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Stories about courageous Americans overcoming odds to achieve greatness inspire children to keep trying to become the best version of themselves. The Jesse Owens story began almost 80 years ago when this young college track and field star represented the United States of American at the 1936 Olympic Games hosted by Germany during the time of Adolf Hitler. More than athletic prowess was at stake when Jesse stepped on the field. Jesse knew that demonstrating what a black American could achieve athletically would dispel misinformation about any one race’s superiority over another. His example and achievements inspired a world that desperately needed hope during deeply troubled times. Jesse Owens is truly a man for all season whose timeless accomplishments are still inspiring America’s newest generations.
In this issue students will:
- read informational text about Jesse Owens
- understand the historical context of the 1936 Olympic Games
- read closely to complete a “cloze” activity
- find similarities and differences in two images of Jesse Owens
- understand biographical information
- analyze examples of sportsmanship in the news
- evaluate athletic behavior in today’s sports stories
- edit a runner’s run on sentence
- think critically to describe reasons for an athlete’s behavior
6 page PDF
