On Monday and Tuesday, I gave you time to do background reading on Jackie Robinson.

Here are some questions that we will discuss today using a Web site called TodaysMeet. I will show you how this site works in class. On the site, you will meet with at least two to three people and discuss the questions below. After your discussion online, each discussion group will be responsible to print a transcript of your discussion.

1. Vocabulary:

Discuss what each of these words mean:  discrimination, prejudice, equality, boycott

2. What are the three most important things you learned about Jackie Robinson?  Explain what makes each one important and to whom it is important.

3.  Think back to the movie The Great Debaters. How did they make it possible for Jackie Robinson? How did Robinson make it possible for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?

4.  The Dallas Children’s Theater focuses on “comtemporary dramas that foster multicultural understanding, confront topical issues and celebrate the human spirit.”  How does Jackie Robinson fulfill this goal?

5.  Jackie Robinson faced unfair treatment and persecution including name-calling.  What are examples of unfair treatment that you see in today’s society?  What makes them unfair and what means are used to be unfair?

6.  Some of the St. Louis Cardinals threatened to boycott during the playoff game with the Dodgers because of Jackie Robinson’s presence in the league.  What other significant boycott events in our history can you name?  When is boycotting an effective method of resistance?  When would it be ineffective?

7. Who is a person today that is paving the way for positive change in the future just like Professor Tolson, Jackie Robinson, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? What thing(s) are they trying to change for the better? How are they doing it? Is is working?

Remember, after you have finished each TodaysMeet discussion question, the group leader needs to print out a copy of the transcript for your group.