After School: Interview your Parents, Family, and Neighbors.
Jack
Roosevelt Robinson (1919-72), the first black man to "officially" play
in the big leagues in the 20th century, possessed enormous physical talent
and a fierce determination to succeed. In the course of a distinguished
10-year career beginning in 1947, Robinson led the Brooklyn Dodgers to
six National League titles and one victorious World Series. Beyond his
many and stellar baseball feats, Jackie Robinson went to champion the
cause of civil rights when he retired from the game. For more about Robinson,
check out the Edsitement approved website of the Jackie
Robinson Foundation or the Library of Congress Learning
Page about Robinson and Baseball. For further information about civil
rights in America, see this Edsitement lesson plan about Martin
Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement.
Activities
- Talk to your parents (relatives and/or older neighbors) about what
they remember or were told about Jackie Robinson? Do they remember when
he was "allowed" to join the Major Leagues in baseball?
- How did they feel about this event? Was he a hero to them? Did they
know that Jackie Robinson kept fighting for civil rights even after
his sports career?
- Look
at the letter
that Jackie Robinson sent to President Eisenhower. What was the
date on it? Can your parents remember what Civil Rights were like at
this time? Does the letter tell us anything about the U.S. at that time?
- Who were your parents' sports heroes when they were your age? Ask
them to tell you why they were heroes. Was it only their athletic ability
or their character or some other reasons?
- Discuss with your parents who your sports heroes are today. What do
they mean to you? What do they mean to your parents?
Write down their answers and be prepared to talk with the class about what
you found out.
If you would like to investigate more about heroes and heroism, there are
a number of Edsitement lessons available that explore traditional notions
of heroism and how they apply to contemporary contexts. In Portrait
of a Hero, K-2 students explore their beliefs about heroes and heroism.
Students in grades 3-5 identify heroes and the traits that make them heroic
in What
Makes a Hero. In Heroes
around Us, students in grades 6-8 explore the difference between a
hero and an idol. And in What
Makes a Hero? from the Edsitement partner-site ArtsEdge, 9-12 students
are encouraged to create working definitions of heroes and present them
creatively to their class.
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