Games of Deception Educator Guide

Using Games of Deception by Andrew Maraniss (Philomel Books 2019) as a mentor text, students will explore how sports news reports the facts and creates the legends.

SUBJECT:	English Social Studies
GRADE LEVELS:	Middle School
OBJECTIVES:	Students will evaluate the "truth" of sports reporting. Students will reflect on the role propaganda in sports.
MATERIALS:	Class copies of Games of Deception (Philomel Book 2019) by Andrew Maraniss Internet access ReadWriteThink Commercial Assessment Rubric (http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/CommercialRubric.pdf) View the PDF Jigsaw Activity Graphic Organizer for students
TIME NEEDED:	One week

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE

Day 1:

Begin by reading Chapter 2 of Games of Deception together. Create a two-column chart on the board and list what was propaganda and what was the truth during the 1936 Olympics. Discuss the credibility of sources, especially bias.

Break students into three groups. These will be the students' "expert" groups (see notes under Differentiation below):

• Group 1 will read "A Look into Brazil's Makeover of Rio's Slums" by Joshua Hammer for the Smithsonian Magazine
• Group 2 will read "Keep Your Mouth Closed: Aquatic Olympians Face a Toxic Stew in Rio" by Andrew Jacobs for The New York Times
• Group 3 will read "Stunner in Rio: Olympic Windsurfers Find the Bay is Clean (Sort Of)" by Joshua Partlow for The Washington Post

All groups will fill in the "expert" section of the graphic organizer.

Day 2:

Regroup students into their "home" groups, with one representative from each of the expert groups. Students share their information with this new group, completing the 'home" section of the graphic organizer.

Individually, students will analyze the information they have gained and complete an exit ticket on what is true and what is propaganda in the articles on the Rio Olympics

As a class, students will compare their Rio results with the Berlin chart. Discuss similarities and differences.

Day 3:

Students can choose a sporting event of their choice from history and create a visual representation of the propaganda and the truth around the reporting of that event. It should include one primary source, one secondary source, and at least one image.

Day 4:

Gallery walk. Students will assess three projects on completeness, clarity, and visual appeal.

Whole class discussion of how propaganda in sports and politics is different or the same.

Students will watch a campaign ad and an Olympic ad and analyze their visual and verbal messages using the ReadWriteThink Rubric.

• Campaign: America/Bernie Sanders (www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nwRiuh1Cug)
• Olympic: Best Olympic Ads 2018 (www.adforum.com/creative-work/best-of/15591/best-winter-olympic-ads-2018/play#34561630) or Iconic Olympics Ads through the Years (www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4vaPdQjv_0)

Day 5:

Students will write a two- to three-paragraph essay on the uses of propaganda in sports and politics, referring to Games of Deception, the articles, and the videos to explain similarities and differences as well as propaganda's negative and positive effects.

DIFFERENTIATION & ASSESSMENT

Groups should be assigned to articles with consideration for their reading abilities. Each expert group should be designed to include strong readers (Kagan grouping). Home groups should be similarly heterogeneous and supportive. Second language learners and other students, as needed, should get an outline with sentence starters for the final essay.

Students will be assessed on their exit tickets, jigsaw notes, visual for the gallery walk, and final essay.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Get more ideas for teaching with this book in our "Games of Deception Educator Guide."