Characteristics of an Ideal Athlete

Unit	World Olympics, p. 32
Lesson Name	Characteristics of an Ideal Athlete
Grade Band	Elementary (Grades 3-5) Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Unit

World Olympics, p. 32

Lesson Name

Characteristics of an Ideal Athlete

Grade Band

Elementary (Grades 3-5)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Required Materials	Print the following definitions on newsprint and post it in the front of the room: A person’s character or personality is the way someone thinks, feels and behaves. A trait is a characteristic or quality that describes a person. It can be physical – such as having brown eyes, being tall or being strong. Or it can be a character or cersonality trait – the qualities or characteristics that make a person who they are. It is a characteristic that makes a person different from others. Character traits are the words you would use to describe a particular person to someone else. Bring index cards on which are printed, one to a card, each of the quotations on the What Makes an Ideal Athlete quotations list. Number the cards 1-16 using the number of the quotation. Put the number of the quotation on the back of the card. Make two sets of index cards on two different colored sets of index cards. (For example, you will have two copies of the number 1 quotation from Gabby Douglas, one on a white index card and one on a yellow index card. The number 1 will be the back of each card and the quotation will be printed on the other side. Repeat to make two decks of 16 cards, one deck on white cards and one deck on yellow cards.) Have newsprint and markers.
Standards / Competencies	CASEL Core Competencies Self-Awareness Self-Management Social Awareness Relationship Skills Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards Listening and Speaking Writing NCSS Social Studies Themes Individual Development and Identity
Recommended Time	2 days

Required Materials

Print the following definitions on newsprint and post it in the front of the room:
- A person’s character or personality is the way someone thinks, feels and behaves.
- A trait is a characteristic or quality that describes a person. It can be physical – such as having brown eyes, being tall or being strong.
- Or it can be a character or cersonality trait – the qualities or characteristics that make a person who they are. It is a characteristic that makes a person different from others. Character traits are the words you would use to describe a particular person to someone else.
Bring index cards on which are printed, one to a card, each of the quotations on the What Makes an Ideal Athlete quotations list.
- Number the cards 1-16 using the number of the quotation.
- Put the number of the quotation on the back of the card.
- Make two sets of index cards on two different colored sets of index cards. (For example, you will have two copies of the number 1 quotation from Gabby Douglas, one on a white index card and one on a yellow index card. The number 1 will be the back of each card and the quotation will be printed on the other side.
- Repeat to make two decks of 16 cards, one deck on white cards and one deck on yellow cards.)
Have newsprint and markers.

Standards / Competencies

CASEL Core Competencies

Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Social Awareness
Relationship Skills

Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards

Listening and Speaking
Writing

NCSS Social Studies Themes

Individual Development and Identity

Recommended Time

2 days

Essential Question	What makes an ideal athlete?
Learning Objectives	Identify character traits and behaviors they associate with an ideal athlete Identify physical characteristics they associate with an ideal athlete Explain why these character traits, behaviors and physical characteristics are important Explain why they think there are certain athletes that people look up to as role models

Activating Prior Knowledge	Read the definition of character and character traits posted in the front of the room. Give the example: For example: kindness is a character trait we look for in our friends. Ask for two or three volunteers to give other examples of character traits.
Core Instruction	Tell the students that they are going to create their version of the Ideal Athlete by agreeing on the character traits they think the Ideal Athlete should have. Divide the class into small groups of five students per group. Tell each group to pick one person who will come to the front of the room to pick five cards for the group. Spread the two “decks” of index cards face down (with the number side showing and the quotation hidden) on the desk or table at the front of the room. You should have 32 cards on the desk. (If your group is 30 students, six students will come up and pick five different numbered cards which will leave two cards on the table. If your group is larger than 30, you will need to make a third set of cards. If your group is smaller, you will have more cards on the desk and may distribute an additional card to each group as long as you make sure it is not a duplicate of a card they have already picked. Ask the first group’s representative to pick five different numbered cards and return to the group. Ask the representative to give one card to each group member without turning the card over. Tell the class that as group members receive their cards, they should turn them over and read the quotations. Repeat until each group’s representative has picked five cards. Ask for a volunteer to read aloud quotation # 1 and repeat until all 16 quotations have been read aloud. Remind students of the definition of character traits at the front of the room. Ask: Based on our definition of character traits, and on reading these quotations, what ideas do you have about how to describe the Ideal Athlete? Chart responses on newsprint. Distribute the handout What Character Traits Does the Ideal Athlete Have? and the handout Character Traits List. Tell students to put the number of their quotation on the What Character Traits Does the Ideal Athlete Have? worksheet and write out the quotation and the name of the person who said it in the space provided. Collect the quotation cards. Tell students to use their quotation and the list of character traits to pick the five character traits they think are most important to being an ideal athlete and explain why each is important. Tell students they may want to look up some words in the dictionary to help them decide on their five traits. If time remains, tell students they have 15-20 minutes to begin work on their forms. Depending on the age and grade level of the students, they may need more or less time to complete the worksheets. Please adjust the time accordingly. If time is running out, you may decide to tell students to take the worksheet home to complete and bring back to class the next day. Ask the class to be honest when they answer the three questions you are going to ask. Ask by a show of hands how many people know enough about the person who said their quotation and what sport the person played to tell the class about their person. Ask by a show of hands how many people think they have heard of the person, but don’t know enough to talk about them. Ask by a show of hands how many people have no idea who the person is. Thank the class and tell students that when the group meets again, the students must bring their completed What Character Traits Does the Ideal Athlete Have? worksheet and sit with their small group. Day 2 Have a piece of newsprint for each group on which is pre-printed the heading: The Ideal Athlete’s Character Traits. Have masking tape to post each group’s list. Welcome students and ensure that all have their completed worksheets and are sitting in their small groups. Distribute the pre-printed newsprint sheets, one to each group, and provide markers to each group. Tell students they have 10-15 minutes to share the traits they each picked and their reasons for choosing them with their small group. The goal of the small group is to come up with 10 traits to describe an ideal athlete that they agree upon. Each group must be prepared to explain why they chose each trait. Circulate around the room to monitor group progress and provide assistance as needed. At the end of 15 minutes check to see if any groups need more time and, if so, give them another minute or two to wrap up their discussion. When all groups are ready, ask for a volunteer group to post its list of 10 traits on the wall. Provide masking tape. Repeat with the other groups. When all groups have posted their lists, ask the class as a whole to look at the lists and see if any traits were listed more than once. If so, leave the trait on one list and cross it out on the other lists. Once all duplicates have been found, ask the class to look at the list of traits posted around the room and at their individual worksheets and encourage students to say whether anyone thinks an important character trait is missing. Ask any students who say that a character trait should be added to explain why they think it should be added. Make a list of the character traits students suggest adding and engage the class in discussing the importance of each. If the teacher thinks an important trait is missing, add the trait to the list and explain why you are adding the trait. Ask the class to silently read the quotation on their worksheet. Then ask the class: Why do you think an athlete’s character traits are as important as their physical fitness in their sport?
Wrap-up	Go around the room and ask each student to say the one-word trait that is most important to them. Tell students to save their list of character traits. Thank the class for their work.

Activating Prior Knowledge

Read the definition of character and character traits posted in the
front of the room. Give the example: For example: kindness is
a character trait we look for in our friends. Ask for two or three
volunteers to give other examples of character traits.

Core Instruction

Tell the students that they are going to create their version of the Ideal Athlete by agreeing on the character traits they think the Ideal Athlete should have.

Divide the class into small groups of five students per group.

Tell each group to pick one person who will come to the front of the room to pick five cards for the group.
Spread the two “decks” of index cards face down (with the number side showing and the quotation hidden) on the desk or table at the front of the room.
You should have 32 cards on the desk. (If your group is 30 students, six students will come up and pick five different numbered cards which will leave two cards on the table.
If your group is larger than 30, you will need to make a third set of cards.
If your group is smaller, you will have more cards on the desk and may distribute an additional card to each group as long as you make sure it is not a duplicate of a card they have already picked.

Ask the first group’s representative to pick five different numbered cards and return to the group. Ask the representative to give one card to each group member without turning the card over. Tell the class that as group members receive their cards, they should turn them over and read the quotations. Repeat until each group’s representative has picked five cards.

Ask for a volunteer to read aloud quotation # 1 and repeat until all 16 quotations have been read aloud.

Remind students of the definition of character traits at the front of the room.

Ask: Based on our definition of character traits, and on reading
these quotations, what ideas do you have about how to describe the Ideal
Athlete? Chart responses on newsprint.

Distribute the handout What Character Traits Does the Ideal Athlete Have? and the handout Character Traits List.

Tell students to put the number of their quotation on the What Character Traits Does the Ideal Athlete Have? worksheet and write out the quotation and the name of the person who said it in the space provided. Collect the quotation cards.

Tell students to use their quotation and the list of character traits to pick the five character traits they think are most important to being an ideal athlete and explain why each is important.

Tell students they may want to look up some words in the dictionary to help them decide on their five traits.

If time remains, tell students they have 15-20 minutes to begin work on their forms.

Depending on the age and grade level of the students, they may need more or less time to complete the worksheets. Please adjust the time accordingly.

If time is running out, you may decide to tell students to take the worksheet home to complete and bring back to class the next day.

Ask the class to be honest when they answer the three questions you are going to ask.

Ask by a show of hands how many people know enough about the person who said their quotation and what sport the person played to tell the class about their person.

Ask by a show of hands how many people think they have heard of the person, but don’t know enough to talk about them.

Ask by a show of hands how many people have no idea who the person is.

Thank the class and tell students that when the group meets again, the students must bring their completed What Character Traits Does the Ideal Athlete Have? worksheet and sit with their small group.

Day 2

Have a piece of newsprint for each group on which is pre-printed the heading: The Ideal Athlete’s Character Traits. Have masking tape to post each group’s list.

Welcome students and ensure that all have their completed worksheets and are sitting in their small groups. Distribute the pre-printed newsprint sheets, one to each group, and provide markers to each group.

Tell students they have 10-15 minutes to share the traits they each picked and their reasons for choosing them with their small group. The goal of the small group is to come up with 10 traits to describe an ideal athlete that they agree upon. Each group must be prepared to explain why they chose each trait.

Circulate around the room to monitor group progress and provide assistance as needed.

At the end of 15 minutes check to see if any groups need more time and, if so, give them another minute or two to wrap up their discussion.

When all groups are ready, ask for a volunteer group to post its list of 10 traits on the wall. Provide masking tape. Repeat with the other groups.

When all groups have posted their lists, ask the class as a whole to look at the lists and see if any traits were listed more than once. If so, leave the trait on one list and cross it out on the other lists.

Once all duplicates have been found, ask the class to look at the list of traits posted around the room and at their individual worksheets and encourage students to say whether anyone thinks an important character trait is missing.

Ask any students who say that a character trait should be added to explain why they think it should be added.

Make a list of the character traits students suggest adding and engage the class in discussing the importance of each. If the teacher thinks an important trait is missing, add the trait to the list and explain why you are adding the trait.

Ask the class to silently read the quotation on their worksheet. Then ask the class: Why do you think an athlete’s character traits are as
important as their physical fitness in their sport?

Wrap-up

Go around the room and ask each student to say the one-word trait
that is most important to them. Tell students to save their list of
character traits. Thank the class for their work.

Download this lesson to access handouts.

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