Welcome to Sports in Media and Culture with Mr. Aronson! If you are an avid sports fan then this class is for you. We will go beyond the box scores and the headlines and delve into the role of sport in our culture. We will explore the responsibilities and actions of athletes in the past and in the present. We will examine why such value is placed on sports in our society and how the media affects our perception of sports and athletes. We will read various informational texts and articles and view films and documentaries. We will write argumentative, synthesis, analysis, and research essays. Work will be completed independently and as a class. We will build skills in reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking through the lens of sports.
Course overview:
Quarter 1
Unit: Athletes as Activists
Text: People’s History of Sports (Zirin)
Film(s): Jackie Robinson (Burns), Race
Essay/Project: Synthesis Essay
Quarter 2
Unit: Sports in the Media
Text: Friday Night Lights (Bissinger)
Film(s): Friday Night Lights
Essay/Project: Literary Analysis
Quarter 3
Unit: Scandal in Sports
Text: Various short articles
Film(s): OJ Simpson Documentary (ESPN)
Essay/Project: Editorial
Quarter 4
Unit: Junior Capstone, Research
Text: Various (student choice)
Essay/Project: Research Project (essay + formal presentation)
Quarter 1
Unit: Athletes as Activists
Text: People’s History of Sports (Zirin)
Film(s): Jackie Robinson (Burns), Race
Essay/Project: Synthesis Essay
Quarter 2
Unit: Sports in the Media
Text: Friday Night Lights (Bissinger)
Film(s): Friday Night Lights
Essay/Project: Literary Analysis
Quarter 3
Unit: Scandal in Sports
Text: Various short articles
Film(s): OJ Simpson Documentary (ESPN)
Essay/Project: Editorial
Quarter 4
Unit: Junior Capstone, Research
Text: Various (student choice)
Essay/Project: Research Project (essay + formal presentation)