LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read about a teen who is fighting to help athletes of all religions play sports; identify issues related to diversity in sports.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 8: Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

CASEL: Social awareness

KEY VOCAB

discrimination

garment

authorization

Lesson Plan: Standing Up for Her Beliefs

Read about a teen who is fighting to help athletes of all religions play sports; identify issues related to diversity in sports.

Table of Contents:

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Building Comprehension and Vocabulary

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

1. Preparing to Read

Before you read the article “Standing Up for Her Beliefs,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What are some challenges that might prevent some student athletes from competing in their sport?

2. Reading and Discussing

  • Have your students read the article “Standing Up for Her Beliefs” independently; read the article out loud to them; or have students take turns reading the three sections out loud (“The Inspiration,” “The Action,” “The Outcome”).
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?
  • Next, have your students answer the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions, either working in small groups or independently.


Close-Reading Questions
The following questions can be shared in printable or interactive form from the Resources tab. 

  1. What NFHS rule forced Najah to sit out her second volleyball game of the season?
  2. What did several sports committees in the NFHS vote to do after Najah shared her story on social media?

Critical-Thinking Questions

  1. Are there any other groups of student athletes that may face challenges in the world of high school sports? Explain.
  2. How would you take action to raise awareness about the issue you just described?

3. Building Comprehension and Vocab

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Quiz

  • Vocab Builder

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

Continue the learning journey with the following extension activity: 

LET’S TALK TEEN SPORTS AND DIVERSITY! In this activity, have small groups of students create and record a podcast-style conversation on one diversity-related issue in high school athletics. Encourage students to focus not only on the issue or problem, but also on any actions that could be taken to solve it. Don’t forget to have students share their podcasts with one another to keep the discussion going!

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