Weekly Post #12: Drugs & Alcohol in 1986 (due April 23)

Not necessarily the same class of PED as talked about in Game of Shadows, but amphetamines and alcohol we abused regularly in the mid-80s, especially on the championship Mets. An interesting piece from an insider about the culture of the team. Should these players be banned from Hall of Fame consideration? Their records torn down? What are your thoughts?

GOS: Chpts 4-7

Group check-ins: Working in your theme/character group, discuss any major insights or developments. What did you see? Create 2-3 discussion questions related to your theme/character.

Share out of questions from groups.

Discussion
1. What do we learn about steroids? All of the facts as presented. What moral dilemma do they present? Do we have any empathy for the athletes who use them?
2. How do we see a myriad of versions of the American Dream thus far?

Reading
1. Outside magazine piece --> how does this complement Game of Shadows? What new perspective, if any, does it offer?

Viewing (as time permits)
Tenth Inning

Game of Shadows: Prologue & Chpts. 1-3

Write & Share: Initial reactions to the text?

Group work: groups work alone for 5-7 minutes to discuss and refine discussion questions and then share out on board. Each group puts up best two. Class assesses all questions (look for diversity) and then choose favorites to discuss. Group that wrote question facilitates discussion.

Some discussion questions: (25)

1. Let student questions drive discussion … questions below are for follow-up or deeper thinking

• What are the consequences of striving for the American Dream?
• What are some of the versions of the American Dream set up in the opening chapters of GoS?
• How is Bonds characterized at the start of the story? What does this foreshadow? Is this an open and fair characterization?
• How do we see people working in conflict with Am Dream? Striving for it? Sacrificing for it?

To watch: Tenth Inning → 40 mins

Weekly Post #11: Spanish speaking reporter? (April 9)

You would think this story wouldn't really be a story, but it is. Why is this a story? Why aren't more reporters covering baseball able to speak Spanish or willing to engage in the players' first language? And peruse the comment section. People say the wackiest stuff. What are your thoughts on this non-story being a story and the topic in general? Should MLB do more to help players express themselves?

Weekly Post #10: Sean Doolittle (due March 19)

Not going to lie, I was thrilled to see this piece in the NYTimes about Sean Doolittle, a pitcher from the A's, last year. He's the kind of player who can safely go to the grocery store, live his life in relative obscurity, and otherwise enjoy some moderate fame but nothing too wild. So here he is in the pages of the Sunday Times, and I think it's a good read. What are your thoughts? You know you want to connect this to the American Dream and masculinity and hero worship ... or you can just read and respond. Like I said, I'm just pumped to see Doolittle in a national paper.

Day 20: One Shot (the end)

Free writing
The focus of the second to last reading was the game against Lane Tech. Notice how much longer the description was and how much more detail there was about the game. Why was that game more important? Why did Ballard move quickly over the final game? What does this tell us about the point of this story?

OR

Steve Shartzer ... 217-220. What are we to take from Steve's experiences in life and with sport? Related to larger themes of Am Dream and the course.

OR

What did you think of the closing?
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Brainstorm of major themes. With each idea give me one quote to support the idea. Craft an essay question related to theme.

Think about literary devices used in the story. Give an example of each. Craft an essay question related to a literary device.

Other questions ...

Choosing your question and beginning to write ...

Weekly Post #8: Mo'ne Davis (due Mar 12)

A great read about Mo'ne Davis, and another one about why she matters to girls in sport. While this story is a bit old, I think it's a great example of a change maker, a trendsetter. Do you think Mo'ne's performance is a sign of more girls and women playing baseball? Do you think this is just an anomaly? Share your thoughts.

I want to say that I recognize this might be a touchy subject. My intention is not to pit people against each other or set someone up to say "women don't belong." I do think accessibility at early ages is hugely important for girls, and I think this is a complicated issue.