Teller Elementary School: Challenge Project

SportsThe Challenge Project is an optional activity for students who want to extend their learning experiences, to work beyond the classroom requirements, and/or to explore alternative topics. Families may need to lend support, encouragement, and assistance at home. The Challenge Projects are organized by Ms. Bass, Teller’s GT Specialist.

1. Pick a sport that you are most interested in. There are “how to” books for just about everything these days. In the “For Dummies” series, there are books explaining almost every sport. Imagine that you are asked to write a version of this book for kids. Using the sport that you picked:

Create a list of chapters that you think should be included in this book. Pick one chapter (or more) and write the chapter.

2. Make a dictionary or glossary of terms from your sport that are not familiar to you or that you want to learn more about. Think of a clever way to display your terms and their meanings.

Do one or more additional projects about sports.

3. All sports are based on science and supported by math. See Ms. Bass for science experiements and math challenges related to your sport. You might be answering such questions as:

Why does a baseball have stitches? Why are there dimples on a golf ball? What is the best angle of launch when you are far from the baseketball

hoop? Why do curve balls curve?

4. There are many websites with sports trivia. Look at several of them! Then create your own trivia game related to the sport that you chose. It could be a card game, a board game, a jeopardy game, etc.

5. Read more about a player from your sport and report to the class about this person. What made you choose this individual?

6. Pick a player that has retired from the game. Make a chart (or a Venn diagram) of his/her accomplishments; one section for his/her professional accomplishments and one for his/her accomplishments since retiring from the game. Then write a paragraph telling your personal opinion on whether his/her accomplishments have been greater on or off the field.

7. Create a trading card for a favorite player. You can make your own or use the trading card generator at http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/trading-card-creator-30056.html

8. Create a timeline of important events (at least 20) from your chosen sport. For fun, add 5 events that you would like to see happen in the future.

9. Study the history of this sport. How did it begin? Has it changed over time? How did major events, such as wars and the depression, affect the game? Pick a clever way to show what you learned.

10. Take the sport you chose and put it into the future, such as into Star Wars. Or create a new sport for Minecraft. Tell how this new game would be the same or different. What would the new rules be? Teams? Strategies? Offense and defense? Winners and losers? Coaches? Playing field or arena?

11. For the sport that you chose, create some new rules that you think would improve the game. Be realistic and thoughtful. Explain why you added those rules. How would these rules improve/change the sport?

12. Research how much it costs to own and run a team (if the chosen sport has teams). Also, describe how much owners tend to make each year in profits. Find out what the financial risks are to being an owner.

13. Native American images and nicknames are fairly common in American sports. Some people feel that their use is offensive, demeaning, and/or racist. Research this controversy and then write an essay or speech explaining your position.

14. How long is the average career for a player in your chosen sport? Make a graph showing 10 players of your choice and the length of their careers. How do the length of their careers compare to the averages?

15. Within two years of retirement, 78% of NFL players are bankrupt or in severe financial trouble. What is the statistic in your sport? How does that compare to the football statistic given? With such high salaries, how can that be? Research this strange issue and write a paragraph of your findings.

16. Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson became the first African American to play in baseball’s major league in the modern era. Who broke down the racial barriers in the sport that you chose? Read about this individual and consider the personality traits needed to challenge segregation. Would you consider this individual a hero? Why or why not?

17. What types of injuries are most common for athletes in the sport you picked? How could these injuries be lessened or eliminated? You might interview a sport medicine specialist to learn about this related job and the types of injuries that he/she sees.

18. Al Sorenson and Leroy Neiman paint vibrantly colored pieces depicting sports. You might find other artists that focus on sports as their subject. Using a specific style, try your hand at painting a sports scene.

19. If someone cannot play a professional sport, there are numerous other jobs that are extremely important to the game. Research and list other jobs associated with your sport. Pick at least five and tell what these positions involve. Pick one and tell why you might be interested in this job.

20. Read Casey at the Bat (included). Pick an event from your sport and try to create a similar poem. Note the rhythm pattern, as well as the figurative language.

21. Create your own sports team:

Determine in which city you will locate your team. Pick a city that currently does not have a professional team. You might have to research cities that are hoping to host expansion teams.

Name your team! Pick team colors, and then design a new team logo and uniform. You may

need to do some research on the psychology of colors. Show your uniform on the figure provided.

Write a formal business letter to head of the league of your sport. In your letter, ask for your team to be considered as an expansion team. Justify why you chose that city. Your reasons should be based on strong business sense. Try to convince him that your team would be a financially sound addition to the league.

22. Professional sports players tend to make huge salaries – at least the ones that we hear about on the news. What is the average salary of a player playing the sport you chose? Compare that amount to the average salaries of 5-10 other professions (pick a range of professions). Make a chart showing your results. Then detail your opinion on whether these salaries seem “fair.” (Take into consideration the length of the average playing career, and the rate and severity of player injuries.)

23. Research the early Greek Olympics. Which sports were included? What were the rules? How were these early sports different and similar to today’s sports?

24. In 1999, the Associated Press placed Jim Thorpe third on its list of the top athletes of the century, following Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan. Read more about Jim Thorpe, his accomplishments in the Olympics and at least three sports, and the controversy that swirled around his amateur status and his Olympic medals.

25. Try to watch Sports Science, a TV show that explores the science and engineering underlying athletic accomplishments. Each episode in series 1 focused on testing certain aspects of athletics (such as human flight and reaction time), while series 2 either poses more questions from previous episodes, tries to re-analyze sporting moments or trials and tribulations, puts a human against animals or machines, or challenges the odds with data gathered using motion sensors and accelerometers. If there is a charge to watch this, check with your parents first!

26. Create the “perfect” Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, World Series, NBA Playoffs, etc.

Determine the two teams you’d like to see play in your competition. Decide what city and stadium they will play in. Decide who will sing the nation anthem. Who will be the half time entertainment? What would you consider to be the perfect viewing foods and snacks? With whom would you like to watch the game? Other ideas? Pull these thoughts together to make this day “perfect” for you. How will

show us what this day will be like for you?

27. Now it is your turn to create some activities for this independent unit!

Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day; The score stood four to two with but one inning more to play. And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same, A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast; They thought if only Casey could but get a whack at that— We’d put up even money now with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake, And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake; So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat, For there seemed but little chance of Casey’s getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all, And Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball; And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred, There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell; It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell; It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat, For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped into his place; There was pride in Casey’s bearing and a smile on Casey’s face. And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat, No stranger in the crowd could doubt ’twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance gleamed in Casey’s eye, a sneer curled Casey’s lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air, And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there. Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped— “That ain’t my style,” said Casey. “Strike one,” the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar, Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore. “Kill him! Kill the umpire!” shouted some one on the stand; And it’s likely they’d have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey’s visage shone; He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on; He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew; But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, “Strike two.”

“Fraud!” cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud; But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed. They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain, And they knew that Casey wouldn’t let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey’s lip, his teeth are clinched in hate; He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate. And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go, And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.