Keith Benson

Curriculum Analysis

4.15.2008

Dr. Ben Justice

Description of Curriculum

Following the 2008 Presidential campaign, Barak Obama’s speech on

race in America, John Edwards’ description of “Two Americas”, the Rev.

Jeremiah Wright controversies, and a few classes on Thursday nights where

we students attempted to find a common strand that holds or unites

Americans of all backgrounds, I think I may have an answer that is as valid

as any I’ve heard.

Our country, having become the reluctant and, oftentimes,

unwelcoming melting pot (but a melting pot nonetheless), after centuries of

diverse ethnic and cultural infusion has tried to frame and present America

to its differing demographic as a universal “ism” every American or

immigrant should willingly, proudly accept. Suffice to say, wholesale

adoption of “American” values and traditions among its people has not

occurred. Uniting our country along accepted traditions was a responsibility

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

modern public schooling a national unity and understanding of American

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

incorporate modern US History with every Americans innate personal

competitiveness and tradition. My US History II curriculum will be taught

using popular sports as an illustrator through which American history can be

understood and remembered.

If anything is as “American as apple pie”, it is our fascination with

sports. The Super Bowl, annually, is the largest viewed television event. The

NCAA’s March Madness, hampers American corporate productivity every

year. In most American families, it is common for the highlight of the

Thanksgiving holiday is eating a big dinner while chasing down the meal with

a hearty helping of NFL football. Emotional roller coasters revolving around

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,

interest in sports. Capitalizing on our near-universal fascination with

competition through sports, sports will be my proverbial “teaspoon of honey”

to help the medicine, that is American History, go down.

In accordance with the standards and strands that provide the

framework through which US History II is mandated to be taught, I have

designed a sports centered social studies class. The students will cover the

traditional areas of social studies; civics, economics, geography and history.

In addition, students will have opportunities to discuss current events,

conduct investigations, and write essays of various lengths and perspectives

and employing technology. I have designed this curriculum to be operable

without a textbook, but instead using many primary and secondary

documents as well as documentaries as instructional and illustrative tools.

While this curriculum is fun, it demands a dedicated and innovative teacher

and student body to maximize success. This class should be an elective and

span an entire semester.

The title of this class is Sports and American Society with the

essential question, “Are Sports Revolutionary or Reflective of Our National

Identity?” This class will be divided into three main units, which will be

further divided into their own sub-units.

Unit 1: Sports and Economics

With respect to the mandate that Social Studies include the

examination of economics, as subject very few people learn or understand, I

designed the curriculum to begin with Sports and Economics. Here, similar to

the famous “Economic Systems Using Cows” methodology, I attempt to

teach students basic economic principals and terms, and recognize their

implementation using sports.

This Unit, similar to the two that follow, begins with questions for class

consideration. These questions provide a framework for students recognize

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

questions are meant for students to think about learned information,

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

our enjoyment of sports?

The first unit of the Sports and Economics unit will deal with

specifically introducing common economic terminology and principals and

see how they present themselves throughout sports. The second unit

examines American capitalism in Sports. In this unit we will discuss

Industrialism, strikes, child labor, stock markets, labor unions, and the Great

Depression. Next, students will master understanding of other economic

systems like Socialism and Capitalism by examining sports in China, Cuba,

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

professional athletes. We will look at athlete’s salaries, contracts, reasons for

strikes and lockouts, globalization and consumerism – all while learning US

History II.

Unit 2: Sports in Wartime

 The second major unit is called Sports in Wartime. Here we will be

analyzing what role sports plays in our nation while at war, and the

nationalism entrenched in sport when we compete with other nations. Finally

we will spend time providing political, historical, and ideological context of

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

this pride in our country?

The first unit of the Sports in Wartime Unit is Sports in the post Civil

War/Reconstruction era. We will look at what sports were being promoted

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

Figures. Here we will examine the progression of sports in mainstream

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

significance of international competition in the post WWII era. Finally in unit

5, we will explore what role sports has in the role of our society during our

more contemporary wartimes, specifically following 9/11 and during our

current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Unit 3: Sports and Social Change

 In this Unit we will look at how, if at all, sports play a role in America’s

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

for minorities and women translate into mainstream acceptance in other

areas? Are sports true meritocracies? Does everyone get a “fair shake” in

sports? Are athletes effective as politically active beings?

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

there we will move on to the Latino American Struggle for Recognition

comprising unit 2. Next we will examine Gender Inequality and Women’s

Movements since the early 1900’s. Finally we will be looking at Sport as

Forums of Social Protest.

The mission at the classes’ end would be accomplished if students

began to see sports as more than just entertainment, but as a catalyst or

mirror of our history, society, and culture.