Lesson Plan - Is Cheerleading a Sport?

Watch the Video
Build background knowledge by watching the video “Women for the Win” as a class. Discuss: What have been some of the important milestones in the history of women in sports?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• maneuver
• regulations

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about what they think makes an activity a sport.

1. How could recognizing cheerleading as a sport help to improve cheerleaders’ safety?
Recognizing cheerleading as a sport could help to improve cheerleaders’ safety because it would lead to more safety regulations. The article explains that for college sports like soccer, there are rules for how many hours a week players can practice. But because cheerleading is not an official sport, cheerleaders are pushed to practice too hard. In addition, recognizing cheerleading as a sport would mean that injuries would be tracked. Understanding what kinds of injuries are occurring would help people prevent them.
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2. According to the article, how has cheerleading changed since the 1800s?
Cheerleading used to consist mostly of chanting and shaking pom-poms. Today it involves maneuvers that require skill and strength. This makes cheerleading more risky than it once was.
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3. Summarize the main idea and key details of the sidebar, “Sports for All.”
The sidebar, “Sports for All,” explains that a law called Title IX says that schools must offer male and female athletes the same opportunities. Because cheerleading is not a sport, it does not count under this law. Schools don’t have to think about cheerleading when working to treat athletes equally.
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FEATURED SKILL: Comprehension
Distribute the skill builder “Four Kinds of Questions,” and discuss the types of questions before having students answer them.
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