Do
Now
•Think
about our school's mascot, the Lab Gator.
Why do you think this mascot and name were chosen? What is it supposed to convey about our
school?
•List
as many sports teams that you can think of that use Native American names,
logos, and/or mascots.
a.Logo:
a recognizable image used by an organization (company, team, etc.)
b.Mascot:
a person, animal, or object adopted by a group as a symbolic figure meant to
bring them luck
Lab Middle School mascot
University of Florida Gators (an example of a gator mascot that's not geared toward middle schoolers)
Aim: Why
do many Native Americans oppose sports teams' use of Native American names,
mascots, and logos?
 | ||||||
| Atlanta Braves, tomahawk chop |
 |
| Logo's name is Chief Wahoo |
 | ||
| Kansas City Chiefs, [Below] Florida State Seminoles (Mascot is Chief Osceola and his horse Renegade) |
 | |||
Audio and Visual Clips
Democracy Now! clip (Oct. 12, 1997): Charlene Teters speech
- Segments:
- 15:15-19:32 (3m37s)
- 32:53-35:40 (2m47s)
Look for:
- Additional reasons for not using the mascots;
- What do you learn about the symbols we looked at earlier, namely the Redskins name/logo and the names Braves and Chiefs?
- Are some ok and others not? Where do you draw the line?
- Why is this issue important? (Aren't they just sports mascots?)
- What about when branches of tribes are divided on the issue, as with the Fighting Sioux and the Florida State Seminoles?
- What might be challenging about a team changing its name?
- If it's becoming more widely accepted that some or all of these mascots/names/logos are offensive, why don't more teams change?
- Once we break down the stereotypes, what do we do?
Write a letter to a team owner to try to get him or her to change the logo/name/mascot (choose from the major teams we discussed, like the Washington Redskins, the Atlanta Braves, etc.)
Structure: Argumentative letter with two paragraphs:
- One paragraph on the recommendation you're making (change the name, logo, and/or mascot immediately or by a certain date?; change only the name, logo, or mascot?; check with a specific tribe or branch of the tribe for approval, etc.)
- One paragraph on the reasons you're making this recommendation (include at least three pieces of evidence from the t-chart you created for why it must change, and acknowledge at least one counterargument)
The theme and the visuals appeals and engages your age group. It allows the learner to become culturally aware and culturally sensitive building character and general knowledge.
ReplyDeleteIn my school, "bring it to the reality of the child" is a commonly used phrase. My principal says it all the time;) Your DO NOW is a perfect example of this. It allows each student to focus on their reality and make a perfect connection to the topic. What a great way to also engage struggling learners who love sports and can add knowledge they have about mascots! Great idea!
ReplyDeleteYour clips and links allow for a variety of resources and are kid-friendly enough for students to comprehend.
I like your processing assignment. I'm wondering if this will inspire them to write letters to owners of other businesses and organizations. A variation of this assignment might be to send an e-mail or Facebook message!