Human Rights Education

Lesson Plans » Discrimination and Sports

LESSON PLAN: Freedom from Discrimination - Sports History

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Lesson source: Ted Henry, SUNY College at Oneonta


Subject

Social Studies

Context

sports history, discrimination

Age Group

13 year-old/first half of seventh grade

Materials

Internet access
Notebooks
Pens

Aim

What's meant by discrimination? Have there been any instances of discrimination in sports history? Have you witnessed discrimination first hand? How did you react?

Objectives

--Students will demonstrate their understanding of Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
--Students will be able to define prejudice
--Students will be able to discuss how prejudice can be a barrier

Procedure

  1. Do Now Activity:
    • The instructor will discuss the purpose of Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
    • Students will assemble in groups of four. The instructor will ask students to discuss and record examples of prejudice. A student group respondent will briefly report group findings to the remainder of the class.
    • The instructor will show a five-minute video segment from Ken Burn's documentary, Baseball. The section discussing Jackie Robinson entering Major League Baseball will be shown.
    • Students will be asked if they are aware of the Negro league that existed in the first half of the twentieth century United States.
    • Students will assemble in groups of twos. Students will be asked to search the World Wide Web for a sports star who might have encountered prejudice. Students will be monitored by the instructor and prompted the names of Tiger Woods, Althea Gibson, Jesse Owens, Hank Aaron, Billy Jean King, Mohammad Ali, and others.
  2. Questions: The instructor will lead a group discussion asking students how a public figure, such as a sports car, can promote, and accelerate expanded civic rights. Students will be asked if the popular NASCAR racing sport exhibits examples of prejudice based on race and/or gender.
  3. Homework assignment: Students will prepare a five minute presentation on the sports car chosen from their web search. The presentation may take any form of their choosing: a poster board display, a skit, song, poem, rap etc.
  4. Closure: Students will be instructed to write a one to two paragraph response about the day's lesson, possibly referring to prejudices that they have encountered or witnessed in their own life.
  5. Evaluation: Students will share with their classmates their World Wide Web search findings via their means of transmission. (Poster board display, a skit, song, poem, rap, Power-point presentation, etc.)