semester elective · grades 10–12 · mr. auch · mt. morris schools · 2026-27
beyond the scoreboard. the syllabus
what this course is
This course uses sports as a lens on American history from the 1860s to today. Every unit follows four threads: business and labor, media and technology, law and government, and the fight over who gets to play. You'll work with real primary sources — newspapers, broadcast footage, court decisions, congressional testimony — and finish with a research project on a sports story from Michigan's own backyard.
the map
- weeks 1–3 Inventing American Sport, 1860s–1900 — Industrial cities build the modern game; the color line is drawn.
- weeks 3–6 The National Stage, 1900–1945 — Jack Johnson, the Black Sox, radio, the Negro Leagues, Jesse Owens in Berlin, Detroit’s Joe Louis and Hank Greenberg.
- weeks 6–9 Integration and the Cold War, 1945–1963 — Jackie Robinson, television, the Olympics as superpower contest.
- weeks 9–12 The Athlete Revolt, 1963–1980 — Ali and Vietnam, Mexico City 1968, Curt Flood, Title IX, Billie Jean King.
- weeks 12–15 The Money Game, 1980–2004 — ESPN, Jordan and global branding, steroids, the college amateurism debate, the Malice at the Palace.
- weeks 15–18 The Modern Arena, 2004–today — Social media, concussions, NIL, the women’s sports boom, legalized betting, Flint’s Claressa Shields — plus your Michigan capstone.
the spine question
Sport: mirror or engine? After each case we study, the class votes — did sport reflect America here, or push it? The tally runs all semester on the classroom wall, and the final exam essay cashes it in.
grading
Grades are calculated with points, weighted as below. Letter grades follow the student handbook (95–100 A, 90–94 A−, 88–89 B+, 84–87 B, 80–83 B−, 78–79 C+, 74–77 C, 70–73 C−, 68–69 D+, 64–67 D, 60–63 D−, 0–59 E).
- Unit tests 30%
- Thread charts, logs, and document work 30%
- Michigan capstone project 20%
- Debate and seminar participation 10%
- Final exam 10%
the class rule
Every era gets judged by its own evidence first. We read what people said at the time before we decide what we think now — then decide what changed and why.
what to bring
A writing utensil, a folder or binder for handouts and your thread charts, and your assigned device on research days.
attendance
This course is built on in-class document work, discussion, and a team capstone that cannot be fully made up at home. Poor attendance usually results in poor grades — follow the attendance policy.