So, the original Bad News Bears is one of my favorite movies. Not just because I love baseball or quick witted children. I feel that the movie uses a great deal of social commentary to show the hypocrisy behind American culture, which is great. The scene linked below is the final scene from the movie. Let me fill you in on what has happened up until now. So, Buttermaker, the teams coach, has lead this ragtag group of misfits to the little league championships, though not always in the most honest ways. For example, he finds a ringer to put on the team and he encourages some of his players to step in front of pitches so that they can get on base. Yah, he is pretty sneaky. Anyways, the Bears make it to the finals and end up losing to the league Goliaths, the Yankees. The following scene is what happens after they lose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1-zBIIvl5g
The lesson plan follows as so:
Ask students what words they think of when they hear the word baseball. You will probably have students say things like hotdogs, summer, little league, the national anthem. Stuff like that. Next, ask them what they have learned about good sportsmanship. Not all students will have something to offer on this since probably not all students played sports as a kid. Either way, lead the discussion in the direction of what you have learned about good sportsmanship i.e. play by the rules, be a gracious winner, don't be a sore loser, shake hands after the game, etc.
Next, discuss with students what they hear about sports in the media. Steroids, dog fighting rings, rape charges, sexting (sooo recent), so on and so on.
The discussion here can lead into ideals vs. reality. Baseball, America's pasttime. Little league, sunflower seeds, dirt on your pants. But is that all there is to it? The Bad News Bears says no. It gives us a stark contrast to the ideal. Beer slugging youngsters, a shabby looking good, bad sportsmanship, and foul mouthed kids. And as the camera pans out in the last scene what does the viewer see waving in the breeze? The red, white, and blue.
Interesting topics. I've never seen Bad News Bears, but I love baseball (despite all its current controversies). Students get really into talking about pro athletes. There's the money and fame on one side, and the opportunity for scandal on the other. (Not that all players are scandalous...I doubt we'll ever read about Joe Mauer hiring a hooker or something like that). Baseball is supposed to be classic Americana (maybe tied with football?), but the entire sport now has the undercurrent of dishonesty and cheating. What does that say about our society? Is justice being done for those people involed? It's important for kids to remember the reality of professional sports, not just the ideals.
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