Teaching Life Lessons through Athlete Role Models

Unit	World Olympics, p. 40
Lesson Name	Teaching Life Lessons through Athlete Role Models
Grade Band	Elementary (Grades 3-5) Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Unit

World Olympics, p. 40

Lesson Name

Teaching Life Lessons through Athlete Role Models

Grade Band

Elementary (Grades 3-5)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Required Materials	Number index cards to divide students into groups of three students each. (If necessary, depending on the number of students in the class, there may be a group of two or four students.) For example, for a group of 27 students, print the number 1 on three cards, the number 2 on three cards, and so on, so that you will have nine groups of three students per group. The quotations provided for this lesson allow for 10 groups of three students per team. (If your group is larger than 30, please create some teams with four students and adjust the lesson that follows accordingly when it comes to the research, written sections, and oral reports.) Have index cards on which is pre-printed an athlete’s name and quotation, enough for each team of three students to choose a different athlete. (See Quotations for Teams to Pick from the Bag.) Have a bag to hold the index cards that students will pick “out of the hat.” Schedule time in the library or media center to enable student teams to research their athlete. Have construction paper, glue, scissors, markers, crayons, and writing paper.
Standards / Competencies	CASEL Core Competencies Self-Awareness Self-Management Social Awareness Relationship Skills Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards Listening and Speaking Writing Reading NCSS Social Studies Themes Individual Development and Identity
Recommended Time	3 days

Required Materials

Number index cards to divide students into groups of three students each. (If necessary, depending on the number of students in the class, there may be a group of two or four students.)
- For example, for a group of 27 students, print the number 1 on three cards, the number 2 on three cards, and so on, so that you will have nine groups of three students per group.
- The quotations provided for this lesson allow for 10 groups of three students per team. (If your group is larger than 30, please create some teams with four students and adjust the lesson that follows accordingly when it comes to the research, written sections, and oral reports.)
Have index cards on which is pre-printed an athlete’s name and quotation, enough for each team of three students to choose a different athlete. (See Quotations for Teams to Pick from the Bag.)
Have a bag to hold the index cards that students will pick “out of the hat.”
Schedule time in the library or media center to enable student teams to research their athlete.
Have construction paper, glue, scissors, markers, crayons, and writing paper.

Standards / Competencies

CASEL Core Competencies

Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Social Awareness
Relationship Skills

Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards

Listening and Speaking
Writing
Reading

NCSS Social Studies Themes

Individual Development and Identity

Recommended Time

3 days

Essential Question	What life lessons can athlete role models teach us?
Learning Objectives	Conduct research on a person who has achieved athletic success Create a book about the individual in which the student explains why the person is a good role model Provide an oral presentation on the life lessons the athlete role model teaches by the power of example

Activating Prior Knowledge	Engage students in a social barometer exercise. Designate one side of the room as “Agree” and the opposite side of the room as “Disagree.” Designate the middle of the room as “Not Sure.” Tell students that you are going to read a statement and ask them to walk to the space in the room that reflects what they think about the statement. Give an example by asking students to tell you where they would stand if they agreed with the statement, “I like chocolate chip cookies.” Ask where they would stand if they disagree with the statement, “I love to go to the dentist.” Ask where they would stand if they were not sure how they felt about either of these statements. Read the following statements. Give students time to get to the area that indicates whether they agree, disagree or are not sure. Once students are in place, after each statement, ask for a volunteer or two from each group (Agree, Disagree or Not Sure) to explain why they think the way they do. People look up to famous athletes. The only things you need to be a great athlete are strength, speed and skill. All athletes are good role models. The only thing we can learn from athletes is how to win. Thank children for thinking about these statements and explain that the ideas they shared are going to help them as they work in a small team to create a book about an athlete. The book will explain why the person is a good role model and what life lessons they can teach us by their example.
Core Instruction	Tell students they must be completely silent. Tell them that when they pick their card from the bag, they must look at it quickly without letting anyone see it. Hold the bag with the numbered cards and walk around the room to each student and ask each to take a card from the bag. When all students have a card, tell them to stand up and find the two other students with the same number without speaking. They may only use hand signals to find their teammates. When all students have found their teammates, ask teams to sit together. Ask each team to pick one representative to come up to pick out a card for the team. When each representative has picked a card, give the teams a few minutes to read and discuss the meaning of the quotation on their team’s card and their reactions to it. Ask each team to choose one member to stand up and read the name of the athlete, the second member to read the quotation on the card and the third member to state whether the team knows who the athlete is. When all groups have shared, explain that each team will conduct research on its athlete and use this research to create a book about the athlete. Tell students that each team will use its book to make a presentation to the rest of the teams about its athlete. Distribute the Athlete Role Model Research Assignment sheet to each student in the class. Review the assignment sheet with the group and answer any questions the students may have. Tell students that, to prepare for their research, the teams now have 10-15 minutes to decide which person is going to research each of the first three questions. The team must also talk about what information each person must know so that all three together can answer question 4. Tell students the teams will be working the next time they meet to conduct research on their athlete in the library or media center or on laptops. Go around the room and ask each person to say two words that describe how they feel about the project. When everyone has shared, acknowledge any concerns the students’ feeling words have raised and end by repeating positive words students have shared. IMPORTANT NOTE: Depending on the grade level and individual group needs, student teams may need more than one teacher facilitated research session in the library or media center. Days 2 and 3: Creating and Sharing Athlete Role Model Books Create covers for the books. On a blank piece of paper, have students title their team’s book. For the cover illustration, students may use a picture downloaded from the web or draw a picture that represents their book. Next, have students create the pages of the book. We suggest having at least one “chapter” for each question so that each book has at least four chapters. The number of pages in each chapter will depend on the number of pages each team member has written in answer to their question. The last chapter will depend on the number of pages the team has used to answer the last question. The team must decide on the title of each chapter and may choose to illustrate each chapter page. When the books are completed, provide the teams with time to decide how each person will briefly talk about their chapter and who will explain to the class why the team’s athlete is a good role model. Take the time needed, depending on the age and grade level of the students to explain that the oral report is a brief summary of each chapter that should only take a minute or two to say to the class. Give students time to make notes and practice their oral reports as a team so that the teacher can provide guidance and feedback to each team as needed. When the teams are ready to share their books, ask students to sit in a circle with each team’s members sitting together. Remind everyone to be respectful as they listen and to hold questions to the end of the presentation. Ask for a volunteer team to go first. Ask the first person who is speaking to hold the team’s book up, state the name of the book and briefly talk about the first chapter, after which the second and third team members will speak briefly about chapters two and three. Finally, ask the team member selected to give the three reasons why the team thinks the athlete is a good role model. Allow time for students to ask the presenting team questions. A good prompt to teach students is, “Could you please tell me more about___?”
Wrap-up	After all teams have shared, ask students what they have learned about what makes an athlete a good role model. Chart student responses on the board or on chart paper. Collect the books and put them on display for students to read.

Activating Prior Knowledge

Engage students in a social barometer exercise.

Designate one side of the room as “Agree” and the opposite side of the room as “Disagree.”
Designate the middle of the room as “Not Sure.”
Tell students that you are going to read a statement and ask them to walk to the space in the room that reflects what they think about the statement.
Give an example by asking students to tell you where they would stand if they agreed with the statement, “I like chocolate chip cookies.”
Ask where they would stand if they disagree with the statement, “I love to go to the dentist.”
Ask where they would stand if they were not sure how they felt about either of these statements.

Read the following statements. Give students time to get to the area that indicates whether they agree, disagree or are not sure.

Once students are in place, after each statement, ask for a volunteer or two from each group (Agree, Disagree or Not Sure) to explain why they think the way they do.

People look up to famous athletes.
The only things you need to be a great athlete are strength,
speed and skill.
All athletes are good role models.
The only thing we can learn from athletes is how to
win.

Thank children for thinking about these statements and explain that the ideas they shared are going to help them as they work in a small team to create a book about an athlete. The book will explain why the person is a good role model and what life lessons they can teach us by their example.

Core Instruction

Tell students they must be completely silent. Tell them that when they pick their card from the bag, they must look at it quickly without letting anyone see it. Hold the bag with the numbered cards and walk around the room to each student and ask each to take a card from the bag. When all students have a card, tell them to stand up and find the two other students with the same number without speaking. They may only use hand signals to find their teammates.

When all students have found their teammates, ask teams to sit together. Ask each team to pick one representative to come up to pick out a card for the team.

When each representative has picked a card, give the teams a few minutes to read and discuss the meaning of the quotation on their team’s card and their reactions to it.

Ask each team to choose one member to stand up and read the name of the athlete, the second member to read the quotation on the card and the third member to state whether the team knows who the athlete is.

When all groups have shared, explain that each team will conduct research on its athlete and use this research to create a book about the athlete. Tell students that each team will use its book to make a presentation to the rest of the teams about its athlete.

Distribute the Athlete Role Model Research Assignment sheet to each student in the class. Review the assignment sheet with the group and answer any questions the students may have.

Tell students that, to prepare for their research, the teams now have 10-15 minutes to decide which person is going to research each of the first three questions. The team must also talk about what information each person must know so that all three together can answer question 4.

Tell students the teams will be working the next time they meet to conduct research on their athlete in the library or media center or on laptops.

Go around the room and ask each person to say two words that describe how they feel about the project. When everyone has shared, acknowledge any concerns the students’ feeling words have raised and end by repeating positive words students have shared.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Depending on the grade level and individual group
needs, student teams may need more than one teacher facilitated research
session in the library or media center.

Days 2 and 3: Creating and Sharing Athlete Role Model
Books

Create covers for the books. On a blank piece of paper, have students title their team’s book. For the cover illustration, students may use a picture downloaded from the web or draw a picture that represents their book.

Next, have students create the pages of the book. We suggest having at least one “chapter” for each question so that each book has at least four chapters. The number of pages in each chapter will depend on the number of pages each team member has written in answer to their question. The last chapter will depend on the number of pages the team has used to answer the last question. The team must decide on the title of each chapter and may choose to illustrate each chapter page.

When the books are completed, provide the teams with time to decide how each person will briefly talk about their chapter and who will explain to the class why the team’s athlete is a good role model. Take the time needed, depending on the age and grade level of the students to explain that the oral report is a brief summary of each chapter that should only take a minute or two to say to the class. Give students time to make notes and practice their oral reports as a team so that the teacher can provide guidance and feedback to each team as needed.

When the teams are ready to share their books, ask students to sit in a circle with each team’s members sitting together. Remind everyone to be respectful as they listen and to hold questions to the end of the presentation. Ask for a volunteer team to go first. Ask the first person who is speaking to hold the team’s book up, state the name of the book and briefly talk about the first chapter, after which the second and third team members will speak briefly about chapters two and three. Finally, ask the team member selected to give the three reasons why the team thinks the athlete is a good role model.

Allow time for students to ask the presenting team questions. A good prompt to teach students is, “Could you please tell me more about___?”

Wrap-up

After all teams have shared, ask students what they have learned about what makes an athlete a good role model. Chart student responses on the board or on chart paper.

Collect the books and put them on display for students to read.

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