Advanced Child Development: Pros and Cons of Competitive Activities for Children

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Sarah Mattern


Advanced Child Development:  Pros and Cons of Competitive Activities for Children

Grade Level: 10-12

Subject: Advanced Child Development

Duration: 3 - 50 minute class periods

DOK Level: 3

SAMR Level: Modification

Indiana Standard:

ACD-4.1 Examine roles and responsibilities of the family unit, caregivers, and educators for nurturing children, providing children with a stimulating environment,and transmitting societal expectations, culture, and traditions to children.

ACD-4.2 Examine policies, issues, and trends in the workplace, community, nation, and world that impact children and child nurturing practices.

Objective: Students will examine the issue of children’s participation in competitive activities and determine appropriate parental decisions based on research.

Essential Questions:

  1.  What are the positive and negative attributes associated  with the word “competitive”?
  2.  How do the positive attributes described assist with a child’s development mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically?
  3. How do the negative attributes described hinder a child’s development mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically?
  4. Although we often think of “competitive” activities as sporting in nature, what are other examples of activities in which children engage that are competitive?

Procedure:

  1.  Brainstorm thoughts regarding the essential questions.
  2.  Read “Pros and Cons of Youth Sports Competition”

http://share.upmc.com/2016/02/youth-sports-participation/

      3.   Groups will be randomly assigned a position to take as a parent in the decision to allow your child to participate in competitive activities or to restrict your child from participating in competitive activities.

      4.  The group will research their position and gather information from at least three sites.

      5.   Each group will then produce a YouTube presentation outlining their decision to allow or to restrict their children from competitive participation.  

Product or Assessment: YouTube video of their group’s position on allowing or restricting competitive participation for their children.The following rubric will provide direction for the assessment.

Criteria5 points3 points1 point
Each person participates in the production of the YouTube in some capacity.All members participated in some aspect of YouTube production.Most members participated in some aspect of YouTube production.Few members participated in some aspect of YouTube production.
Positions were backed with research based evidence The group’s position shows evidence of research from 3 sites. The group’s position shows evidence of research from 2 sites.The group’s position shows evidence of research from 1 sites.
The group’s position in clearly verbalized in the YouTube.The group’s position is verbalized in a clear, cogent method.The group’s position is mainly verbalized in a way that is understood.The group’s position is somewhat verbalized in a way that is understood.

6.  Following the production and viewing of both group’s positions each student will develop their own personal plan as a parent for their child (children) in regard to allowing or restricting participation in competitive activities.  This is to be submitted on a Google Doc and shared to the teacher.

Accommodations: The student may elect to develop their own alternative project in whatever manner best demonstrated an understanding of the pros and cons to competition.

Enrichment: The student may elect to attend a PTC meeting at the elementary school and present their position to parents.

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