Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Overview: NewsHour Extra features stories can help students identify and interpret key issues in current events. This activity anticipates one class period, but the follow-up essay might be assigned as homework, or in another period.

Warm Up: Use initiating questions to introduce the topic and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Have students read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the questions on the reading comprehension handout.

Discussion: Use discussion questions to encourage students to think about how the issues outlined in the story affect their lives and express and debate different opinions.

Follow-up: Students can write an 500-word editorial on the topic expressing their views and send it to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org] for possible publication.

Evaluation: Students are graded on their answers to reading comprehension questions and/or their editorial.

Story: Still Kicking? 9/24/03
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec03/sport_9-24.html

Initiating Questions:

1. What women's sport do you find the most fun to watch?

2. Are women's sports given the same respect as men's sports? Why or why not?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. Besides winning the World Cup, what is on the agenda for the U.S. women's soccer team this year?

The U.S. women's soccer team is playing for more than just a repeat championship in this year's World Cup, they are fighting to attract enough sponsors to revive the women's professional soccer league.

2. Why is the WUSA shutting down?

Despite the excitement over women's soccer following the 1999 World Cup, the WUSA failed to draw big enough crowds and attract a large television audience. Attendance per game dipped by nearly 1,500 fans since 2001 and the league struggled to attract more than 100,000 households for televised games.

This decline, coupled with a weak economy, deterred corporate sponsors from signing up to support the budding league. To advertisers, backing women's soccer was a risk they were not willing to take.

3. Who are some of the stars of the WUSA?

Mia Hamm is one of four 30-something players likely to make this Cup their last. And their cleats will be hard to fill. Hamm has an astounding 142 international goals, the career leader for a female or male. Midfielder Kristine Lilly has played in more international games than any woman or man.

4. What other women's sports league has suffered setbacks recently?

The pro women's basketball league, the WNBA, has suffered similar attendance and viewership declines. As a result, the WNBA has had three teams fold, most recently the Cleveland Rockers, which made the playoffs last season.

5. What women's sports leagues have been successful in reaching a wide audience?

The LPGA, the women's golf league, has been successful marketing to its audience and benefited from stars like Annika Sorenstam, who played on the men's PGA tour, and young phenomenon Michelle Wie. And women's tennis has secured its place as a healthy professional sport.

 

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Pretend you are in charge of marketing for WUSA. What campaign could you come up with to help the league gain more viewers and raise money? In a short essay, outline your marketing plan.

2. Using the Internet as a research tool, investigate the NBA. Find out what led to the creation of the WNBA. Was it criticism of the all-men's league, the need to reach out to a female audience or something else?

Send your answers, in essay form, to extra@newshour.org for possible publication!