Good Sportsmanship
Theme: Sore Losers Film: Chariots of Fire (PG) 1:36
In the Olympic trials in the early years of the twentieth century, Cambridge track star Harold Abrams finally has a chance to compete against his rival, Scottish missionary-turned-Olympic-athlete Eric Liddell. After losing the race, Harold replays the defeat in his mind again and again, refusing to let it go. It will take harsh words from his girlfriend to help him regain some perspective.
This 1981 film from Enigma Productions and Twentieth Century Fox is directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It stars Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers, Cheryl Campbell, Alice Krige, Lindsay Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Nigel Davenport, Brad Davis, Peter Egan, John Gielgud, Ian Holm, and Patrick Magee.
Teaser Question: Were you ever afraid to try something because you didn't want to fail?
Going Deeper: Is playing a sport always about winning? How do you feel when you try your best and lose?
Making Choices: You have worked very hard to prepare for the most important game of your life... and you lose. What have you learned? Do you still want to play the game? How do you feel towards those who won?
“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed .”
—Michael Jordan
“If we learn from losing, we become winners in the end.." —Unknown
In the Olympic trials in the early years of the twentieth century, Cambridge track star Harold Abrams finally has a chance to compete against his rival, Scottish missionary-turned-Olympic-athlete Eric Liddell. After losing the race, Harold replays the defeat in his mind again and again, refusing to let it go. It will take harsh words from his girlfriend to help him regain some perspective.
This 1981 film from Enigma Productions and Twentieth Century Fox is directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It stars Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers, Cheryl Campbell, Alice Krige, Lindsay Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Nigel Davenport, Brad Davis, Peter Egan, John Gielgud, Ian Holm, and Patrick Magee.
Teaser Question: Were you ever afraid to try something because you didn't want to fail?
Going Deeper: Is playing a sport always about winning? How do you feel when you try your best and lose?
Making Choices: You have worked very hard to prepare for the most important game of your life... and you lose. What have you learned? Do you still want to play the game? How do you feel towards those who won?
“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed .”
—Michael Jordan
“If we learn from losing, we become winners in the end.." —Unknown
Theme: Honesty Film: The Legend of Bagger Vance (PG-13) 1:36
Once he had given up on himself. Now, thanks to the mysterious caddy, Bagger Vance, this one-time natural has come back to challenge the world's greatest golfer. During the big match, while brushing some twigs from around his ball...the ball moves. According to the rules, a golfer must count this as an extra stroke, as if he had hit ball one more time, thereby hurting his chances to win. However, no one saw what happened except the golfer, his caddy, and a young boy who desperately wants his hero to win.
This 2000 film from Dreamworks is directed by Robert Redford, written by Jeremy Leven and produced by Robert Redford, Michael Nozik, and Jake Eberts. It stars Will Smith, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron.
Teaser Question: What would you do if you were in this situation?
Going Deeper: Is it more important to win or to play by the rules? Is it okay to break the rules if you are not caught? What about "bending" the rules? What if you think a particular rule is foolish? What if everyone else bends the rules?
Making Choices: You studied hard for a big test and made a sheet of notes to help you remember. You bring the sheet with you to the test, not knowing it is against the rules. After the test you find out what you did was wrong. The penalty for breaking the test rules is an automatic "F." You only referred to your notes once. What do you do now? Tell the teacher? Leave things as they are? How will you feel if you don't tell your teacher? Who could you talk to about this?
“No legacy is so rich as honesty .” ---William Shakespeare
“A liar will not be believed even when he speaks the truth.." —Aesop
Once he had given up on himself. Now, thanks to the mysterious caddy, Bagger Vance, this one-time natural has come back to challenge the world's greatest golfer. During the big match, while brushing some twigs from around his ball...the ball moves. According to the rules, a golfer must count this as an extra stroke, as if he had hit ball one more time, thereby hurting his chances to win. However, no one saw what happened except the golfer, his caddy, and a young boy who desperately wants his hero to win.
This 2000 film from Dreamworks is directed by Robert Redford, written by Jeremy Leven and produced by Robert Redford, Michael Nozik, and Jake Eberts. It stars Will Smith, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron.
Teaser Question: What would you do if you were in this situation?
Going Deeper: Is it more important to win or to play by the rules? Is it okay to break the rules if you are not caught? What about "bending" the rules? What if you think a particular rule is foolish? What if everyone else bends the rules?
Making Choices: You studied hard for a big test and made a sheet of notes to help you remember. You bring the sheet with you to the test, not knowing it is against the rules. After the test you find out what you did was wrong. The penalty for breaking the test rules is an automatic "F." You only referred to your notes once. What do you do now? Tell the teacher? Leave things as they are? How will you feel if you don't tell your teacher? Who could you talk to about this?
“No legacy is so rich as honesty .” ---William Shakespeare
“A liar will not be believed even when he speaks the truth.." —Aesop
Theme: Playing Fair Film: The Mighty Ducks (PG) 1:12
They are the ultimate underdogs, a hockey team that no one expects to win. Facing a team tougher and bigger than they are, their coach comes up with a strategy to even the odds; he tells his team captain to fake an injury that will get the star of the opposing team benched. The team captain must decide whether winning is really worth the price.
This 1992 film from Walt Disney Pictures is directed by Stephen Herek, written by Steven Brill and produced by Jordan Kremer and Jon Avnet. It stars Emilio Estevez, Josh Ackland, Lane Smith, Heidi Kling, Josef Sommer, and Joshua Jackson.
Teaser Question: Have you ever stood up to someone who wanted you to do something wrong?
Going Deeper: What is more important: winning the game or following the rules?
Making Choices: Even though your team follows the rules, your opponents don't. You have a chance to win the game if you cheat. What do you do?
“You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do .” ---A. J. Kitt
“Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud." —Sophocles
They are the ultimate underdogs, a hockey team that no one expects to win. Facing a team tougher and bigger than they are, their coach comes up with a strategy to even the odds; he tells his team captain to fake an injury that will get the star of the opposing team benched. The team captain must decide whether winning is really worth the price.
This 1992 film from Walt Disney Pictures is directed by Stephen Herek, written by Steven Brill and produced by Jordan Kremer and Jon Avnet. It stars Emilio Estevez, Josh Ackland, Lane Smith, Heidi Kling, Josef Sommer, and Joshua Jackson.
Teaser Question: Have you ever stood up to someone who wanted you to do something wrong?
Going Deeper: What is more important: winning the game or following the rules?
Making Choices: Even though your team follows the rules, your opponents don't. You have a chance to win the game if you cheat. What do you do?
“You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do .” ---A. J. Kitt
“Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud." —Sophocles
Moving Students to Reflection and Action:
Keeping a Journal:
As an in-class activity, the students will write two entries in their journal under the heading of "Good Sportsmanship" answering the following questions:
1. Of all the examples of good sportsmanship demonstrated in the clips, which one was your favorite? Why?
2. Write about a time in your life when you demonstrated good sportsmanship.
3. Tell of a time when you did not demonstrate good sportsmanship?
4. Define sportsmanship.
Activity 1: Creating a Class Coat of Arms
Performance Objective:
To Build a healthy sense of teamwork by creating a personalized coat of arms
Materials Needed:
Poster paper, markers, masking tape
Teacher Instructions:
Before the session, the teacher will draw a coat of arms on a large sheet of chart paper, dividing it into six roughly equal parts. Cut the coat of arms into six sections, marking the top of each section on the back of the paper.
Divide the class into six groups and ask each group to complete a task which will contribute to an overall group project when put together.
GROUP ONE'S TASK: Decide on class colors and create a design using those colors on your piece of the coat of arms. Be prepared to tell the class why you chose those particular colors (for example, blue for loyalty and red for boldness).
GROUP TWO'S TASK: Decide on a class mascot and draw that mascot on your section of the coat of arms. Be prepared to tell why you chose that mascot (for example, a lion for confidence and strength).
GROUP THREE'S TASK: Design a symbol that represents your class on your piece of the coat of arms. Be prepared to tell why you chose that symbol (for example, a start because this is a bright and impressive class).
GROUP FOUR'S TASK: Decide on a class motto and write this on your section of the coat of arms (for example, "Moving Forward Together").
GROUP FIVE'S TASK: Decide on the class' contribution to the rest of the school and draw a symbol of that contribution (for example, a smiling face to show how your class always brings joy and laughter to the rest of the school.)
GROUP SIX'S TASK: Choose three words that yoou hoope people will remember when they think of your class and write them on your piece of the coat of arms (for example, "Bright, Cheerful, and United").
Offer assistance and encouragement to the groups throughout the exercise
At the end of their work, ask each group to select a representative to read the group's task to the class and show the results. The different drawings are placed carefully on another larger piece of paper to show the final resulting coat of arms. The groups can discuss the ways in which teamwork was happening in this exercise, both within each group ad between the task groups. Were there times when bad sportsmanship occurred? Why?
Activity 2: Character Traits
Performance Objective:
To identify goals for ourselves by seeing what we admire in others.
Materials Needed:
Papers with the numbers 1-5 at the top, followed by numbers 1-10 below, and another set of numbers 1-10 on the other side of the paper.
Teacher Instructions:
Ask your students to consider five people, real or fictional, they truly admire. They should then write the names of these people on the top part of their paper.
Using the bottom of the paper, have your students list ten qualities or character traits that they associate with their five role models (for example: Loyalty, Strength
Break up the class into groups of four or five students each. Ask each student to name some people they admire and share their character traits with others in their group.
Ask group members to review their separate lists of traits and come up with a single shared list of important traits they can all agree on.
Ask one person from each group to report to the rest of the class on what they came up with and why those traits were important to the group members.
How many of the traits are part of good sportsmanship?
Activity 3: Tic-Tac-Toe
Performance Objective:
To understand the importance and difficulties of leadership and communication.
Materials Needed:
Large sheets of paper with Tic-Tac-Toe grids drawn on each sheet, pencils, and blindfolds.
Teacher Instructions:
Divide the class into groups of four students each. Two members of each group are blindfolded and a sheet of paper with the Tic-Tac-Toe grid is placed between them. Each of the other two students in the group sits next to one of the respective blindfolded players and acts as a leader in the Tic-Tac-Toe game.
Using verbal instructions only, the leaders guide their respective blindfolded partners in the game, telling them what to draw and where to draw it on the grid. No physical help may be given, only verbal directions.
At the end of the round, the pairs revers their roles with the former leaders now being the blindfolded players. On the next round, partners can be swapped, then again without the blindfolds on anyone, but still with one partner in each pair acting as the leader and guiding the partner (who can see) in the game.
At the end of the entire exercise, ask the students to talk about the different kinds of teamwork and leadership that they experienced. What was it like being blindfolded and relying totally on the leadership of another? What was it like when you could see but still had to take another person's instructions? what was it like to be the leader and what difficulties or frustrations did you face? What role did good sportsmanship play in the exercise?
Activity 4: Role Play
Performance Objective:
To express opinions on a topic through written, oral, or dramatic expression.
Materials Needed:
Paper, pencil, props for skits.
Teacher Instructions:
Divide the class into groups of five students.
Instruct the groups to come up with a situation contrasting good sportsmanship and poor sportsmanship, and to develop a short role play or skit presenting this situation.
Have each group present their skit to the whole class. After all the role plays have been performed, the teacher leads the whole class in a discussion on the ideas contained in the skits regarding good sportsmanship.
Other Optional Ideas:
1. Have students write a short reflection examining the rewards and difficulties involved in being a good sport.
2. Have students make posters about good sportsmanship and then post them in the classroom or in the hall.
3. Have students create puppets and put on a puppet show of a sports scene where one character is a good sport and another is a poor sport.
Multiple Intelligences Addressed:
Verbal-linguistic Visual-Spatial
Bodily-Kinesthetic Logical-Mathematical
Musical-Rythmic Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
As an in-class activity, the students will write two entries in their journal under the heading of "Good Sportsmanship" answering the following questions:
1. Of all the examples of good sportsmanship demonstrated in the clips, which one was your favorite? Why?
2. Write about a time in your life when you demonstrated good sportsmanship.
3. Tell of a time when you did not demonstrate good sportsmanship?
4. Define sportsmanship.
Activity 1: Creating a Class Coat of Arms
Performance Objective:
To Build a healthy sense of teamwork by creating a personalized coat of arms
Materials Needed:
Poster paper, markers, masking tape
Teacher Instructions:
Before the session, the teacher will draw a coat of arms on a large sheet of chart paper, dividing it into six roughly equal parts. Cut the coat of arms into six sections, marking the top of each section on the back of the paper.
Divide the class into six groups and ask each group to complete a task which will contribute to an overall group project when put together.
GROUP ONE'S TASK: Decide on class colors and create a design using those colors on your piece of the coat of arms. Be prepared to tell the class why you chose those particular colors (for example, blue for loyalty and red for boldness).
GROUP TWO'S TASK: Decide on a class mascot and draw that mascot on your section of the coat of arms. Be prepared to tell why you chose that mascot (for example, a lion for confidence and strength).
GROUP THREE'S TASK: Design a symbol that represents your class on your piece of the coat of arms. Be prepared to tell why you chose that symbol (for example, a start because this is a bright and impressive class).
GROUP FOUR'S TASK: Decide on a class motto and write this on your section of the coat of arms (for example, "Moving Forward Together").
GROUP FIVE'S TASK: Decide on the class' contribution to the rest of the school and draw a symbol of that contribution (for example, a smiling face to show how your class always brings joy and laughter to the rest of the school.)
GROUP SIX'S TASK: Choose three words that yoou hoope people will remember when they think of your class and write them on your piece of the coat of arms (for example, "Bright, Cheerful, and United").
Offer assistance and encouragement to the groups throughout the exercise
At the end of their work, ask each group to select a representative to read the group's task to the class and show the results. The different drawings are placed carefully on another larger piece of paper to show the final resulting coat of arms. The groups can discuss the ways in which teamwork was happening in this exercise, both within each group ad between the task groups. Were there times when bad sportsmanship occurred? Why?
Activity 2: Character Traits
Performance Objective:
To identify goals for ourselves by seeing what we admire in others.
Materials Needed:
Papers with the numbers 1-5 at the top, followed by numbers 1-10 below, and another set of numbers 1-10 on the other side of the paper.
Teacher Instructions:
Ask your students to consider five people, real or fictional, they truly admire. They should then write the names of these people on the top part of their paper.
Using the bottom of the paper, have your students list ten qualities or character traits that they associate with their five role models (for example: Loyalty, Strength
Break up the class into groups of four or five students each. Ask each student to name some people they admire and share their character traits with others in their group.
Ask group members to review their separate lists of traits and come up with a single shared list of important traits they can all agree on.
Ask one person from each group to report to the rest of the class on what they came up with and why those traits were important to the group members.
How many of the traits are part of good sportsmanship?
Activity 3: Tic-Tac-Toe
Performance Objective:
To understand the importance and difficulties of leadership and communication.
Materials Needed:
Large sheets of paper with Tic-Tac-Toe grids drawn on each sheet, pencils, and blindfolds.
Teacher Instructions:
Divide the class into groups of four students each. Two members of each group are blindfolded and a sheet of paper with the Tic-Tac-Toe grid is placed between them. Each of the other two students in the group sits next to one of the respective blindfolded players and acts as a leader in the Tic-Tac-Toe game.
Using verbal instructions only, the leaders guide their respective blindfolded partners in the game, telling them what to draw and where to draw it on the grid. No physical help may be given, only verbal directions.
At the end of the round, the pairs revers their roles with the former leaders now being the blindfolded players. On the next round, partners can be swapped, then again without the blindfolds on anyone, but still with one partner in each pair acting as the leader and guiding the partner (who can see) in the game.
At the end of the entire exercise, ask the students to talk about the different kinds of teamwork and leadership that they experienced. What was it like being blindfolded and relying totally on the leadership of another? What was it like when you could see but still had to take another person's instructions? what was it like to be the leader and what difficulties or frustrations did you face? What role did good sportsmanship play in the exercise?
Activity 4: Role Play
Performance Objective:
To express opinions on a topic through written, oral, or dramatic expression.
Materials Needed:
Paper, pencil, props for skits.
Teacher Instructions:
Divide the class into groups of five students.
Instruct the groups to come up with a situation contrasting good sportsmanship and poor sportsmanship, and to develop a short role play or skit presenting this situation.
Have each group present their skit to the whole class. After all the role plays have been performed, the teacher leads the whole class in a discussion on the ideas contained in the skits regarding good sportsmanship.
Other Optional Ideas:
1. Have students write a short reflection examining the rewards and difficulties involved in being a good sport.
2. Have students make posters about good sportsmanship and then post them in the classroom or in the hall.
3. Have students create puppets and put on a puppet show of a sports scene where one character is a good sport and another is a poor sport.
Multiple Intelligences Addressed:
Verbal-linguistic Visual-Spatial
Bodily-Kinesthetic Logical-Mathematical
Musical-Rythmic Interpersonal
Intrapersonal