Focus Plan
Texarkana Independent School District
GRADING
PERIOD:
writer:
3rd six weeks
PLAN CODE:
E10.4.2
Deanna Henderson
Course/subject:
English II
Grade(s):
10
Time allotted
for instruction:
One block period
Title:
Lesson TOPIC:
TAKS Objective:
FoCUS TEKS and
Student Expectations:
Supporting TEKS and
Student Expectations:
Concepts
main idea
Put Me Into the Ball Game
Students will read two Times articles about Jackie Robinson, one from
2007 and one from 1947, to learn about the color barriers he broke
sixty years ago and how he is honored today. Students will use words
and phrases from both Times articles to create a “conversation”
between 1947 and 2007 and Jackie Robinson and his legacy.
Objective 3
The student will analyze and evaluate culturally diverse texts and visual
representations
8 (D) interpret influences of historical context
10 (B) use elements of text to defend responses and interpretations;
12 (A) analyze characteristics of text (patterns of organization, syntax,
word choice).
1 (B) write in voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose
Enduring Understandings/Generalizations/Principles
The student will understand that
the main idea may be directly stated in a topic sentence at the beginning,
middle, or end of a paragraph. Directly stated main ideas are often found in
expository writing. The main idea may be indirectly stated, or implied. This
occurs when the supporting details are strongly linked by a common idea.
conversation
conversation is an informal talk with somebody, especially about opinions,
ideas, feelings, or everyday matters.
phrase
a phrase is a string of words that forms a grammatical unit, usually within a
clause or sentence.
repetition
the repeating of something; an act of doing something again is repetition.
historical context
historical context is an important historical passage; existing, happening, or
relating to the past; supported by facts from history
I.
Sequence of Activities (Instructional Strategies)
A.
Focus/connections/anticipatory set
 Before class, write the following prompt on the classroom board for students to
respond to in their journals:
Describe a time that you felt out of place or like you did not belong. Why
did you feel this way? How did you deal with this feeling?
 Once everyone has had a chance to respond, have students share their
responses.
 Have you ever joined a group even though others thought that you were an
outsider? What was that experience like? Have someone ever told you that you
did not belong and then later changed his or her mind? How or why did he or she
change his or her mind? What types of conditions and actions make us feel like
outsiders? What types of conditions and actions make us feel like we belong?
B.
Instructional activities
(demonstrations, lectures, examples, hands-on experiences, role play, active
learning experience, art, music, modeling, discussion, reading, listening, viewing,
etc.)
 Divide the class into two groups.
 Have one group read the 2007 article Handout # 1 - “A Measure of Respect for
Jackie Robinson Turns Into a Movement.”
 Have the other group read the 1947 article Handout # 2 – “Dodgers Purchase
Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball.”
 Instruct students to read silently and independently, and to underline all phrases
and words that they think are particularly important, meaningful, or poignant.
 Once students have finished reading and underlining, further divide each of the
two groups into smaller groups of three students.
 Give the students who read Handout # 1 – “A Measure of Respect for Jackie
Robinson Turns Into a Movement a copy of Handout # 3 – Questions to
Accompany “A Measure of Respect for Jackie Robinson Turns Into a
Movement.”
1. What does Bill Pennington, the author of the article, mean when he
says that Jackie Robinson “shook the baseball establishment and broke
the sport’s color barrier”?
2. How and why did about 200 baseball players decide to wear the
number 42 on their jerseys on Sunday, April 15, 2007?
3. Willie Randolph says that Jackie Robinson did something for modern
baseball players, “for all of them.” What do you think Mr. Randolph
means?
4. What does Mr. Randolph mean when he calls the falling numbers of
African-American baseball players in the major leagues a “complex
situation”?
5. What does Mr. Randolph mean when he says “you strive to get people
to see you and not the stereotypes”?
6. Why is it particularly significant that the St. Louis Cardinals will all be
wearing the number 42?
7. What did Jonathan Eig discover about Robinson’s widespread impact
beyond baseball?
8. If you were a major league baseball player, would you wear number
42 for the anniversary? Why or why not?
 Give students who read the historical article (Handout # 2 – “Dodgers
Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball”) a copy
of Handout # 4 – Questions to Accompany “Dodgers Purchase Robinson,
First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball.”
1. When was this article published?
2. What was significant about 28 year old infielder Jackie Robinson?
3. What does Louis Effrat, the author of the article, mean when he says
that Robinson was “purchased from the Montreal Royals”?
4. What had Robinson already accomplished before signing a contract
with the Dodgers?
5. How long had it been since another African-American had played for a
major league baseball team?
6. Why does Effrat predict that Robinson may face some challenges
when he begins playing for the Dodgers?









C.
II.
7. How did some white players react to the prospect of playing on the
same team as an African American?
8. Why do you think that when Robinson’s teammates in Montreal
wished him luck, he responded by saying, “Thanks, I need it”?
9. Why was Dixie Walker booed on his first turn at bat?
10. What challenges do you think Robinson must have faced?
11. Are there still ways in which sports are segregated?
After the students have finished answering the comprehension questions, have
the groups “jigsaw,” forming new groups made up of one or two students who
read each article to explain the main points of the article they read to their
classmates in the other group, and vice versa.
After both articles have been presented, allow a short time for questions.
Explain to the class that they will now participate in an activity that will put these
two articles into “conversation” with each other.
To begin, one student volunteers to read one of their underlined words or
phrases from the article that they read. Explain that they should let the words or
phrases that they have chosen stand on their own; they should read what they
have underlined without any comment.
After the first volunteer has read his or her word or phrase, a student from the
other group will volunteer to read a word or phrase that they have underlined that
is in some way related to the word or phrase that was just read.
Then someone from the first group will volunteer to read a word or phrase that is
in some way related to the last word or phrase read. This will continue until
everyone in both groups has read at least once.
There may be moments of silence in this activity during which students are
looking for the next word or phrase. Inform them that these moments of silence
are to be expected and to use this time to reflect on the power of words and of
the historical moments. Also, make sure to let your students know that words or
phrases can be repeated, and in fact, repetition is sometimes the best way to
understand the importance of a certain idea or to appreciate the power of a
certain phrase.
After each student has had a chance to read a word or phrase aloud, have all
students write for three to five minutes about the activity. What did they notice
during the activity? Did it make them think about the issues that they just read
about in a different way?
Next, have them share what they have written with the rest of the class. What
did they know about Jackie Robinson before reading these articles? What did
they learn about race and sports that was new to them? What hurdles exist for
people in sports today due to race, gender, nationality or sexual orientation?
Why is learning about Jackie Robinson important today? What can we learn from
him? What can we learn from the athletes who are honoring him?
D.
Guided activity or strategy
 HOMEWORK: Write the following assignment on the board for students to copy
before leaving class or give the students Handout # 5 – Jackie Robinson
Homework Assignment.
Write a letter to someone involved either in the signing of Jackie
Robinson to the Dodgers in 1947, or in the contemporary movement to
honor him in the major leagues. This person may be either living or
deceased. First decide to whom you wish to write. Suggestions include
the following: Jackie Robinson, Rachel Robinson, Ken Griffey, Jr., a
manager or player of a team whose players wore number 42 on April 15,
2007, Willie Randolph, Branch Rickey, Dixie Walker, etc. Second, decide
what you want to say to this person. You may wish to express gratitude
or admiration, to address civil rights struggles, to ask questions, etc.
Your letter should be thoughtful and honest.
Accommodations/modifications
E.
Enrichment
STUDENT PERFORMANCE
A.
Description



B.
In preparation for this focus lesson, the teacher should make photocopies of the
following handouts: (one for each student)
Handout #1 – “A Measure of Respect for Jackie Robinson Turns Into a
Movement”
Handout # 2 – “Dodgers Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major
League Baseball”
Handout # 3 – Questions to Accompany “A Measure of Respect for Jackie
Robinson Turns Into a Movement”
Handout # 4 – Questions to Accompany “Dodgers Purchase Robinson,
First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball”
Handout # 5 – Jackie Robinson Homework Assignment
Handout # 6 – Jackie Robinson Focus Plan Assessment Rubric
The teacher should have the following materials available:
pens/pencils
student journals
paper
classroom board
The teacher should select student groups prior to class.
Accommodations/modifications
Students requiring accommodations/modifications may use the Learning Lab, have select
peer grouping, and/or have extended time.
C.
III.
IV.
Enrichment
Students requiring enrichment may choose from the following activities:
 Select a sport other than baseball and create a poster honoring a person who
broke a barrier in that sport. Include a picture, statistics and a description of
when and how the person became a star.
 Write a diary entry from the perspective of Jackie Robinson after he was signed
to the Dodgers in 1947. How do you think he must have felt? What was he afraid
of? What was he proud of? How did he feel about the media attention?
 Research the Negro Leagues and write a research paper. When did they exist?
Why were they started? When and why were they discontinued? Who were the
star players?
 Willie Randolph learned about Jackie Robinson when he took a book out of the
public library. Visit the school or local library and choose a biography of interest
to you. Write a reading response journal as you read the biography.

Assessment of Activities
A.
Description
Students will be evaluated based on their response to the warm-up prompt, participation
in small group reading and discussion, participation in the main activity, completion of a
written response to the main activity, and the creative completion of a letter.
B.
Rubrics/grading criteria
See Handout # 6 – Jackie Robinson Focus Plan Student Assessment Rubric.
C.
Accommodations/modifications
The teacher should follow required accommodations/modifications.
D.
Enrichment
Students requiring enrichment may be given extra credit for their accomplishments.
E.
Sample discussion questions
 What struggles still exist for people of color, women, and other minorities in
sports today?
 Why is it important to have all people represented in professional sports?
TAKS Preparation
A.
Transition to TAKS context
Students have read both contemporary and historical articles regarding Jackie
Robinson’s contributions to baseball. They will now use these two articles to answer
short answer TAKS questions.
B.
Sample TAKS questions
1. Willie Randolph says that Jackie Robinson did something for modern baseball
players, “for all of them.” What do you think Mr. Randolph means? Support your
answer with evidence from the selection.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. What did Jonathan Eig discover about Robinson’s widespread impact beyond
baseball? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. In the article “Dodgers Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major League
Baseball, what had Robinson already accomplished before signing a contract with the
Dodgers? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. How did some white players react to the prospect of playing on the same team as an
African American? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
V. Key Vocabulary
establishment, unforeseen, spontaneously, organic, representative, roster, commemorating,
initiative, elaborate, diminishing, complex, inspired, voluminous, stereotypes, former, rookie,
unanimous, authenticated, integration, exhibition, civil, and chronicles.
VI. Resources
A.
Textbook
B.
Supplementary materials
Handout #1 – “A Measure of Respect for Jackie Robinson Turns Into a
Movement”
Handout # 2 – “Dodgers Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major
League Baseball”
Handout # 3 – Questions to Accompany “A Measure of Respect for Jackie
Robinson Turns Into a Movement”
Handout # 4 – Questions to Accompany “Dodgers Purchase Robinson,
First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball”
Handout # 5 – Jackie Robinson Homework Assignment
Handout # 6 – Jackie Robinson Focus Plan Assessment Rubric
The teacher should have the following materials available:
pens/pencils
student journals
paper
classroom board
C.
Technology
“A Measure of Respect for Jackie Robinson Turns Into a Movement is found online at
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20070416
“Dodgers Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball is found
online at http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0410.html
VII.
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
(reteaching, cross-curricular support, technology activities, next lesson in sequence, etc.)
A.
Review of skills
A review of the component parts of a friendly letter might be necessary.
B.
VIII.
Next lesson in sequence
 Students may watch the movie “A League of Their Own” (1992) about the first
professional women’s baseball league, and write a response paper that
compares the struggles of women and people of color in baseball history.
 Students might read the sports section of The Times or a local newspaper for
several weeks. They should clip all articles about race in sports. They may write
a paper that compares the race related controversies in sports during the 1940s
with those of today.
Teacher Notes
 This focus plan is based on the following website:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20070416monday_print.html

This focus plan would work well as an accompaniment to To Kill a Mockingbird.

A copy of the original 1947 sports page is online at the following:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0410.html