As special educators, we understand the importance of teaching our high school students not only academic skills but also essential social skills. One crucial aspect of social development is learning how to be a good sport. Being a good sport involves demonstrating good sportsmanship, resilience, and empathy. In this blog post, we will provide special educators with a lesson plan and three no-prep activity ideas to help teach high school students the social skills needed to be a good sport.

What is ‘Being a Good Sport’?

Losing a game like a good sport requires learners to act in direct contrast to how they’re feeling at that moment. We must learn good sportsmanship for broad types of losing: not knowing the answer, not being chosen, not getting our way, and the conflicts that arise when people think the rules don’t apply to them in games.

Lesson Plan: Being a Good Sport

Objective: By the end of the lesson, high school students will be able to understand the importance of being a good sport, identify behaviors that demonstrate good sportsmanship, and apply these skills in real-life situations.

Materials:

• Whiteboard or chart paper
• Markers
• Printable worksheet: Everyday Speech “Being a Good Sport”

Class Discussion

1. Begin the lesson by engaging the students in a class discussion about sportsmanship and being a good sport.
2. Ask open-ended questions such as:
   • What does it mean to be a good sport?
   • Why is it important to demonstrate good sportsmanship?
   • Can you think of any examples of good or poor sportsmanship?
   • How can being a good sport positively impact your relationships and experiences?
3. Encourage students to share their personal experiences and thoughts on the topic.

Analyzing Scenarios

1. Divide the students into small groups and provide each group with a set of printed scenario cards.
2. Instruct the groups to read each scenario and discuss how they would respond if they were in that situation.
3. After a specified time, bring the groups back together and ask for volunteers to share their group’s responses to each scenario.
4. Facilitate a discussion around the different approaches and encourage students to reflect on the consequences of their choices.

Printable Worksheet: “Being a Good Sport”

1. Distribute the printable worksheet titled “Being a Good Sport” to each student.
2. Ask the students to individually complete the worksheet, which includes questions and prompts related to good sportsmanship.
3. Once completed, encourage students to pair up and discuss their answers with a partner.
4. Finally, facilitate a whole-class discussion to share and reinforce the importance of good sportsmanship.

Sample Video

Students learn best from watching real students their own age model skills. Try out this sample video-modeling lesson below. We offer our entire Social-Emotional Learning platform free for 30 days here!

Related Blog Posts:

Changing the Channel on Big Emotions: A Guide for Educators

Teaching Conflict Resolution and Problem Solving Skills to Special Education Students

High School Interview Skills Lesson