Concussions in the NFL, a Lesson by Devon Ray - Grade Level: 9th - Time Frame: 45 minutes

Devon Ray  Lesson: Concussions  in  the  NFL

Grade Level: 9^th  grade

 Time Frame: 45 minutes

Objectives:

• SWBAT to understand the affects of concussions and how it can affect your body.
• SWBAT draw conclusions on whether or not the NFL should be held responsible for players suffering from brain injuries.
• SWBAT understand the risk of playing sports.

Essential Questions:

• Should the NFL be held responsible for players suffering brain injuries such as ALS, CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), dementia and Alzheimer’s?
• What measures should the NFL take to ensure the safety of all its players?
• How will the NFL change, if the issues surrounding concussions does not change?
• Can players reduce the amount of concussions they receive throughout their playing career?

Do Now:

• Read of the article Anger and Indifference After a School Ends a Full-Contact Tradition
• Motivation: Do you feel the school was justified with moving away from tackle football and incorporating flag football at their school.

Explicit Instruction: Students will view three different videos about concussions and have a classroom discussion about them.

Video 1: Sports Science: NFL Concussions and helmet to helmet collisions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFkWTGKNLT8

Video 2: ESPN First Take: Ryan Clark Questions NFL Concern About Concussion. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVVseXVJYto

Video 3: ESPN GO: Tony Dorsett (espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9937304)

Video 4: Democracy Now Clip (32:40 – 51:16): NFL Reaches Settlement with Former Players Who Suffer from Brain Injuries, Alzheimer’s, Depression www.democracynow.org/2013/8/30/nfl_reaches_settlement_with_former_players

Active Engagement

           

Activity 1                   

• Students that believe the NFL is liable for these concussions. Will write a persuasive letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell detailing the risk of playing in the NFL and what the league can do to decrease the amount of concussions and brain injuries to its players.

Activity 2

• Students who disagree and feel that players should take on an active role with finding out more about concussions. Will write a persuasive letter coming from the commissioner office to the Players Union, detailing the risk NFL players take when they step onto the field.

Common Core Reading Standards:

ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text

ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Common Core Writing Standards:

ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.