Curated OER
Sports Heroes and Private Action for the Common Good
Young readers explore philanthropy and its effects on the public good. They discuss athletes and their examples as philanthropists. They research a sports hero and play "The Match Game" to determine what they know about other sports...
PBS
Jackie Robinson's Complicated — and Important — Legacy
Americans tend to lock their heroes in history, holding these icons to a particular event or time. Jackie Robinson is such a hero, remembered by most for becoming the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. Young historians...
Curated OER
Heroes and Celebrities
Students compare heroes and celebrities. In this role-model lesson, students identify the characteristics of a hero and those of a celebrity. Students think of their heroes and place the make a chart of their heroes versus celebrities....
Curated OER
Canadian Heroes
Students examine heroes of Canada. They watch short videos about Lionel Conacher, Harry Jerome, and Wayne Gretzky, research a Canadian athlete, write an essay, and create an an athlete triptych.
Curated OER
Holding Out for a Hero: Roberto Clemente
Students brainstorm lists of heroes, heroic qualities, and ways to pay tribute to heroes. In this Holding Out for a Hero lesson, students record Clemente's heroic attributes as athlete ad humanitarian. After visiting the Beyond Baseball...
Curated OER
Role Models and Heroes
Fifth graders identify characteristics of heroes. In this role model and heroes lesson, 5th graders research a Canadian hero and design a bulletin board to display their presentation.
National First Ladies' Library
Who’s on First? in the End Zone? at the net? in the Ring?
Pupils are introduced to some sport heroes from the 20th century. They are told that although many sports have their own Halls of Fame, there is no one list of the top 10 athletes from the 20th century. It is their job to research famous...
PBS
Cardboard History
A PBS clip focused on collecting sports memorabilia launches this research project lesson plan. Class members then read Dan Gutman’s Honus and Me in which Wagner’s baseball card is used to time travel. The lesson plan ends with...
Curated OER
Who Am I? Jackie Robinson
In this sports heroes worksheet, students read the clues about a famous African-American baseball player. Students fill in the blanks to break the code and use the code to name the mystery person - Jackie Robinson.
Curated OER
The Best of the Best
Learners participate in a discussion about the definition of the word 'hero'. They research baseball players and managers and then engage in a formal debate about the merits of their subjects.
Curated OER
I'll Trade You . . .
Learners watch the video, New York Sports: Big Shots and Bad Guys. They research some of the players highlighted in the show for information about their athletic prowess, their importance in the city, and their reputations as Big Shots...
Curated OER
Jackie Robinson, A Black Hero
Students explore the meaning of the word hero. In this philanthropy lesson, students examine what the word hero means as they discover Jackie Robinson and hits contributions to society.
Curated OER
Retro Sports Card Self Portrait
Students create a "Sports Card Self-Portrait" using the student as model and the sport of their choice as the subject. They use the examples of early baseball cards from the Library of Congress online exhibition "Baseball Cards 1887 to...
Curated OER
Born on a Mountaintop? Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History
Students compare and contrast the details from the life of the real David Crockett and the legendary folk hero he later became. They identify the characteristics of a tall tale and follow a rubric to create a tall tale of their own.
Curated OER
Heros and Heroines
Sixth graders will explore why: today children are faced with an increasingly fractured world where a variety of forces work to shape their final character. Positive role models like parents, teachers, and athletes are important for...
National First Ladies' Library
Saluting Babe Ruth, the Bambino
For first-hand research experience, learners study the achievements of baseball hero, Babe Ruth. They gain a better understanding of the game, especially the role of a home run. They then use their research findings to create displays...
Curated OER
Hereos and Celebrities
Young scholars complete a vocabulary game using new words. They use a Venn diagram to distinguish between a celebrity and a hero. They take a vocabulary quiz to complete the lesson plan.
Curated OER
Remote Control
Students examine the business of sports. In this current events lesson, students discuss the sale of Manchester United to an American businessman. Students listen to a lecture about branding and marketing. Students may research British...
Curated OER
Jackie Robinson, A Black Hero
Students examine the life of Jackie Robinson and how he opened the door for other African American athletes. They identify how one person can make a difference by their actions. They write about the responsiblity of citizens to end the...
Curated OER
Can Anyone Be a Leader?
Students explore the concept of leadership and identify leaders from the past and present. They brainstorm qualities of effective leaders, research a leader from the past and develop a presentation on their findings and choose a local...
Curated OER
Joe DiMaggio: The Way it Was
Young scholars explore how "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" remains one of America's most beloved sports heroes and a cultural icon of the twentieth century. In 1941 Joe DiMaggio set a major league record that still stands; he safely hit in 56...
Curated OER
Press Perception of Jack Johnson
Students role-play the role of journalists during the 19th and 20th centuries. They create their own sports newspapers. They report on Jack Johnson's life and career.
Curated OER
Muhammad Ali
Students analyze the lifetime accomplishments of Muhammad Ali in the area of sports and his role as a catalyst for social change.
Curated OER
Everyday Heroes
Learners research how Ernie Pyle's descriptive narratives and "every man's" perspective of the war allow them to examine personal traits such as courage and heroism. The activity can be extended to include more examples to teach...