Formulate opinions on the John Rocker controversy by writing a persuasive letter to someone mentioned in the article. Reinforce their arguments on the controversy through research at home to complete their letters. Then ask students to brainstorm in their groups the names of all those who they believe belong in each category, listing athletes of the present or past and from any sport. The teacher should write these qualities on the board. Then, each student writes a persuasive letter to one of those people, stating their feelings about this matter and relating their thoughts to the discussion at the beginning of the lesson about athletes' responsibilities as role models.
Students then share their letters in small groups or as a whole class.
Students finish their letters at home by doing some research that will bolster their arguments. They might, for instance, look up Rocker's actual interview or find a report that details it to reference in their letter. They might also follow up on a similar case of an athlete mentioned in class and use it for comparison in their letter. The teacher might then actually mail the letters to the appropriate people. Compare and contrast the reactions of both the public and sports management to the two.