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Lesson 1

We will begin preparing to write our response to the Culminating Task by reviewing the task and reviewing and organizing the information and tools we have gathered and used throughout the unit. We will also begin prewriting using the information and tools we gather and organize in this lesson. As we will be working through the entire writing process to complete this writing activity, this initial step will lay the groundwork for writing.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I take necessary action to prepare for writing the Culminating Task, including reviewing and organizing the materials collected throughout this unit?

  • Can I identify task expectations and develop a plan appropriate for accomplishing the established outcomes?

  • Can I develop and use an effective and efficient process to maintain workflow?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger, Da Capo Press, 1990
  • Unit Reader
    • “Baseball for Life,” Sara Corbett, The New York Times Company, 2006
    • “The Case against High-School Sports,” Amanda Ripley, The Atlantic Media Co., 2013
    • “The White Flight from Football,” Alana Semuels, The Atlantic Media Co., 2019
    • “Unchecked, Unchallenged and Unabashed: Is Racism in High School Sports Being Tolerated?,” Ivey DeJesus, PA Media Group LLC, 2014
    • “Women and Men in Sports: Separate is Not Equal,” Laura Pappano and Eileen McDonagh, The Christian Science Monitor, 2008
  • Digital Access
    • “Who Says Girls Can’t Play Football? Certainly Not 13-Year-Old Auburn Roberson,” Melissa Isaacson, ESPN, November 9, 2016

Materials

Tools

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Write – Discuss

We will review the unit’s Central Question and framing questions.

Step 1

Review the unit’s Central Question and Framing Questions.

Central Question: How do high school athletics reflect American society?

Framing Questions:

  1. How do fans impact student athletes?

  2. How do racial and socioeconomic factors shape the perspectives of student athletes?

  3. How do ideas about gender and gender roles impact student sports culture?

  4. How do the lessons student athletes learn about values impact their perspective of American society?

Step 2

Choose one of the following questions to respond to in your Learning Log:

  1. What new knowledge do you have in relation to the Central Question?

  2. What are you still curious about in relation to the Central Question?

  3. What is the relationship between the question and the texts you have read so far? How do the texts shed light on the question? How does the question help you understand the texts?

  4. How has your response to the question evolved, deepened, or changed?

Step 3

Discuss your answer with a partner.

Activity 2: Read – Write – Discuss

We will prepare for the Culminating Task by reviewing and unpacking the task.

Step 1

Listen and read along silently as your teacher or one of your peers reads the Culminating Task Checklist.

Step 2

Working with a partner, reread the Culminating Task Checklist and review your Culminating Task Progress Tracker. Think about what knowledge you have gained and skills you have practiced thus far in the unit. Use the Culminating Task Progress Tracker to do the following:

  • add or refine any skills and content knowledge required for the Culminating Task

  • evaluate how well you have mastered the skills and knowledge required for the Culminating Task

  • note where you need additional practice or support

Be prepared to share your list during the class discussion.

Activity 3: Read

We will consider the materials and Resources we reviewed previously in this lesson, think about the Culminating Task, and recall the processes we learned throughout the unit regarding development of claims. We will begin to develop a claim in response to the Culminating Task.

Review your notes in your Learning Log, Note-Taking Tools, and the unit texts. Highlight any content that might help you make a decision about the focus for your essay or that might support your ideas regarding the threads you are considering for the Culminating Task.

Think about which companion text you found most compelling. How might the topic of this companion text help you narrow which aspect(s) to focus your essay on?

Identify and annotate the tools and responses from the unit that you might use in your response, using an organizational technique such as numbering, or notating.