Here at the top of one section. Think about the types of games and sports that might be played in the environment represented by the color of your poster. Draw pictures of these games in this section of your poster board. 5. Write the heading Games NOT Played Here at the top of one section. Think about the types of games and sports that might NOT be played in the climate that your poster represents. Draw pictures of those with a slash or an X through them. 6. Write the heading Our Invention at the top of one section. If you were going to invent a new game for this environment, what characteristics would this game have? For example, would the game be played in water or on land? What equipment would you use? If you use a ball, would you throw it long distances or hold it close? Describe any characteristics you can think of in this section of your poster. Bonus Activity As an extra challenge, make up an actual game to play in the environment you have been assigned. Write down the rules and then, if possible, try to actually play the game! 343

9 LESSON 3 Basketball s Development This lesson will help your students learn about the history of intercollegiate basketball in the 20th century. National Standard: NSS-USH Skills: Researching historical events, applying knowledge of cultural developments Estimated Lesson Time: minutes Teacher Preparation Materials Duplicate the Basketball s Development worksheet on page 346 for each student. Work with your school s media specialist to obtain sources on the history of men s and women s intercollegiate basketball in the 20th century (encyclopedias, history books, periodicals, Internet sites). 1 copy of the Basketball s Development worksheet on page 346 for each student One sheet of blank, unlined paper for each student One or two sheets of colored paper for every four or five students Markers, crayons, pens and pencils Staplers and staples, or brads Sources on the history of men s and women s intercollegiate basketball in the 20th century Background Information Basketball developed rapidly from its inception in By 1906, players were shooting into open baskets. In 1909, glass backboards were introduced. In 1926, the Amateur Athletic Union sponsored the first national women s basketball championship, using men s rules. Basketball s popularity was spurred in the 1930s by several developments: New rules were designed to speed up play (players could not remain in the foul lane for more than 3 seconds and had to get past midcourt in less than 10 seconds). College teams played doubleheaders at New York s Madison Square Garden. And Stanford players introduced the jump shot in 1936, adding a new level of excitement to the game. In 1974, the collegiate basketball championship of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women received TV and radio coverage for the first time. On November 29, 1980, Western Carolina s Ronnie Carr made the first three-point goal. And in 1982, the NCAA began to administer women s championships. 344

10 In today s lesson, your students will examine events important to the development of intercollegiate basketball in the 20th century. Introduce the Lesson Tell students that today they will learn about the development of basketball through the years. Follow These Steps 1. Ask students to recall details they remember from the invention of basketball. (It was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 and adapted for women by Senda Berenson in The game was originally played with a soccer ball and peach baskets for goals.) 2. Tell students that today they will work in groups to learn about the history of basketball from 1901 to the present. 3. Divide the class into several small groups ideally, five students in each group. 4. Distribute a blank sheet of paper and the worksheet on page 346 to each student. Give one or two sheets of colored paper to each small group. 5. Read through the worksheet instructions together. Encourage students to concentrate on intercollegiate, not professional, basketball. 6. Give students time to complete their booklets in class, or ask students to complete the booklets by the next class session. 7. Have small groups present their booklets to the rest of the class. Extend and Vary the Lesson Group students of various skill levels together and have them capitalize on their various talents to complete the project (perhaps not dividing the work by era). For instance, students with good reading skills might do the research, students with artistic talents might come up with the way to depict the important events, students with good handwriting might write the captions and so forth. Instead of having each group create a booklet that includes all eras, have each group concentrate on one era. One group might be assigned , with each page of their booklet depicting an important basketball development from that era. Challenge highly skilled students to create a booklet on their own. 345

11 Basketball s Development Name Date Today you will work in a small group to create a booklet that tells about important developments in basketball from 1901 to the present. 1. Work together with your small group to decide who will research basketball in each of these eras: present 2. Decide as a small group which way you will position the pages of your booklet vertically or horizontally. Title your page with the years of the era you are assigned: If you are researching , write at the top of your page. 3. Use the sources your teacher provides to research important developments in men s and women s basketball during the era you are assigned. 4. On your blank sheet of paper, record the important developments you find for your era. Try to record one development from women s basketball and one from men s basketball. Focus on intercollegiate, not professional, basketball. Use whatever method you want to tell about your events: For example, you can use cartoons to tell the story, draw pictures with captions or write paragraphs. Each person can choose a different method. Be sure to clearly describe the year and the important event. 5. Use the colored paper to create a cover for your booklet. Give the booklet a title and sign your names as authors. 6. Fasten the cover and pages of your booklet together with staples or brads. 346

12 LESSON 4 A Sporting Good Citizen This lesson will help your students understand the roles of citizenship, community and government by comparing them with the roles of the athlete, team and coach. National Standard: NSS-C Skills: Understanding the roles of the citizen in American democracy, understanding the responsibilities of citizens and the dispositions or traits of character that are important to the preservation and improvement of American constitutional democracy Estimated Lesson Time: minutes Teacher Preparation Materials Duplicate A Sporting Good Citizen worksheets A and B on pages 350 and 351 so that half the class will use worksheet A and half will use worksheet B. 1 copy of A Sporting Good Citizen worksheet A or B on pages 350 and 351 for each student Background Information Good citizenship can be taught through sports. Indeed, the qualities needed to demonstrate good sporting behavior and to be a productive member of a team are very much the same as the qualities needed to be a good citizen and a cooperative, productive member of a community. In 1991, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), responding to declines in both civil behaviors and good sporting behavior, adopted the third principle of the Statement of Guiding Principles for the NCAA Presidents Commission, stating that student-athletes will deport themselves with honesty and good sportsmanship. The NCAA speaks and acts for the athletic interests of the nation s colleges and universities. Realizing the importance of teaching good sporting behavior and civil behavior to student-athletes and those who are younger, the NCAA developed a program called Stay In Bounds, which teaches good citizenship, responsibility and character building through sports. The NCAA, through its Hall of Champions, also administers the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA). The CTSA was formed in 1997 out of a concern about the decline in good sporting behavior. The CTSA comprises 10 school, college, Olympic and professional sports league organizations who work to promote the value of sport, academic and social achievement, the value of diversity, drug-free athletes, ethical conduct and non-violence. Respect of self and respect of others define the qualities that the CTSA works to promote. 347

13 Introduce the Lesson Tell students that today they are going to compare two things they normally don t think of together: citizenship and good sporting behavior. Follow These Steps 1. Ask students to define what it is to be a citizen. Explain to students that in our U.S. democracy, citizens are equal members of a self-governing community. The government and citizens work together to protect people s rights and to promote the good of the community. Citizens have both rights and responsibilities. 2. Ask students to name some of the rights of citizens. (Personal rights, such as privacy and freedom of expression and religion; political rights, such as the right to vote and seek political office; and economic rights, such as the right to own property and choose one s own line of work.) 3. Tell students that in order for citizens to enjoy these rights, they must also live up to certain responsibilities. Ask students to name some of the responsibilities of citizens. (Personal responsibilities such as taking care of oneself and supporting one s family; civic responsibilities such as obeying the law, paying taxes, volunteering in the community and respecting the rights of others.) List the citizen responsibilities on the chalkboard. Talk about how these responsibilities are important in making government and community work. Ask students for examples of responsible citizenship that they have seen. Discuss what might happen to government and community if citizens did not fulfill their responsibilities. 4. Explain to students what a trait is (a quality of character). Ask students what individual traits are important in order for people to fulfill the responsibilities of citizenship. (Individual responsibility, self-discipline or self-governance, civility [treating other persons respectfully, tolerance of other points of view], courage, respect for the rights of other individuals, respect for law, honesty, open mindedness, critical mindedness [ability to question], negotiation and compromise, persistence, civic mindedness [a concern for public affairs], compassion, patriotism.) 5. Now talk with the students about sports. The NCAA speaks and acts for those it represents. The NCAA represents college and university athletics programs and the student-athletes who play on their athletic teams. The NCAA makes guidelines to protect the rights of the student-athletes in those institutions. Like citizens, student-athletes have certain responsibilities. Ask students what responsibilities a student-athlete might have when participating in organized sports. (Play fair, show good sporting behavior, respect other players, respect rulings of umpires.) 6. Break your class into groups of 3 or 4 students each. Introduce the worksheet, telling students that half of the groups will role play a sports situation and the other half will role play a government situation. After they read their role play situations and complete the worksheet, the class will come together for a group discussion and compare what everyone has found. 7. To half the groups, give each student A Sporting Good Citizen worksheet A on page 350. To the other half of the groups, give each student A Sporting Good Citizen worksheet B on page Give the groups time to complete their worksheets. 9. Read aloud to the class the situations on both worksheet A and worksheet B. 348

14 Facilitate a class discussion, asking the groups to share their responses to the questions. Compare the qualities that make people bad or irresponsible citizens with the qualities that promote bad sporting behavior and teamwork. Are they similar or different? How? Compare the qualities that make people good or responsible citizens with the qualities that promote good sporting behavior and teamwork. Are they similar or different? How? (The NCAA has recognized that many of the traits needed to be responsible citizens are needed to be a good sport. These traits include respect for self, respect for others, discipline, loyalty, contributing to the community or team, accountability, self-control, fairness, discipline, courage, responsibility, integrity, honesty, ethics, poise, pride, enthusiasm, teamwork, compassion, tolerance and courtesy.) Compare the plans of action you developed to help improve the different situations. How are they similar? How are they different? (Examples of plans of action to facilitate good citizenship and good sporting behavior include mentoring, establishing role models, recognizing good behavior, developing a community volunteer program.) Extend and Vary the Lesson References Allow students to use the following Web sites (and others they may find through research) to help them with the worksheet: (Citizenship Through Sports Alliance Web site), (Hall of Champions, Stay in Bounds programs) and (citizenship promoting activities). Have students, either individually or in groups, come up with a plan to promote responsible citizenship within the classroom, school or community. How might they recognize great citizens? Have students, either individually or in groups, come up with a pledge for the citizens of the class to take. Citizenship Through Sports Alliance Hall of Champions, Stay in Bounds programs Social Studies standards and sources 349

15 A Sporting Good Citizen (worksheet A) Name Date Your group has been chosen to participate in situation A. Read your assignment below. Situation A You are a team sent by the federal government to help the city of New Order. The city has been plagued by crime and violence. Even during your short stay in New Order, you have seen many examples of rudeness and lack of respect shown by the people there. Your job is to restore responsible citizenship and a sense of community to the city of New Order. To begin your task, list at least 6 qualities, or traits, of the people who are causing problems in New Order. List at least 6 qualities, or traits, that each individual must possess to be a responsible citizen. Now come up with a plan of action. In the space below, list at least 4 things that the city can do to promote responsible citizenship and a sense of community. 350

16 A Sporting Good Citizen (worksheet B) Name Date Your group has been chosen to participate in situation B. Read your assignment below. Situation B Your group has been sent by the NCAA to help one of their member institutions, New Order College. Over the past year, the college s basketball team has been receiving penalties for poor sporting behavior. The players have been penalized for fighting with opponents, cheating and being rude to officials. They have also been losing games because of their inability to play as a team. Your job is to teach the players good sporting behavior and to restore teamwork to the student-athletes of New Order. To begin your task, list at least 6 qualities, or traits, of the players who are causing problems for New Order College. List at least 6 qualities, or traits, that each individual must possess to show good sporting behavior and be a good team player. Now come up with a plan of action. In the space below, list at least 4 things that the coaches can do to promote good sporting behavior and a sense of teamwork. 351

17 LESSON 5 Sport: An International Ambassador This lesson will help your students understand the global influence of basketball as they research the geography and culture of an NCAA student-athlete s native country. National Standards: NSS-C.5-8.4, NSS-G.K-12.4 Skills: Researching geographic and cultural characteristics of another country; identifying continents and finding countries on maps; analyzing the influence of basketball around the world, including patterns of migration of athletes to the United States Estimated Lesson Time: Two 40- to 50-minute class sessions Teacher Preparation Materials Duplicate the Where in the World? worksheet on page 355 for each student. Print out rosters of men s and women s Division I basketball teams that have studentathletes from other countries. Print out enough rosters so that each student can have at least one roster. You can find these by visiting (Type in the name of the college or university basketball team you are looking for. Once that team s Web page appears, select the athletics page Web site and you will find men s and women s basketball team rosters.) Work with your school s media specialist to gather encyclopedias, atlases and books on other countries that students may use in class. Or arrange for library time for your students. 1 copy of the Where in the World? worksheet on page 356 for each student Rosters of men s and women s Division I basketball teams that have players from other countries Encyclopedias, atlases and other books about countries other than the United States Background Information Basketball has actually been an international sport from its outset: After all, it was a Canadian, Dr. James Naismith, who invented basketball in America. At first, basketball was played mainly in the United States. However, it quickly became popular around the world. Today, dozens of players are recruited from foreign countries to play college basketball. 352

18 In this lesson, your students will come to understand the global nature of basketball as they research an international player s native country. Introduce the Lesson Tell students that in this lesson they will learn about international NCAA basketball players and the countries they come from. Follow These Steps 1. Distribute the worksheet on page 355 to each student. 2. Distribute rosters to students. You might simply give one to each student (be sure to include both men s and women s teams) or give students several rosters to choose from. 3. As a class, read through the instructions on the worksheet. Tell students that you will give them some in-class time to research the country and player, but they will need to complete the research and make their collage outside of class. Encourage them to use poster board as the base for their collage. 4. Set a due date for the collages. Have students fill in the due date under point 3 on the worksheet. 5. Allow time in class for students to conduct their research. Open library time would be ideal. This concludes the first session. 6. For the second session of this lesson, when collages arrive, post them around the room. Give students time to walk around the room to look at the collages. 7. As a class, discuss these questions: a. Which continents are represented in our collages? Which are not represented? b. What might explain the continents that are not represented? (Basketball might not be as popular there; the climate or economic environment might not be conducive to playing basketball.) c. Are there countries represented here that surprise you? Which ones? Why do you find it surprising that basketball players come from that country? (The country may not seem economically developed; it might be a country students have not heard of.) d. Are you surprised by how many players come from other countries to play basketball in the United States? Why or why not? (Yes, because I did not know people in those countries played basketball; no, because basketball is popular in many countries.) e. Why do you think athletes come from other countries to play basketball in the United States? (They might not have opportunities to play basketball at the college level in their country; they might be attracted to the American way of life.) f. Tell me what you learned about basketball in the country you studied. (Allow many students to respond.) 8. Conclude your class discussion by praising the students for their work. Summarize the main points from your class discussion. Emphasize that even though basketball started in the United States, people in many countries around the world now play it. In this way, the United States has influenced the culture of 353

19 other nations. By the same token, student-athletes from other countries influence our culture when they come to the United States to play their sport. Extend and Vary the Lesson Assign this as a small group project instead of as an individual project. If your students are unlikely to have the means to create a collage at home, provide supplies and allow time in class for students to make their collages. You will need poster board, scissors, glue sticks, tape, markers, crayons, pens and pencils, colored paper and so forth. Have an international foods day where you and students parents bring small amounts of foods representing the countries the students studied. This will help emphasize the complexity of the Earth s cultural mosaics. 354

20 Where in the World? Name Date My student-athlete is. 1. Choose a student-athlete from one of the rosters your teacher provides. Choose a student-athlete who is from a country you would like to learn more about. Fill in that student-athlete s name above. 2. Create a collage showing the following things about the country and the student-athlete. You can cut out pictures from magazines and newspapers, draw pictures, write descriptions or use other ways to display information on your collage. A map showing the continent where the student-athlete s home country is located. You can photocopy a map and highlight the country. Or you can draw a picture of the continent in which the country is located and use a different color for the country. The climate of the country. Native plants and animals of the country. Foods often eaten in this country. The language spoken by people from this country. Sports and games often played in this country. If you can, especially find out about basketball in this country. Is it played by many young students? Is it played at the college level? The student-athlete s name, team and position. 3. Bring your collage to class by and be ready to discuss what you have learned. 355

21 LESSON 6 NCAA History This lesson will help your students understand the historical impact of three particular issues on the NCAA. National Standards: NSS-USH , NSS-USH Skills: Researching significant historical events, analyzing the impact of historical events on current events Estimated Lesson Time: 50 minutes Teacher Preparation Materials Duplicate the NCAA History worksheet on page 358 for each student. Ideally, arrange for computer time for your students so they can view articles on NCAA history at (Select Site Index and then the letter H and then History of the NCAA.) Alternately, work with your school s media specialist to obtain sources on NCAA history for students to look at in class. 1 copy of the NCAA History worksheet on page 358 for each student Computers with Internet access; alternately, printed sources on NCAA history Background Information Throughout its history, the NCAA has been an agent for change in intercollegiate athletics. Today your students will look at three significant issues in NCAA history: the first basketball national championship, the changing divisional structure and the introduction of women into the NCAA. These events span from the late 1930s through the 1990s and show how the NCAA struggled with the issues of the day and proactively impacted college sports in a positive way. Today, led by college and university presidents, the NCAA is an agent for important changes in intercollegiate athletics. Introduce the Lesson Tell students that today they will learn about interesting events in the history of the NCAA. Follow These Steps 1. Divide students into three small groups (or more groups to keep group size down to four to six students). 2. Distribute the worksheet on page 358 to each student. 356

22 3. Assign each group one of the three issues on the worksheet to research. 4. Allow students time to work at the computer to find answers to the questions online. Tell them how many minutes they have to complete their research. Be sure to allow enough time for groups to tell what they have learned before the end of the class period. 5. Have one or two representatives from each group summarize what they learned. Do this in chronological order, starting with issue 1 and ending with issue 3. Be sure each group explains the impact on the NCAA today of the events they researched. If groups are not able to explain the impact, ask the class as a whole to speculate. (For instance, for issue 1, national championships, March Madness begins with regional tournaments held around the country, with the Final Four being played in one location. This stems from the process that was used for the first basketball national championship, held in 1939, where games were played in various regions of the country to make the games accessible to the public and to reduce team travel time.) Extend and Vary the Lesson If your school does not have access to enough computers for every student to use one, divide responsibilities among students in the small groups. For instance, one student could navigate the Internet, another could take notes and two could present the information to the class. Extend this activity to three 30-minute periods by working as a class on one issue during each class session. Each student gets access to a computer. You ask the questions posed under each issue and the students look in the online articles for the correct answers. 357

23 NCAA History Name Date Your teacher will assign your small group one of the historical NCAA issues below. In your small groups, research the issue assigned to you. By the end of this class period, be ready to explain to the class the general issue that the NCAA was facing, important dates and events related to your issue and how this issue has shaped intercollegiate athletics today. Issue 1: National NCAA Championships Be ready to tell the class when the first men s basketball national championship was held, the team that won the championship, how teams were selected to play in the tournament and where the tournament was held. How did these decisions affect the NCAA basketball championships of today? Source: Click on About the NCAA, History, NCAA Century Series and NCAA convinced that basketball championship would prosper. Issue 2: Divisional Structure Be ready to tell the class how the NCAA divisional structure changed in 1937, 1973 and again for football in Why was the divisional structure changed? What are the differences in the divisions? How did these changes affect intercollegiate competition of today? Sources: Click on About the NCAA, History (some information is here), NCAA Century Series and Timeline 1940 to Also, Click on About the NCAA and Divisions I, II and III. Issue 3: Women in Intercollegiate Athletics Be ready to tell the class when Title IX was passed. What impact did Title IX have on the NCAA? What was the name and sport of the first female student-athlete to compete in an NCAA championship? The NCAA started administering women s championships in What important events for women occurred in the academic year? How did all of these events contribute to the status of female student-athletes in the NCAA today? Source: Click on About the NCAA, History, NCAA Century Series and Women s sports enter NCAA arena. 358

24 LESSON 7 Time to Play This lesson will help your students understand the impact of Title IX on women s sports participation. National Standards: NSS-USH , NSS-USH Skills: Researching significant historical and social events, understanding the struggle for gender equality, analyzing the impact of historical events on society today Estimated Lesson Time: minutes Teacher Preparation Materials Duplicate the Time to Play worksheet on page 362 for each student. Obtain 4 different colors of colored paper, enough sheets to give each student several sheets of 1 color. Use 1 of three options: (1) Seek open library time for your students; (2) seek computer lab time for your students; or (3) work with your school s media specialist to obtain encyclopedias, history books and magazine and newspaper articles on women s sports from the 1970s to the present. 1 copy of the Time to Play worksheet on page 362 for each student 4 different colors of colored paper, enough sheets to give each student several sheets of 1 color Markers, at least 1 for each student Computers with Internet connections or print sources on historical developments in women s sports since the 1970s Background Information Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on June 23, Title IX states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. What does this mean? Schools that receive federal funding cannot discriminate against girls and women in educational programs, including sports. The majority of schools in the United States including elementary schools, high schools and colleges receive some federal funding. In keeping with Title IX, those schools budgeted more money to pay for competitive sport programs for girls and women than they had 359

25 in the past. Title IX also requires equitable treatment for scholarships, equipment, coaching and other areas related to sports participation. As a result of Title IX, women made headway in many areas of sports. The NCAA has been a strong promoter of women s intercollegiate sports. Introduce the Lesson Tell students that today they will learn the important results of Title IX for women in sports. Follow These Steps 1. Read to the class the Title IX history, from the background information on page 359. Explain to students that Title IX opened many doors for women in sports. Today they will find out about some of those important events. 2. Distribute the worksheet on page 362 to each student. 3. Tell students that they need to choose a decade to research. Hand out colored paper to students based on the decade they choose. For example, those researching the 1970s might get pink, the 1980s light blue, the 1990s green and the 2000s yellow. Alternately, you can simply assign rows or seating groups a certain decade and distribute the colored paper based on the decade you have assigned. Or, you can randomly distribute several sheets of colored paper to each seat before the start of class; students must research the decade that matches the color you have given them. 4. Read aloud the instructions on the worksheet. Give a specific example of what should go on each sheet of colored paper: a date and the corresponding event (e.g., 1972, Title IX is passed). 5. Allow as much time as possible for students to create their time line sheets. Internet sites students can use for research include sports.html (click on Women in Sports); and 6. Have students post the time line sheets in chronological order around the room. 7. Emphasize the positive impact of Title IX on girls and women s sports. Ask students: How did women s opportunities for sport participation differ from men s opportunities for sport participation before Title IX was passed? (Women s sports did not receive the same amount of funding as men s sports did; many schools did not have as many women s sports as men s sports.) How did Title IX change things? (Title IX required schools to treat females and males equitably in educational programs, including sports. After the passage of Title IX, schools budgeted more money to pay for competitive sport programs for girls and women. Title IX also requires equitable treatment for scholarships, equipment, coaching and other areas related to sports participation.) Can you tell from our time line how Title IX has benefited women and girls? (More girls and women participate in sports now than they did before Title IX; girls and women have more choices about what sports they can participate in; women s sports get more coverage on TV and radio.) What are some examples of these benefits? (Students may offer statistics from their time line, name sports that once were not open to women but now are or mention that the women s Final Four is nationally broadcast.) What s the positive impact for girls at our school? (Answers will vary.) How about once you get to high school 360

26 and college? (Many more opportunities to participate in intramural and intercollegiate sports.) Extend and Vary the Lesson If you are pressed for time, you can extend this lesson to two sessions. In the first session, introduce the topic and have students begin their research. As homework, students finish their research and create their time line sheets. In the second session, students post the time line sheets and you conduct the class discussion on the impact of Title IX. Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete time line sheets for each decade. Allow students to add creativity to their time line sheets by drawing pictures or including newspaper or magazine clippings or printouts of Internet articles (be sure the source is clearly indicated). 361

27 Time to Play Name Create a Time Line 362 Date 1. You will choose or be assigned one of these decades to research: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s. 2. Your teacher will give you several sheets of colored paper a certain color for the decade you are researching. 3. During this class period, find significant events in women s sports that happened in the decade you are assigned. Focus on intercollegiate sports, but you can also include significant events from other areas of sports. 4. Write each date and event on a separate sheet of colored paper. Use as many sheets of paper as you can. See below for some hints of events to look for (but you can find others, too). 5. As a class, post your time line sheets in chronological order, starting with the earliest 1970s event and ending with the most recent event. Congratulations! You have created a post Title IX Time Line! Hints by Decade 1970s See if you can find out about these events: The passage of Title IX The first Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national collegiate basketball championship The Challenge of the Sexes tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs The first time a women s national basketball championship game is televised And many others! 1980s See if you can find out about these events: The NCAA begins administering women s championships First women inducted into the U.S. Basketball Hall of Fame The Grove City court case both the 1984 and 1988 rulings First woman athletic director at a Division I school And many others! 1990s See if you can find out about these events: Women s Basketball Hall of Fame established First woman president of the NCAA Women s Final Four televised for the first time And many others! 2000s See if you can find out about these events: The first conference-wide women s sports television sponsorship in intercollegiate athletics (this was for the Southeastern Conference [SEC]) The fastest women s marathon ever And many others!