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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
PART
II
Third Grade
THROUGH
Fifth Grade
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From NCAA Basketball Fast Break: Lessons Across the Curriculum With the NCAA, © 2003, NCAA.
© Human Kinetics
Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
Language Arts
While exploring the exciting world of sport and the NCAA®, students participate in writing exercises in which they will develop research skills,
communication skills and writing skills. In these lessons, students will
practice persuasive writing; develop advertisements; and write news articles, letters and character sketches.
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From NCAA Basketball Fast Break: Lessons Across the Curriculum With the NCAA, © 2003, NCAA.
Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
LESSON
1
Play Like a Champion
Students will explore the experience of sport through the use of figurative language
devices such as similes and metaphors. The lesson will also introduce the concepts of
amateur versus professional sport and give an overview of the NCAA® organization.
National Standards: NL-ENG.K-12.6, NL-ENG.K-12.2
Skill: Applying knowledge—figurative language, understanding the human
experience
Estimated Lesson Time: 30–40 minutes
Teacher Preparation
Duplicate the Play Like a Champion worksheet on page 143 for each student.
Materials
• 1 copy of the Play Like a Champion worksheet on page 143 for each student
• 1 pencil for each student
Background Information
This lesson will give students information about amateur versus professional sport. It
will also introduce students to the NCAA organization. The NCAA is the organization
through which the nation’s colleges and universities speak and act on athletics matters at the national level. The Association strives to maintain intercollegiate athletics
as an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the
student body. The NCAA represents collegiate student-athletes and teams from more
than 1,200 institutions and conferences, and it administers 87 national championships
in 22 sports.
Introduce the Lesson
Explain briefly to students the importance of exercise in their lives. Our bodies need
physical activity to be healthy and strong. Tell students that there are many types of
physical activities, such as walking, biking and swimming. Ask who walks or bikes to
school or to friends’ houses. Tell students that this lesson will focus on one type of
physical activity—sports—but emphasize that they can choose many other good ways
to get exercise as well (e.g., climbing on playground equipment, gardening and so on).
Follow These Steps
1. Ask students to name their favorite sports. Ask why they like to play those sports.
Do they like the running and kicking involved in soccer? Or the excitement of a
competitive basketball game?
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
2. Tell students that people like sports for many different reasons and play at many
levels. At all levels, from park district teams for beginners to college and professional teams, different organizations help organize sports so many athletes can
play. More than 1,000 colleges and universities belong to an organization called
the NCAA (use Background Information to give students information about the
NCAA). The NCAA helps make sure these student-athletes have time to study
and do their college work as well as play their sport. Student-athletes are amateur athletes. Amateurs do not get paid for playing a sport. Professional athletes
do get paid for playing a sport. No matter what level they play at, the athletes
probably enjoy their sports for many of the same reasons you do.
3. The people who write about sport, such as reporters who write articles for newspapers or magazines, try to use language to capture the spirit of the sport—the
feeling of movement, the excitement of competition, the agony of defeat. Students will learn some ways to use language to help bring their own sport writing
to life.
4. Define figurative language. Figurative language is the use of a word or phrase
that helps the reader form an image in his or her mind. Two types of figurative
language are simile and metaphor.
• A simile is a comparison that uses the word like or as. It usually compares two
objects that are very different from each other. For example, in the simile His
basketball shoes were as large as ships, we are comparing the size of shoes to
ships. Figurative language cannot be taken literally. In other words, his basketball shoes were not really as large as ships, but the simile helps paint a
picture in the reader’s mind.
• A metaphor is an implied comparison. It is a comparison that does not use the
word like or as. A metaphor states that one thing is something else—for example, Her basketball shot is silk. The sentence compares her basketball shot
with silk. It is not really silk, but we can guess that her shot is smooth like silk.
Think about this metaphor about a basketball pass: The basketball was a torpedo jetting across the court. What does that say about the way the basketball
player threw the basketball?
5. Tell students that writers of poems, articles and stories use figurative language
to help their writing come to life. Making comparisons to things people already
know about can help a writer explain something new and form an accurate picture in the reader’s mind. If you are writing a story, a metaphor might help describe the character’s point of view. What if a character who is trying to shoot a
basketball for the first time says, “The net is no bigger than a grapefruit.” How is
that character feeling? How might a character describe the net if he is good at
shooting a basketball?
6. Hand out the Play Like a Champion worksheet from page 143 to each student.
Go over the directions and have students complete the worksheet. You may do
the first line of parts A and B as a class if you prefer. You may also allow the
students to work in pairs or small groups.
Extend and Vary the Lesson
Have students read NCAA college basketball articles in local newspapers or from the
AP wire at www.ncaabasketball.net. How many examples of figurative language can
they find?
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Play Like a Champion
Name_____________________________________________ Date______________________
Figurative language can help capture the excitement, feeling and motion that are part of sport and
exercise. It can bring your writing to life. Use your imagination when you complete these similes
and metaphors.
Part A: Sport Similes
I can run as fast as a ______________________________.
I can shoot the basketball as far as a ______________________________.
I can jump as high as a ______________________________.
I can pass as far as a ______________________________.
When I win, I feel like a ______________________________.
Think of NCAA® college basketball student-athletes you know. Use similes to describe their talent.
Follow this example: Basketball player Sue Bird runs like a deer.
______________________________ moves like a ______________________________.
______________________________ jumps like a ______________________________.
______________________________ is as quick as a ______________________________.
Part B: Sport Metaphors
If you are writing a story, a metaphor might help describe the character’s point of view. For example, “To José, the hoop looked no bigger than a peanut.” Write three of your own metaphors to
show a point of view. For each metaphor use one phrase from group A and one from group B. You
may also make up your own words.
Group A: the basketball, the basket, my pass, my foul shot, the opposing player, my teammate
Group B: a watermelon, an elephant, a speeding jet, a torpedo, a tiny peanut, an attacking
rhinoceros, a guided missile
Part C
Use the back of this sheet to write a short sports story, a poem or an article about a
made-up sporting event. Use at least one simile and one metaphor in your writing.
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From NCAA Basketball Fast Break: Lessons Across the Curriculum With the NCAA, © 2003, NCAA.
Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
LESSON
2
NCAA in the News
In this lesson, students will learn about the NCAA® and about what makes something
newsworthy.
National Standards: NL-ENG.K-12.3, NL-ENG.K-12.8
Skills: Evaluation strategies, developing research skills
Estimated Lesson Time: 30–40 minutes
Teacher Preparation
• Allow time in advance of the lesson for students to clip NCAA college basketball
articles about their local college or university team from newspapers or magazines
or read information on the Web. In addition, be sure to provide a supply of clippings in the classroom for those students who are unable to bring them from home.
• Duplicate the NCAA in the News worksheet on page 146 for each student.
Materials
• Clippings of newspaper, magazine and Web articles about NCAA basketball
student-athletes and events, including one to be used as an example for the class
• 1 copy of the NCAA in the News worksheet on page 146 for each student
• 1 pencil for each student
Background Information
The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association®, is the organization through
which the nation’s colleges and universities speak and act on athletics matters at the
national level. The NCAA represents collegiate athletes and teams from more than
1,000 institutions and conferences, and it administers 87 national championships in
22 sports.
News about the teams, athletes and events of the NCAA is always finding its way into
newspapers and magazines. Students will read and evaluate basketball articles about
NCAA schools, teams and sporting events and write their own news reports about
what they find. To find these articles, look in the sports section of the newspaper, read
through sporting magazines or look on the Web (e.g., www.ncaabasketball.net).
Introduce the Lesson
Ask students where news writers work. (Newspapers, magazines, TV and radio news
programs.) Tell students that this is their opportunity to learn what it takes to be a
great news writer. They will become sports reporters, writing about NCAA basketball.
Tell students about the NCAA (see Background Information). Give examples of colle-
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
giate basketball teams near you that belong to the NCAA. Explain to students how to
find articles in the newspaper or magazines (or on the Web) about NCAA basketball
events or student-athletes. (Caution: Look for college, not professional, athletics.) Ask
students to look in today’s paper and bring in clippings of articles about NCAA events
or student-athletes. Tell them to look for articles about both men’s and women’s college basketball.
Follow These Steps
1. Tell students that a news writer who writes an article about an event has to
make sure the event is newsworthy. Ask students what makes something newsworthy. (Events must be timely, true, unusual and interesting.) Together, make up
examples of newsworthy and “un-newsworthy” basketball events, explaining why
each is or is not newsworthy. (e.g., A student-athlete who made one free throw is
probably not a newsworthy event. A student-athlete who made 100 free throws is
probably newsworthy.)
2. Tell students the kind of information that must be included in good newswriting. Go
over “who, what, when, where and why or how” and why this is important information to include in all newswriting. Tell students that the goal of the news writer is to
inform readers about what is happening. The writing must catch the readers’ attention and give them the information they need (who the article is about, what happened, when it happened, where it happened and why or how it happened) quickly.
Read an example of a local college basketball news article and, as a class, write the
who, what, when, where and why or how on the board. Now, as a class, ask students
to form this into their own quick college basketball news statement.
3. Now discuss two other aspects of interesting newswriting: hooks and headlines.
• Talk about writing attention-grabbing headlines. Have students brainstorm
different headlines for the example news article (it is OK to let them be silly).
• Talk with students about possible ways to write “hooks” for news stories, such
as starting with a question or with the most unusual, funny or exciting part of
the story. Have the students brainstorm different hooks for the example news
article (again, it is OK to let them be silly).
4. Hand out the NCAA in the News worksheet on page 146 to each student, and
guide them to complete it.
5. Allow the students to share their work with partners or the class.
Extend and Vary the Lesson
• Tell one group or individual to write on a piece of paper the who, what, when,
where and why or how of a made-up basketball event. (It is OK to let them be
funny.) Give the paper to another group or individual and let them write the story
based on the information. Read some stories aloud to the class.
• Have the students edit each other’s news reports (as written in the preceding
extension), underlining the who, what, when, where and why or how.
• Give students extra public-speaking experience by encouraging them to retell their
stories as TV news broadcasts.
• For advanced students, see also the sixth grade–eighth grade language arts lesson 5 on page 292.
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NCAA in the News
Name_____________________________________________ Date______________________
Read an article about an NCAA® college basketball event. Look closely at the article. In the first
paragraph or two, it should tell you who it is about, what happened, when it happened, where it
happened and why or how it happened. Find these things in the article and write them down in the
spaces below.
Who: ______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What: ______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
When: _____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Where:_____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Why or How: _______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Think of a good “hook” for your news report. A hook is an exciting first line that grabs the readers’
attention and hooks them into reading the rest of your story. Think of an attention-grabbing headline for the article you studied. _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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From NCAA Basketball Fast Break: Lessons Across the Curriculum With the NCAA, © 2003, NCAA.
Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
LESSON
3
Dr. Naismith’s Original Rules
When Dr. Naismith, the inventor of basketball, wrote his original rules for the game, he
used the normal convention of the time—the passive voice. Now writers are encouraged to use the active voice. This lesson will give students an opportunity to “change
the rules of the game.” They will review subjects and verbs and learn how to write in
the active voice.
National Standard: NL-ENG.K-12.6
Skill: Applying knowledge of language structure and conventions
Estimated Lesson Time: 25–35 minutes
Teacher Preparation
Duplicate the Changing the Rules of the Game worksheet on page 149 for each student.
Materials
• 1 copy of the Changing the Rules of the Game worksheet on page 149 for each
student
• 1 pencil for each student
Background Information
When Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in the late 1800s, he wrote
13 rules so that players could understand the game. One of Dr. Naismith’s rules stated
that when the ball goes out of bounds, the first person to touch it throws it back in.
This caused many problems in early games as players dove wildly out of bounds after
the ball, each trying to get to it first. Spectators did not like to be a part of these
violent scuffles, so they chose not to sit close to the court. Around the turn of the
century, some teams constructed cages around their playing courts to keep the ball
(and the players) from going out of bounds, thus the nickname for basketball still
used today: cage ball. This arrangement allowed spectators to sit safely near the court.
Eventually, however, Dr. Naismith’s original rule was changed so that now, the team
that last touches the ball before it goes out of bounds loses possession of the ball.
Over time, some of Dr. Naismith’s rules have stayed the same and others have
changed. The NCAA® has made rules to protect the fairness of the game, both on and
off the court. NCAA rules are designed to promote fair competition and well-organized
play and to protect the well-being of colleges and student-athletes.
Just as the rules of basketball have changed over time, the conventions of writing
have, too. Dr. Naismith wrote his basketball rules using the passive voice, a normal
convention at the time. Good writers now prefer to use the active voice because it is
more direct and engaging.
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
Introduce the Lesson
Relate the preceding story, sharing with the students the way the rules of basketball
have changed. Explain that rules are necessary for many things, from basketball to
writing. Many of the rules of writing show us how to structure a sentence.
Follow These Steps
1. Define or review subject. The subject in a sentence is the thing that is doing the
action.
• A subject can be singular, as in the sentences John dribbles the ball or The girl
caught a pass—one person is doing the action.
• A subject can be plural, as in the sentence The players shot baskets all afternoon. The players are doing the action.
2. Define or review verbs. The verb tells the action. In the preceding sentences the
verbs dribbles, caught and shot are all action verbs. Some verbs contain a helper
verb combined with a main verb. For example, in the sentence The ball was
thrown by the player, was is a helper verb and thrown is the main verb. Thrown is
the verb that tells the action.
3. Explain that there are two voices of verbs: active and passive.
• In the active voice, the subject acts upon something or does something to something else. The active voice has a direct object. The direct object is the thing
that is being acted upon. For example, in the sentence The player threw the
ball, player is the subject, threw is the active verb, and ball is the direct object.
• In the passive voice, the subject is acted upon by something else. The sentence The ball was thrown by the player is written in the passive voice. It shows
the direct object, the ball, being acted upon, or thrown, by the subject, the
player. Explain that although using the passive voice is still correct grammar,
the active voice is the way we prefer to write now. Active voice keeps the
reader more involved and interested. Ask students to listen to the two sentences The player threw the ball and The ball was thrown by the player. Which
is simpler and more direct?
4. Hand out the Changing the Rules of the Game worksheet on page 149 to each
student.
5. Read aloud the instructions and the sample sentence.
Extend and Vary the Lesson
• For students with difficulty reading, read the sentences out loud to them.
• Do the entire worksheet as a class exercise.
• Have students review the sentences they have written in the active voice on their
worksheets. The subject in the old (passive voice) sentence becomes the direct
object in the new sentence. Ask students what the subject is in the new active
voice sentences. Help them understand that the subject is an implied You. Ask
them for other examples of implied you sentences, such as Come here.
• Have students make up three sentences using the active voice. Now have them
make up three similar sentences using the passive voice. Ask for volunteers to
read some sentences aloud. Ask them to name some differences they hear between the two styles of writing. Why are the styles called active and passive?
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Changing the Rules of the Game
Name_____________________________________________ Date______________________
Here are some of Dr. James Naismith’s 13 original rules for basketball. Over the years, basketball
rules have changed so the game is more organized and safer to play. Some of the rules of writing
have also changed since Dr. Naismith wrote these rules. He used the passive voice. Now writers
prefer to use the active voice. Your job is to help Dr. Naismith rewrite his rules using the active
voice.
First, circle the subject and put one line under the helper verb. Put two lines under the main, or
action, verb. Here is an example:
The ball may be thrown in any direction.
Now rewrite the sentence in the active voice. Begin with the action verb. Use the active form of the
verb. Follow the action verb with the subject. In the active voice, the subject is now the direct
object. Notice that helper verbs are not included in your new sentence. When you complete the
sentence it looks like this:
Throw the ball in any direction.
1. The ball must be held with your hands.
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. The ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket.
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. The ball shall be thrown into the field of play.
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. The game shall be played in two fifteen-minute halves.
_________________________________________________________________________________
5. The side making the most goals shall be declared the winner.
_________________________________________________________________________________
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From NCAA Basketball Fast Break: Lessons Across the Curriculum With the NCAA, © 2003, NCAA.
Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
LESSON
4
Sport Library
Students will read from a selection of resources and develop research skills as they
build a character sketch about a basketball student-athlete of their choice.
National Standard: NL-ENG.K-12.8
Skill: Developing research skills
Estimated Lesson Time: 1–1.5 hours
Teacher Preparation
• With the help of your school’s media specialist, assemble a selection of college
basketball-related nonfiction books, magazines and newspaper articles.
• Duplicate the A Student-Athlete I Admire worksheet on pages 152-153 for each
student.
Materials
• A selection of college basketball-related nonfiction books, magazines and newspaper articles (work with your school’s media specialist)
• 1 copy of the A Student-Athlete I Admire worksheet on pages 152-153 for each
student
• 1 pencil for each student
Background Information
The popularity of sport continues to grow, with sport participation increasing among
young boys and girls. This has spurred an interest among many children to learn about
their sports heroes and to find information about the sports that involve or interest
them. Many nonfiction books, magazines and newspaper articles are available to
help children find the information they seek. You can find AP wire stories at www.
ncaabasketball.net. You can also contact your local college or university Sports Information Director (SID) to obtain men’s and women’s basketball media guides that can
be used by the class for this lesson.
In this lesson, students will select from a variety of nonfiction books, magazines or
newspaper articles. They will learn to use a book’s table of contents and index to help
them research a student-athlete of their choice. The worksheet provided is designed
to guide students’ research so that they are prepared to write a character sketch. A
character sketch is a brief written description of a person’s personality or character.
It could be explained as using words to “paint a picture” of a person, describing his or
her traits, background, interests and ideas.
Introduce the Lesson
Ask your students, “What are your favorite sports? Do you have a favorite studentathlete, someone who is well known in his or her sport? What do you know about that
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
student-athlete? Would you like to know more? How could you learn more about the
student-athlete you admire?” After a brief discussion, say, “Books that tell about a
person’s life are called biographies. We will use books and articles in magazines and
newspapers to find out more about some of your favorite student-athletes.”
Follow These Steps
1. Have each student select a book, magazine, newspaper or Web article from those
you have gathered. Give them a few minutes to look through the resources and
select a student-athlete to study.
2. Tell your students about the table of contents, including where it is found in a
book or magazine, how it is set up and how it is used. Say, “You use a table of
contents when you want to quickly see what type of information is in a book, or
what articles are in a magazine.” Show an example. Ask students to turn to the
table of contents in their book or magazine. Find several volunteers to each read
aloud the name of one article or chapter from the table of contents and the page
it is found on.
3. Tell your students about the index, including where it is found in a book, how it
is set up and how it is used. Explain that most magazines (and some books) do
not have an index. Say, “You use an index when you want to find information on
a specific topic.” Show an example. Ask students to turn to the index in their
books. Find several volunteers to each read aloud the name of one item from the
index and the page it is found on.
4. Hand out the A Student-Athlete I Admire worksheet on pages 152-153 to each
student.
5. Go over the questions on the worksheet. Explain to students that the worksheet
asks questions to guide their research. If a question does not apply to the
student-athlete they are studying, they may leave it blank. Once they have filled
out the answers that apply, they will use the information to write a character
sketch about that student-athlete. Explain the term character sketch.
Extend and Vary the Lesson
• Have students work in pairs or small groups, each member looking through a
different resource to research the same student-athlete. Each member can concentrate on researching and answering a certain number of questions on the
worksheet. Afterward, students can write individual reports using the group’s information.
• After students write their character sketches, have them introduce their studentathletes to the class in oral reports. Explain to students how to prepare for public
speaking, including writing down key words, practicing, looking at the audience
while speaking and speaking loudly and clearly.
• To shorten lesson time, instead of presenting an oral report to the entire class,
students may introduce their student-athletes to other members of a small group.
Or have students do the research and fill out the worksheet without writing a
character sketch.
• Create a “wax museum” with students dressing as their athlete and giving their
reports to visitors touring the “museum” (stations in the classroom). Have each
student design a clever way for visitors to “turn on” his or her “wax” character.
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A Student-Athlete I Admire
Name_____________________________________________ Date______________________
Choose an NCAA® basketball student-athlete and read about him or her. Fill in answers to the
questions below. When you are done, use this information to write a character sketch.
What is the student-athlete’s name? ___________________________________________________
What is the student-athlete’s nickname? ________________________________________________
Does the student-athlete play on a team? If so, what team? _______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What position does the student-athlete play? ___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What makes the student-athlete stand out in his or her sport? _____________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Where is the student-athlete from? ____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Where does the student-athlete live now? ______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What is the student-athlete’s age? _____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
How long has the student-athlete been playing this sport?________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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What is the student-athlete’s greatest achievement? _____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What is one thing the student-athlete enjoys about his or her sport? _______________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What is something the student-athlete is not very good at doing? _________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Has the student-athlete ever experienced failure? How did he or she overcome it? ___________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Find a quote from the student-athlete (something he or she said): _________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Find some interesting details about the student-athlete (other interests, family, pets and so on):
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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From NCAA Basketball Fast Break: Lessons Across the Curriculum With the NCAA, © 2003, NCAA.
Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
LESSON
5
Basketball Talk
Traveling, dribbling, alley-oop—basketball has a language all its own. Students will
explore the diverse uses of language and develop the skills they need to communicate
effectively with different audiences.
National Standards: NL-ENG.K-12.4, NL-ENG.K-12.8, NL-ENG.K-12.9
Skills: Communication and research skills, multicultural understanding, understanding language in context
Estimated Lesson Time: 30–40 minutes
Teacher Preparation
Duplicate the Basketball Talk worksheet on pages 156-157 for each student.
Materials
• 1copy of the Basketball Talk worksheet on pages 156-157 for each student
• 1 pencil for each student
Background Information
When basketball was invented in the late 1800s, players used soccer balls or footballs
to play the game. Sometimes basketball was referred to as “indoor football” because
the season followed so closely after football season. Successful shots into the basket
were sometimes even called “touchdowns.” Since those early days of basketball, the
sport has developed its own equipment and its own vocabulary. Basketball no longer
needs to borrow terms from other sports. It has a language all its own.
In this lesson, students will explore the idea that vocabulary has different meanings
for people of different cultures and backgrounds. For example, the slang phrase “What’s
up?” might cause an unfamiliar audience to look skyward. The word travel has one
meaning on the basketball court and a different meaning off the court. Students will
study basketball terms and then write statements to two different audiences, learning
to evaluate the audience and tailor their communication differently to each audience
they address.
Introduce the Lesson
Tell your students that words can have different meanings for people of different cultures and backgrounds. Say, “For example, in Europe, the sport of soccer is called
football. Even people of different ages have different ways of speaking. If you like something, you may say it is ‘cool.’ Your parents may say it is ‘nice.’ Basketball has its own
language, too.”
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
Follow These Steps
1. Ask students to name words or phrases they normally use that people of a different age or culture might not understand. Write these on the board. Have students pick three terms and, as a class, write definitions of the terms for an audience unfamiliar with them.
2. Have students brainstorm basketball terms. Write them on the board.
3. Ask them if any of these terms have other meanings off the court (e.g., dribble,
travel).
4. Tell them, “When we write, we have to keep in mind who will be reading our
writing. Our readers are called our audience. We must make sure to write in a
way that best communicates with the audience we are addressing.”
5. Hand out the Basketball Talk worksheet on pages 156-157 to each student.
6. Review the worksheet instructions.
7. When students have had sufficient work time, you may review their answers.
Extend and Vary the Lesson
• For students who have difficulty reading, read the definitions out loud to them.
• Have students think of terms used in sports besides basketball, such as football
and soccer. Ask them to define these terms for an audience unfamiliar with the
sport. Can they think of any terms (such as foul, strike or walk) that mean different
things in different sports?
• Have students look at part B of their worksheets (“On the Court/Off the Court”).
How are the basketball terms similar to the off-the-court meanings of the word?
Have students explain why they think these particular words were chosen as basketball terms based on the similarities in meaning. For example, the on-the-court
definition of traveling is moving without dribbling the ball. The off-the-court definition means to take a journey. Both definitions involve movement from one place
to another. Make up two sentences using two or more of the basketball terms in
part B. For example, The player traveled three times during the first two minutes of
the game, so the coach asked him to sit on the bench. Now read the sentences,
thinking of the off-the-court meanings of the words. Are the sentences funny? Why?
• Write a four- to five-sentence paragraph about a basketball game. Talk about how
the players dribble the ball, pass to each other and shoot the ball. (1) Write the
description for an audience that knows basketball. (2) Now write the description
for an audience that does not know basketball. Use the terms on the worksheet to
help you describe the action.
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Basketball Talk
Name_____________________________________________ Date______________________
Part A: Basketball Terms Glossary
Match each term on the left with its correct definition on the right.
1. Defense
2. Foul
3. Free throw
4. Guards
5. Offense
6. Pass
7. Rebound
a. To throw the ball to another player
b. The two players on a basketball team who bring the
ball down the court toward the basket
c. To grab a missed shot
d. The team without the ball that tries to stop the other
team from scoring
e. A shot thrown from behind the free-throw line
f. The team that has the ball and tries to score
g. A bump, slap or grab that results in a penalty
Part B: On the Court/Off the Court
The following words mean one thing on the basketball court and another off the court. Match each
word with its correct meaning.
1. Dribble—on the court
2. Dribble—off the court
3. Dunk—on the court
4. Dunk—off the court
5. Shot—on the court
6. Shot—off the court
7. Travel—on the court
8. Travel—off the court
9. Turnover—on the court
10. Turnover—off the court
a. A vaccination against diseases
b. A filled pastry made by folding half the crust over
the other half
c. To walk or run without dribbling the ball, which results in a penalty
d. To take a trip or journey
e. To let something fall in drops or to drool
f. The instance of a team losing the ball without taking a shot and the ball going to the other team
g. To stuff the ball through the basket
h. An attempt to throw the ball into the basket
i. To dip, as a cookie into milk
j. To bounce the basketball by pushing it to the floor
with one hand
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Bonus Activity
Write two sentences about a basketball game. Talk about how the players dribble the ball, pass to
each other or shoot the ball. (1) Write the sentences for an audience that knows basketball. (2)
Now write the sentences for an audience that does not know basketball. Use the terms and definitions on the worksheet to help you describe the action.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
LESSON
6
Tell It Like It Is
Girls today are able to take advantage of a huge variety of athletic opportunities, thanks
in many cases to the 1972 passage of the antidiscrimination law known as Title IX. In
this lesson, students will think about discrimination and the power of public opinion.
Pretending it is a time before 1972, they will practice their writing skills by developing
a commercial to promote the idea of women participating in sports.
National Standards: NL-ENG.K-12.4, NL-ENG.K-12.6
Skills: Communication skills, applying knowledge of language structure and
conventions
Estimated Lesson Time: 30–45 minutes
Teacher Preparation
Duplicate the Tell It Like It Is worksheet on pages 161-162 for each student.
Materials
• 1 copy of the Tell It Like It Is worksheet on pages 161-162 for each student
• 1 sheet of notebook paper for each student
• 1 pencil for each student
Background Information
For most of human history, sports and athletics have been dominated by men. Until
the mid-1800s, public opinion held that girls were physically unable to compete in
sports. Many doctors even said that it was unhealthy for women to exercise. Slowly,
with the help of pioneer female athletes, public opinion began to change. Still, for
many decades, opportunities for female participation in organized sports were few.
This changed in 1972, when Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to the 1964
Civil Rights Act was passed by Congress. The law, more commonly known as Title IX,
reads, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (20 U.S.C.
§ 1681).
Public and private institutions of learning that receive federal assistance must practice Title IX. Title IX does not apply to private colleges and universities that do not
receive any federal assistance. Since 1972, many new opportunities have become available for female athletes to participate in sports. New teams were formed and new
organizations established. By 1976, the number of females participating in high school
athletics had risen to 1,645,039. In the 2000-01 school year, the number of females
participating in high school athletics was 2,784,154. (These statistics are according to
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
the National High School Federation [NFHS].) In 1982, the NCAA® began administering championship tournaments for women in many sports, including basketball, soccer, golf and tennis.
Introduce the Lesson
Share this short story with your students: The year was 1961. Pam was a high school
student who loved the game of basketball. She played basketball with friends and practiced all the time. However, Pam could not play basketball for her high school. Girls
were not allowed on the boys’ basketball team and there was no girls’ basketball team.
Eventually, Pam lost her interest in basketball because she had no chance to compete.
Follow These Steps
1. Explain the concept of discrimination. Ask students what are some traits that
might bring on discrimination. (Age, race, gender.) Discuss the gender discrimination involved in the preceding story. Ask students if they have ever experienced discrimination (e.g., You cannot play with us because you are a boy [or
girl]; you are too young; you are not our friend). How did it feel?
2. Discuss with students the history of women’s involvement in sports using the
background information from this lesson. Include discussion about public opinion and social pressure (e.g., Females cannot play sports and should not exercise). Discuss ways in which public opinion influences discrimination (e.g.,
coaches who think it is unhealthy for women to participate in sports will not let
them participate). Ask students how they feel about these ideas and the discrimination against women in sports.
3. Discuss how public opinion has changed. How did this change occur? (Scientists, doctors and pioneer female athletes all proved that women could successfully
compete in sports.) Discuss how discrimination has changed. Talk about Title IX
(use background information from this lesson).
4. Ask the students to think about what it might be like if they lived in the time
before Title IX went into effect. How could they help change public opinion and
stop discrimination against girls participating in sports? (They might gather girls
into informal teams and invite those in charge of boy’s sports programs to see the
successful way girls can play; they might write persuasive letters to people in charge
of sports programs giving them information about girls’ athletic abilities.) Discuss
the means people use to change others’ opinions. (Commercials, which try to
give consumers either a positive opinion about a product or a negative one, such
as antismoking commercials; books; persuasive speeches [e.g., those by Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.].)
5. Discuss the important aspects of persuasive writing, including
• using a “hook” (a strong beginning to capture the audience’s attention; see
also lesson 2, “NCAA in the News,” on page 144),
• presenting a strong main idea and maintaining focus,
• providing support for the main idea and
• ending with a strong conclusion.
6. Hand out the Tell It Like It Is worksheet on pages 161-162 and notebook paper to
each student.
7. Guide the students to complete the assignment.
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
Extend and Vary the Lesson
• Have students work in small groups to develop a college basketball commercial
using their persuasive language.
• Have students present their commercials to the class. Explain to students how to
prepare for public speaking, including practicing, looking at the audience while
speaking and speaking loudly and clearly.
• Instead of presenting to the entire class, students share their commercials within
small groups.
• Choose one or two commercials to be broadcast over the school’s PA system. Or
have each student or group present their work to another class.
References
Macy, Sue. 1996. Winning Ways: A Photohistory of American Women in Sports. New
York: Henry Holt.
National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2000. Middle School Madness. Indianapolis,
IN: NCAA.
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Tell It Like It Is
Name_____________________________________________ Date______________________
Pretend it is before 1972, when Congress passed the Title IX law. You are going to create a commercial to convince the teachers, coaches and students of your school that girls and women should
be able to play organized sports. Pretend that your commercial will be broadcast over the PA
system so everyone in the school will hear it. Think of a form for your commercial. Should it be a
speech? A short story? Interviews? Something else? Use the prompts below to organize your commercial.
Commercial’s “hook” (a strong beginning to capture the audience’s attention): _____________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Commercial’s main message: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Support for the main message: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Personal story (about you, someone you know or a made-up character): ___________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Examples of women in sports: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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Evidence that women can play sports: _________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Quotes from experts: ________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: ________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Now write your commercial on a separate sheet of paper.
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
LESSON
7
Dear Player
In this lesson, students explore the power of communicating with the written word.
National Standards: NL-ENG.K-12.4, NL-ENG.K-12.5, NL-ENG.K-12.12
Skills: Communication skills, communication strategies, applying language
skills
Estimated Lesson Time: 40–50 minutes
Teacher Preparation
• Allow time in advance of the lesson for students to attend a college basketball
game, find information on the Web at www.ncaabasketball.net or read college
basketball articles in the newspaper.
• Duplicate the Dear Player worksheet on pages 165-166 for each student.
Materials
1copy of the Dear Player worksheet on pages 165-166 for each student
Background Information
The NCAA® is made up of student-athletes who want an education and who excel in
sports. The fact that these individuals have made it to college-level athletics suggests
that they have a strong degree of determination, a positive attitude, a good work ethic
and a healthy lifestyle. All of these are qualities that your students might look for in a
role model. Through attendance at a collegiate basketball event or research using
Web or newspaper articles, students will select a collegiate basketball student-athlete
who interests them. Students will then explore the art of writing through a mock email exchange of information with this college basketball student-athlete. By doing
so, students may learn strategies that could help them connect with other potential
role models. Learning the power that language holds in this type of communication,
as well as ways to use language for communication and connection, is the ultimate
goal of this lesson. Students will also gain opportunities to think about the positive
attributes of student-athletes and other good role models.
Introduce the Lesson
Tell students about the many NCAA college-level sports and teams. Write on the board
the many sports in which collegiate student-athletes compete (e.g., basketball, swimming, gymnastics and so on). Visit www.ncaasports.com to view the entire list of 22
NCAA sports. Tell students that playing on a college team in any sport may involve
trying out and competing against other student-athletes from high schools and colleges across the country. Ask, “Is it easy to play on a college-level team?” (No.)
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Third Grade–Fifth Grade Language Arts
Follow These Steps
1. Ask students what qualities student-athletes might need and choices they should
make to compete in college-level athletics. (Determination, a positive attitude,
hard work, healthy eating, other healthy choices.) Write these qualities on the
board.
2. Say to students, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to get to know one of these basketball student-athletes? If you had a chance, what might you ask them? What would
you want them to know about you?”
3. Tell students they will be writing a mock e-mail to an NCAA student-athlete. First
they will need to select a student-athlete. To learn about individual players in
the NCAA, they can attend a college sporting event, look in the sports section of
the newspaper for information about college basketball games, or go to the NCAA
Web site at www.ncaabasketball.net. This site will link them to any of the NCAA
men’s and women’s Division I, II and III basketball programs. They can also go to
www.ncaasports.com to get information on all NCAA sports.
4. After student-athletes have been chosen, hand out the Dear Player worksheet
on pages 165-166 to each student. Review the initial questions (part A) on the
worksheet, telling students that filling in the answers to these questions will
give them some basic information and ideas on which to base their e-mails. Give
students time to fill this out.
5. Go over part B of the worksheet, reminding students about the proper form of
an e-mail. The handout includes space for a subject heading and an e-mail address (make up the e-mail address or leave it blank, since this is a mock). From
there the handout follows the format of a letter, including the salutation (greeting), the body, the closing and a signature. In the case of these student e-mails,
the signature would be the student’s name, school and grade.
6. Review the first drafts with students. Give (or have peers give) suggestions for
editing. Have students edit and rewrite into a final draft.
7. Point out that the same qualities that make for top-notch student-athletes help a
person be successful in other areas of life, such as school, art, dance and careers.
Extend and Vary the Lesson
• For younger or less experienced students, omit the last three questions of part A
on the worksheet.
• Have students think of other potential role models in their lives. What positive
qualities do these people have? How might the student learn from these role models?
• Either the teacher or students read several finished e-mails aloud to the class.
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Dear Player
Name_____________________________________________ Date______________________
Writing a letter is a great way to get to know someone new. Here, you will write a mock e-mail to
an NCAA® basketball student-athlete of your choosing.
Part A: Getting to Know You
What is the student-athlete’s name? ___________________________________________________
What is the student-athlete’s sport? ____________________________________________________
Where does the student-athlete live now? ______________________________________________
What are some of the student-athlete’s special qualities? _________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What subjects is the student-athlete studying in college? _________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What is your name? _________________________________________________________________
What is your favorite sport? ___________________________________________________________
Where do you live now? _____________________________________________________________
What are some of your special qualities? _______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What do you and the student-athlete have in common? __________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
What would you like to know about the student-athlete? (For example, the student-athlete’s
other interests, how the student-athlete stays in shape, why he or she likes this sport.)
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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What would you like the student-athlete to know about you? (For example, your interests, how
you feel about sports, what you think about the athlete’s sport.)
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Do you know about a recent basketball game or sporting event the student-athlete participated
in? Tell the student-athlete what you know about it. Ask questions. Show appreciation for what
he or she did.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Part B: Writing Your E-Mail
Use the information above to write a mock e-mail.
E-mail Address:
Subject:
Dear ____________________,
Sincerely,
(Name, grade and school)
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