Companion Website for
Developing Contemporary Literacies through Sports: A Guide for the English Classroom
Developing Contemporary Literacies through Sports: A Guide for the English Classroom
Edited by Alan Brown and Luke Rodesiler
Developing Contemporary Literacies through Sports
offers the many handouts, rubrics, additional sources, and examples of student work referenced in the book. These supplemental materials were provided by experienced teachers and teacher educators who contributed chapters to one of seven interrelated sections: facilitating literature study, providing alternatives to traditional novels, teaching writing, engaging students in inquiry and research, fostering media and digital literacies, promoting social justice, and developing out-of-school literacies. The supplemental materials may be used as currently constructed or adapted for other classroom purposes. Labeled “appendixes” when referenced in the book, the materials are signaled throughout the book by references to specific appendixes and the corresponding “website” or “mouse” icon that appears in the margins.
Part 1: Facilitating Literature Study
Chapter 1. Developing Critical Literacy through Basketball, Barriers, and Books
1.1 Cover of Walter Dean Myers’s Slam!
1.2 First-Person Writing Activity
1.3 Literary Devices
Chapter 2. Beneath the Surface: Ideologies of Multicultural Sports Literature
2.1 Additional Young Adult Literature Resources
2.2 A Brief Explanation of a Harkness Discussion Circle
2.3 Calling the Shots: Students Promote Social Action in the School Library
Chapter 3. Mapping the Emotional Lives of Characters in The Scorpio Races
3.1 Kurt Vonnegut’s “Shapes of Stories” Lecture
3.2 Sample Good/Bad Fortune Plot Charts of Common Folk Narratives
Chapter 4. The Games People Play: Gatsby and the Golden Age of Sports
4.1 Group 1: The Biographical Approach (Worksheet for Students)
4.2 Group 2: The Feminist Approach (Teacher Answer Key)
4.3 Group 3: The Historical Approach I (Teacher Answer Key)
4.4 Group 4: The Historical Approach II (Worksheet for Students)
4.5 Group 5: The Marxist Approach (Teacher Answer Key)
Part 2: Providing Alternatives to Traditional Novels
Chapter 5. Baseball and Graphic Novels: An Effective Approach to Teaching Literature
5.1 Elements of Graphic Novels and Visual Literacy
5.2 Overview of the Small-Group Reading Roles
5.3 Daily Small-Group Worksheet
5.4 Criteria for Grading Panel Discussions
Chapter 6. Ball Is Life . . . Or Is It? Examining Thematic Perspectives of Basketball in Poetry
6.1 Thinking about Key Vocabulary
6.5 Concept Map
6.6 Rubric: Identifying and Analyzing Theme
Chapter 7. In the Spotlight: Using Aesthetic Experiences to Unpack “Amigo Brothers”
7.1 Junk Construction Gallery Walk Questionnaire
7.2 “Amigo Brothers” Final Reflection Sheet
Chapter 8. Power, Authorship, and Identity in Texts by and about High-Profile Athletes
8.1 Headlines about Brittney Griner
8.2 Analytic Graphic Organizer
8.4 Memoir Writing Graphic Organizer
Part 3: Teaching Writing
Chapter 9. Writing Sports Fiction to Build Empathy and Understanding
9.1 Sports Essays
9.2 Microfiction Websites and Books
9.3 Sample Sports Microfictions
Chapter 10. Cards with Classmates: Writing and Presenting through Trading Cards
10.1 Cards with Classmates Template
10.2 Cards with Classmates Project Checklist Card
10.3 Career Card Drafting Template
Chapter 11. Teamwork: Collaborative Engagement with Sports Argumentation
11.1 Reflective Evaluation Rubric
11.3 Dramatic Situation
Chapter 12. A Flair for Sports: Teaching Journalistic Writing Using a 3-2-1 Column Approach
12.1 Suggested Issues for Student Research
12.2 3-2-1 Column Approach Assignment
12.3 Interview Schedule: 3-2-1 Column Approach
12.4 3-2-1 Column Approach Final Essay Rubric
12.5 Lesson Example: Funding of Women’s Sports
Part 4: Engaging Students in Inquiry and Research
Chapter 13. The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner: Thematic Comparisons across Media
13.1 Additional Films and Books on Adolescent Long-Distance Runners
13.2 Sources on Alan Sillitoe and Tony Richardson
13.3 Narrative Patterns and Techniques for Stories about Young Adult Long-Distance Runners
13.4 Jigsaw Discussion Ground Rules and Questions
Chapter 14. “Reel” Stories vs. “Real” Stories: Uncovering Sports History Fact and Fiction
14.2 Sports-Based Films
14.3 Sports Myth versus Reality PechaKucha Scoring Guide
Chapter 15. Searching and Synthesizing: Researching Cultural Context in Sports
15.1 Alternative Texts
15.2 Cultural Connections Research Essay Assignment
15.3 Sample Rubric
15.4 Experiential Homework Assignment
Chapter 16. Is Skateboarding a Sport? Inquiring into Nonschool Sports
16.1 Readings on Skateboarding as Sport
16.2 Be a Sports Reporter
Part 5: Fostering Media and Digital Literacies
Chapter 17. Replicating Research as a Pathway to Digital Literacy Learning
17.1 Scholarly Research Analysis Protocol
17.2 10 Dominant Themes in Televised Sports
17.3 Rubric for the Replication Study
Chapter 18. Telling Our Own Stories: Using Documentary Film to Profile School Sports Narratives
18.1 Finding Critical Literacies
Chapter 19. Podcasting Responses to Social Issues in Sports and Popular Culture
19.1 Breaking Down the Podcast
19.3 Digital Resources for Podcasting
19.4 Podcast Evaluation
Chapter 20. Satiric Remixes: Crafting Commentaries about Sport and Society
20.1 Sample Sports-Based Political Cartoons
20.2 Writing Prompt: Reviewing Remixes
20.3 “Satiric Remix” Assignment Sheet
20.4 “A Satirist’s Reflection” Assignment Sheet
Part 6: Promoting Social Justice
Chapter 21. Exploring Racial Stereotypes through Sports-Related Film
21.1 Resources to Support Conversations about Racial Stereotypes
21.2 PowerPoint: Exploring Racial Stereotypes through Sports-Related Film
21.3 Analyzing Humor, Parody, and Caricature
21.4 Holistic Rubric for Digital Presentation
Chapter 22. Disability and Athletics: (Re)Defining “Typical”
22.1 Anticipation Guide
22.2 Defining Challenges for Students with Disabilities
22.3 Taking the Perspective of Another: A Written Conversation
Chapter 23. Using YAL to Interrogate the Heteronormative, Transphobic Culture of School Sports
23.1 Taking an Initial Stance, Data Collection, and Data Sharing
23.2 Disrupting the Commonplace and Exploring Multiple Viewpoints
23.3 Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues and Taking Action and Promoting Social Justice
23.4 Taking Local Action to Improve the Culture of School Sports
Chapter 24. Rewriting for Justice: Breaking Down Bullying in Openly Straight
24.1 Samples of Critical Questions for “Around the World” Activity
24.2 “Be Aware, Prevent, and Prepare!” Scavenger Hunt
24.3 Sample Excerpts from Openly Straight for the Scavenger Hunt
24.4 “Flip the Script” Culminating Writing Activity
24.5 Scoring Guide for Culminating Writing Activit
Part 7: Developing Out-of-School Literacies
Chapter 25. Being the Expert: Recognizing and Developing Students’ Insider Sports Knowledge
25.1 Having Fun with Insider Lingo
25.2 Sample Sports Texts for Annotation
Chapter 26. Promoting Democracy through Sports, Community, and Dialogue with The Crossover
26.1 Dialogue Book: Sports, Books, and Skills
26.2 Dialogue Book: A Conversation after Reading Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover
Chapter 27. eSports as We-Sports: Exploring Writing Practices through Videogaming
27.1 Articles about eSports Programs
27.2 Feedback Loop
27.3 eSports Websites
27.4 Resources for Professional Development in Games and Learning in After-School Spaces
27.5 Ideas for Starting an After-School eSports Club
Chapter 28. Inside Athletes’ Writing: The Words behind the Wins (and Losses)
28.1 Graphic Organizer for Unpacking “David’s Story: Writing toward the Podium”