Discription Of Curriculum

Keith Benson Curriculum Analysis 4.15.2008 Dr. Ben Justice Description of Curriculum

Following the 2008 Presidential campaign, Barak Obama’s speech on race in America, John Edwards’ description of “Two Americas”, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversies, and a few classes on Thursday nights where we students attempted to find a common strand that holds or unites Americans of all backgrounds, I think I may have an answer that is as valid as any I’ve heard. Our country, having become the reluctant and, oftentimes, unwelcoming melting pot (but a melting pot nonetheless), after centuries of diverse ethnic and cultural infusion has tried to frame and present America to its differing demographic as a universal “ism” every American or immigrant should willingly, proudly accept. Suffice to say, wholesale adoption of “American” values and traditions among its people has not occurred. Uniting our country along accepted traditions was a responsibility of the nation’s public schools and its social studies/history classes since the before America’s industrial revolution. And still, after nearly 150 years of modern public schooling a national unity and understanding of American history evade us. Perhaps the approach, not the goal, needs to be adjusted.

To this end I have designed a US History II curriculum that attempts to incorporate modern US History with every Americans innate personal competitiveness and tradition. My US History II curriculum will be taught using popular sports as an illustrator through which American history can be understood and remembered. If anything is as “American as apple pie”, it is our fascination with sports. The Super Bowl, annually, is the largest viewed television event. The NCAA’s March Madness, hampers American corporate productivity every year. In most American families, it is common for the highlight of the Thanksgiving holiday is eating a big dinner while chasing down the meal with a hearty helping of NFL football. Emotional roller coasters revolving around rivalries such as the Red Sox vs. Yankees, Buckeyes vs. Wolverines, and Lakers vs. Celtics literally span generations; and it is still common to hear people debate who was the best fighter of all time. There is no denying American’s of all ages, races, genders, and religions love for or, at least, interest in sports. Capitalizing on our near-universal fascination with competition through sports, sports will be my proverbial “teaspoon of honey” to help the medicine, that is American History, go down. In accordance with the standards and strands that provide the framework through which US History II is mandated to be taught, I have designed a sports centered social studies class. The students will cover the traditional areas of social studies; civics, economics, geography and history.

In addition, students will have opportunities to discuss current events, conduct investigations, and write essays of various lengths and perspectives and employing technology. I have designed this curriculum to be operable without a textbook, but instead using many primary and secondary documents as well as documentaries as instructional and illustrative tools. While this curriculum is fun, it demands a dedicated and innovative teacher and student body to maximize success. This class should be an elective and span an entire semester. The title of this class is Sports and American Society with the essential question, “Are Sports Revolutionary or Reflective of Our National Identity?” This class will be divided into three main units, which will be further divided into their own sub-units. Unit 1: Sports and Economics With respect to the mandate that Social Studies include the examination of economics, as subject very few people learn or understand, I designed the curriculum to begin with Sports and Economics. Here, similar to the famous “Economic Systems Using Cows” methodology, I attempt to teach students basic economic principals and terms, and recognize their implementation using sports. This Unit, similar to the two that follow, begins with questions for class consideration. These questions provide a framework for students recognize the direction and objectives of the entire unit. These questions are probing in

nature, and do not have a correct answer; only validation and support. The questions are meant for students to think about learned information, synthesize information, and finally apply it. The Unit 1 questions are as follows: What is economics? How does the American economy affect sports? What do Americans owe each other? Does the relationship between team owners and their players mimic “haves” and “have not’s” in our society? Is the American economy fair for everyone? Do some people suffer because of our enjoyment of sports? The first unit of the Sports and Economics unit will deal with specifically introducing common economic terminology and principals and see how they present themselves throughout sports. The second unit examines American capitalism in Sports. In this unit we will discuss Industrialism, strikes, child labor, stock markets, labor unions, and the Great Depression. Next, students will master understanding of other economic systems like Socialism and Capitalism by examining sports in China, Cuba, and Soviet Russia. Students will recognize clear differences in the attitude toward sport in other countries, and the lives of their athletes. Finally, the last unit of this Unit will be exploring how economics affects the lives of professional athletes. We will look at athlete’s salaries, contracts, reasons for strikes and lockouts, globalization and consumerism – all while learning US History II. Unit 2: Sports in Wartime

The second major unit is called Sports in Wartime. Here we will be analyzing what role sports plays in our nation while at war, and the nationalism entrenched in sport when we compete with other nations. Finally we will spend time providing political, historical, and ideological context of our domestic and foreign athletic pursuits. The questions for consideration are: How do sports mirror larger conflicts? Are sports a bridge to peace between nations, or venue for further conflict? Do sports unite our country, the World? Why do we feel pride in our athletic teams? Why do/don’t we feel this pride in our country? The first unit of the Sports in Wartime Unit is Sports in the post Civil War/Reconstruction era. We will look at what sports were being promoted during this time, and whether it had a unifying effect on our nation. The next two units are WWI Sports and Sports Figures, and WWII Sports and Sports Figures. Here we will examine the progression of sports in mainstream America, feature popular figures of the day and examine the effects of both. In unit 4, we will explore Sports in the Cold War. We will analyze the significance of international competition in the post WWII era. Finally in unit 5, we will explore what role sports has in the role of our society during our more contemporary wartimes, specifically following 9/11 and during our current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unit 3: Sports and Social Change

In this Unit we will look at how, if at all, sports play a role in America’s cultural evolution. This Unit will be the longest and most time consuming of the three. The questions for consideration are: Do sports enable oppressed groups avenues to demonstrate and fight for their equality? Can success in sports

for minorities and women translate into mainstream acceptance in other areas? Are sports true meritocracies? Does everyone get a “fair shake” in sports? Are athletes effective as politically active beings? The first unit of this Unit is African American Struggle for Equality in American Society and Sports. Here, we will span major social eras of African American struggle from the Jim Crow era, Segregation/ Separate but Equal, Integration, the Civil Rights Era and ending with the Modern Struggle. From there we will move on to the Latino American Struggle for Recognition comprising unit 2. Next we will examine Gender Inequality and Women’s Movements since the early 1900’s. Finally we will be looking at Sport as Forums of Social Protest. The mission at the classes’ end would be accomplished if students began to see sports as more than just entertainment, but as a catalyst or mirror of our history, society, and culture.