Class 3/24

Objective: You will be able to...

• discuss controversial themes concerning player-coach relationship and debate whether or not some coaches cross the line. 
• identify rhetorical strategies of the author
• respond in an analytical way to your peers.

Agenda:
1) Read and discuss article
2) Complete questions and SOAPStone. In pairs, write a rhetorical precis for the article. Make sure your precis embodies the key ideas of the article rather than specific examples. Remember, we are considering the rhetoric. Definition of rhetoric: the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
3) Library: Incorporate your favorite sports quote or motto into the layout of your blog. Then spend the rest of class reading through other students blogs. You should comment at least 10 times total. The comments should be at least a sentence and contain analytical or argumentative ideas rather than evaluative.

How not to comment on other people posts: "good job!" "Really awesome quotes!"

How to comment on other peoples posts: 

• "While I understand you point about ______, I still believe ________."  
• "Have you consider ____________ about _____________? If you had you may think __________." 
• "I agree with you because ________________."
• Or something like these.

Blog-Post #7 [100 possible total points that can be earned today]

Objective: You will be able to summarize, analyze, and identify rhetorical strategies of a documentary. 

Your assignments for today:

• Create a Sports Journalist/Player Bio for yourself [25 points]: 
• Name
• Background: What is your sports history?
• Current Info on you as an athlete: What sports do you play during the year? What are your stats? positions? wins? losses?
• Favorite Athlete and Sport
• Favorite Sports or Inspiration Quote or Motto
• Write a Rhetorical Precis for the documentary "Schooled--The Price of College Sports" (see handout) [25 points] 
• Expand the Rhetorical Precis by adding whether or not you agree with the documentary. (2 sentences)
• Summarize "Schooled--The Price of College Sports" (use template) [50 points]
• Brainstorm ideas for potential documentary that your group wants to make

Please label each individual task.

Mrs. Boudreau’s Notes on the documentary Schooled: The Price of College Sports

• Engaging Opening Sequence: Emotionally appealing, landscape shots, “pump up” audience
• Title of Film
• Voiceover of children playing sports
• Introduce interviewee
• Voiceover--Thesis or Main Argument of Film---show examples of those who are being subjugated to the unfair treatment of a larger entity
• Introduce a main interviewee--College athlete--show them on their campus, basic interview questions, show them i their normal life, then ask more focus questions having to do with your thesis or hypothesis (NCAA questions, revenue questions)
• Convincing Statistics intertwined with sympathetic information on athlete (athlete can’t afford groceries, tuition payments etc. VS video game money and head coach salaries)
• SLOWMOTION vs FASTMOTION camera techniques
• Story Anecdotes: Athlete deaths, living in poverty--persuasive techniques because it emotionally appeals to the audience who most likely is living the way the athletes or the athletes families are
• Infographics to present profound info: Persuasive techniques
• Definition of Amateur
• Rogerian Style Argument Begins---College athletes are just amateur athletes
• Historical Background
• KEY Events that affect the SUBJECT of the film: Conference--Schools vs. Journalists against the NCAA “fraud”--the athletic director and president
• Can’t have the “Animals running the zoo”--argument of those opposed to paying college athletes
• Panel of “student-athlete” post game ESPN interviews
• “Student-Athletes” is a misnomer--missing many classes for games
• Opposing Sides are represented: Athletic Directors, School President
• Newspaper clippings with zoom-in on titles
• Clips of people speaking at events--not necessarily the “intellectual” work of documentary makers--you need to get permission to use material like this
• Juxtaposition of opposing sides interviewees
• News Station Clips: Showing the development of the problem in contemporary media--this supports the purpose of the documentary. These aren’t just crazy people, other people are seeing the same problem.
• Why do athletic directors and college presidents oppose even acknowledging these discussions? Money?
• Voiceover with clips of presidents and chancellors giving speeches (taking them out of the positive context and showing what they are really doing)
• Transitions used between different topics of documentary
• Music and sound
• Analogy used to compare NCAA to oil companies: Analogies used to explain the how this problem is like a problem that other people can relate to
• Substantial research, both first and second hand, needed for a persuasive documentary
• Various interviewees--covering all spans of problem
• “not because they are amateurs, it’s because you don’t want to pay them”
• “Plantation Mentality” the rewards belong to the overseers and supervisors, the college owns the body and what trickles down after that can go to the athletes. Amateur code now based on a foregone philosophies, pure economic philosophies will not outstand the law
• Second half of film: work towards a solution, even if the solution is in the process, and offer ways for audience watching to work towards a solution
• Solution: give athletes a voice at the table, acknowledge that we are all part of the problem

Blog-post #6 (BP#6): Summary and Analysis of an Article

Write a summary and analysis of an article of your choice!

Considerations as we move forward in Sports Reading and Writing

Some thoughts on the blogs so far:

• Blogs should have pictures or visuals.
• Blogs should use engaging language and eye-catching fonts or formats.
• Paragraphs should NOT be SUPER LONG—think about being a reader of your own blog—would you keep reading? Break it down into smaller paragraphs if you feel like you will lose your reader (even if this means breaking away from the template I gave you) Use catchy topic sentences.
• Title your blogs the assignment name (i.e. Today’s blog is “Blog-post #5: News Writing)
• Comment at least twice to other people’s blog-posts per assignment.
• Think about the overall layout of your blog—is it easily readable? Are the colors inviting? Should the format be revised for any reason?
• Other ideas for improving our blogs?

Blog-post #5: Sports Newswriting [100 points]

Wednesday, March 4th Classwork in Flexlab

Blog-post #5 Assignment: Using the class notes on "ledes" and "news writing," draft a sports news article on a topic of your choice.

**Grading Criteria [see blog-post rubric for more detailed grading]

Criteria for Success
Your blog-post:

• begins with an engaging lede that address the 5Ws and the H 
• follows steps 1-4 from "How to Write a Sports Report in 4 Steps" by Careem
• uses strong descriptive vocabulary (strong choice of adjectives and verbs)
• is well-written and avoids major grammar errors
• is visually appealing (font, format, pictures, other visuals)