General Education Capstone Course

Gen. Ed. Category Event should be listed under: Social Science

SCC Competency addressed by event: 1. Explain social institutions, structures, and processes.2. Develop and communicate hypothetical explanations, predictions, and descriptions of human behavior within an historical and social context.

Event experience Title: Attend and analyze a major sporting event as a case study in American culture

Anticipated Learning Outcome.

Through this exercise students should develop a better understanding of the cultural and social world around them, and come to a better informed sense of self and others. This exercise will also highlight some of the connections between different realms of American culture.

Guidelines for accomplishment of event

Instructions to Students:Attend a competitive, team, sporting event in person (such as basketball, baseball, or hockey (football is already a capstone option on its own)) and observe the entire event. Write a structured journal entry considering how the event relates to American culture in general. What different groups of people can be observed, and what are the expected behaviors of each? Does the event reinforce specific ways of thinking, or contain certain “life lessons”? How does the event differ from other forms of popular entertainment? What does television filter out of experiences like this? These are some possible questions to pursue in your journal entry, though you may also include other topics.

Assessmenet rubric for Instructors: Are they able to write a coherent essay that looks critically at our own culture with some measure of detached objectivity – an analysis that goes beyond the emotional valuations “it’s great” or “it’s awful” to attempt an explanation? Are they able to show connections between different realms of American culture, and understand the constraints of history for particular cultural features? Are they able to reason from the specific to more general claims, and do they provide suitable evidence for the arguments they make?

Provide at least one the following:

Event Contact Name: Local papers list games in the area (college or pro). It’s important that the event be attended in person, not watched on TV.

Event Contact website URL: http://www.stltoday.com/sports

SCC Event Creator: Wm. Griffin

Estimated Time for full completion (include: making contact/appointment; attending activity; travel; and journal consideration and entry) - 6