The American Story Through Sports

Many of your children play sports, attend sporting events, and cheer on their favorite teams. They collect sports memorabilia, decorate their rooms with it, or wear it. But many don’t realize that Sport History often mirrors or rises out of events in American History, or vice versa. They share tears and suffering, joy and laughter, strength and courage, accomplishments and failures.

In this class, taught by a lifetime teacher, history scholar, and New Mexico hall-of-fame athletic coach, students will explore how sports have served as both a reflection and a catalyst for major social, cultural, political, and economic conflicts within American society. Through Lecture, Literature, Films, and Discussion, students will engage in American History through sports by taking an in-depth examination from the early Native American tribes to colonial societies through the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries to today. Come, look at American History through sports from an educationally unique, exciting, and fun perspective.

• Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
• High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
• Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
• Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
• Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:
  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.