Grade Levels
6-8Duration
one class periodAssociated Entries
BasketballMaterials
Basketball-Assessment-QuestionsAuthor
Amanda SeligmanStandards
RH.1 and RST.1 | Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. |
RST.2 | Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. |
RST.5 | Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic |
Introductory Activities
Ask the students to complete a Think–Pair–Share of everything they know about the Milwaukee Bucks. Give them two or three minutes to write down everything they know. Then give them another two or three minutes to share with a partner and write down new ideas. Finally, have students share out and write a big list on the board. Briefly discuss each point as you write it down.
Developmental Exercises
Ask students to annotate the encyclopedia entry. They should underline the topic sentences in the following paragraphs: two, three, and five through eleven. They should also number the supporting detail sentences. For all paragraphs, they should put a box around any unfamiliar words and place a star next to anything really important. (20 points)
Ask students for any unfamiliar words. Ask if anyone knows the definition to each unfamiliar word. Try to work the definitions out as a class. (5 minutes)
Closure
Have students answer the assessment questions using their annotations for help. (10 minutes)
Extension Activities
Several other sports-related entries exist in the encyclopedia, including auto racing, bicycling, bowling, boxing, curling, football, golfing, hockey, professional baseball, professional wrestling, roller derby, running, sandlot baseball, soccer, and tennis. Students could work in groups to explore these topics and could create presentations based on what they learned. They could also write essays similar to the one described in the next lesson.