Photo Credit: Jeff Lewis/Icon SMI www.everyjoe.com
SummarySubmitted by: Sabrina Rabon
School: Freeman High School
This lesson was based on the 149-day National Basketball Association lockout and its comprehensive economic impact. Students were asked to evaluate how the lockout impacted team owners, players, municipalities, team support staff, vendors, concession workers, security personnel, area restaurants and bars, and countless other individuals and organizations. They had to analyze the impact on all facets related to the lockout. Students had to create questions for an interview with a former NBA basketball player, then respond critically to his answers. Students discussed through a discussion forum how to create a positive change at this point for those impacted. They were to synthesize all of this information and create an ad to rebrand the NBA in a positive light. The objective was to make an ad to put fans back in the stands. Students were to examine the following questions throughout this lesson: Who are the real winners and losers?Do the rich get richer or do the poor get poorer?How do big businesses affect smaller businesses and the common person?
TIPC Ratings
Ideal/target category was evident in this lesson from the background information presented to the students. A former professional athlete was interviewed and students observed his thoughts and concerns. The questions for this interview were conceived by the students through posts on a discussion forum in schoolspace. Another research opportunity the students had was to view the television news clip on the trickle-down effect on non-players. This clip helped students to see both sides of the lockout, having heard the opinions of a professional player and non-player. Students were engaged in the research through many mediums and the initial research enabled students to complete more in-depth research specific to his/her beliefs about the lockout. Students powerfully displayed and interacted with their research through their responses in the discussion forum and their final product.
This lesson falls in the ideal/target category because students communicated and collaborated through the discussion forum in schoolspace. Appropriate digital tools were used throughout this lesson to address the varying needs for communication. Students communicated with an expert both in and outside of class. They responded to the discussion forum regardless of class time. Students had to reflect on the questions posted by responding to other student’s questions. Additionally, they reflected through an original work which was their final product. Verbal and written communication was highly addressed.
As for problem solving, the NBA lesson does address critical thinking and problem solving in the ideal/target category because of the real world economy and how this impacts many levels of workers. It addressed the ebb and flow of money coming in and out of a city. Students had to view a variety of authentic circumstances that had an impact on many lives, not only that of the professional athlete. Students had to think outside of the normal in school questions and place themselves not necessarily seeing their favorite athlete on the court but the consequences of their actions. Students selected the most appropriate digital tools for their final product as well as questioning, critical thinking and problem solving strategies to address the authentic task of the NBA lockout. They reflected on this process through the discussion forum and through their final product, creating a solution to the problem of how to get fans back in the stands.
This lesson falls in the Ideal/target category. Students had to synthesize existing and self-generated knowledge and opinions in order to create a solution to the problem, and in effect a final product. This project challenged students to look at the world of professional sports in a manner that most of them had never done before. Instead of merely seeing sports as fun and games played on fields of dreams, they witnessed the impact that the business of sports can and does have on society. Many saw their favorite teams and players in a different light, having seen the difficult circumstances that so many people throughout the country faced because of the actions of so few. In this, sports taught them a great deal. Students used the final product, putting fans in the stands, as a way to create original, meaningful work that proposed solution for future growth.
This lesson on the NBA lockout was very informative and interesting. Having class discussions and learning about everyone it affected really made me think about the lockout in a different way. When I first learned of the NBA lockout I was only thinking it affected the players, owners, and fans but I soon learned that it affected many others. Mrs. Rabon brought up many other people this lockout hurt; such as ticket sellers, event staff, janitors, parking lot attendants, security, refs, and many others. Talking and learning about the NBA lockout made me realize that a simple game such as basketball can affect the lifes of countless people and not just the people who play it. Mrs. Rabon did an excellent job teaching us and I can’t wait to do more assignments like this.
This lesson on the NBA lockout was one of the more interesting assignments of the year. In this lesson we were able to have class discussion and talk about the effects of the lockout. We saw how the lockout was not only a problem for the players but for the surrounding community. Mrs. Rabon is outstanding teacher and has made this class an interesting part of my day.
-Nick
This was a fun and Mrs Rabon is the the greatest
HI!! My name is Daniel and my project was one of the entries, and beleive me when I say this project was a BLAST!! It was a fun and intersting way to use new technology while learning about the economic repercussions of the NBA at the same time. Mrs Rabon is a genius when it comes to making fun, and creative projects. This was a fun time, and I learned a lot.
My teacher for this assignment was Mrs. Rabon at Douglas Southall Freeman. I definitely enjoyed this assignment becasue it was super fun and informative for me and the rest of the class. I look forward to doing more assignments like this in the future.
-Clay
This was one of my favorite lesson plans of the year. Before we started the project we learned about the NBA lock-in argument over salary between the owners and players. This was a very fun idea, and I think it was a great use of technology. I hope we can do more things like this in the future.