Professional Documents
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Curriculum Analysis
4.15.2008
Description of Curriculum
diverse ethnic and cultural infusion has tried to frame and present America
adoption of “American” values and traditions among its people has not
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
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
sports. The Super Bowl, annually, is the largest viewed television event. The
Thanksgiving holiday is eating a big dinner while chasing down the meal with
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,
designed a sports centered social studies class. The students will cover the
and student body to maximize success. This class should be an elective and
The title of this class is Sports and American Society with the
Identity?” This class will be divided into three main units, which will be
designed the curriculum to begin with Sports and Economics. Here, similar to
teach students basic economic principals and terms, and recognize their
This Unit, similar to the two that follow, begins with questions for class
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
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
The first unit of the Sports and Economics unit will deal with
see how they present themselves throughout sports. The second unit
Industrialism, strikes, child labor, stock markets, labor unions, and the Great
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
History II.
analyzing what role sports plays in our nation while at war, and the
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
The first unit of the Sports in Wartime Unit is Sports in the post Civil
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
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
5, we will explore what role sports has in the role of our society during our
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
areas? Are sports true meritocracies? Does everyone get a “fair shake” in
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