Lesson Topics: DSD, gender identity, the Olympics
Skill Focus: Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary
Approximate Class Time: 2 hours
Lesson Plan Download: olympics-dsd-sex-advanced-lesson-082024.docx
Lesson Overview:
- After warm-up questions, students read a 320-word passage about Differences of Sexual Development (DSD), and the debate around whether athletes with DSD have advantages. The article focuses on the views of three medical professionals, not the cases of particular athletes.
- The passage is followed by recall activity, reading comprehension questions, and a vocabulary-matching activity. After vocabulary matching, students form discussion questions with the target vocabulary.
- There are two debate topics. One is about whether athletes with DSD should be barred from competing in female categories, and the other is about whether sporting competitions should be divided by gender.
- The two roleplay activities take a break from the DSD topic and focus on the ethics of modifying chromosomes in unborn children and different views on social issues held by grandparents and their grandchildren.
- After famous quotations, the lesson ends with a review of vocabulary and collocations before presenting some final discussion questions.
ADVANCED (C1/C2) Lesson on Olympic Athletes & DSD
Warm-up-Questions
- What sports do you enjoy watching? Why?
- Are you proficient in any sport or athletic activity? If so, which?
- What are your favorite memories from the most recent Olympics?
- What do you think are the typical differences between male and female athletes in terms of physical abilities?
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This lesson plan was created by Matthew Barton of EnglishCurrent.com (copyright). Site members may photocopy and edit the file for their classes. Permission is not given to rebrand the lesson, redistribute it on another platform, or sell it as part of commercial course curriculum. ChatGPT was used to generate answer keys and some famous quotations. For questions, contact the author.
Comprehension Question Answer Key
- The controversy is about the participation of athletes with Differences in Sexual Development (DSD) in female sports categories, raising questions about fairness and eligibility. In Paris, specifically, there were two DSD boxers that were in the media.
- DSD refers to a group of conditions where a person's sexual development does not fit typical definitions of male or female, often involving variations in chromosomes, gonads, or hormone levels.
- All doctors seem to agree that DSD conditions are complex, vary widely, and that decisions about athletes with DSD require careful consideration due to the lack of generalizable evidence.
- Williams explains that the increased testosterone during male puberty leads to greater height, muscle mass, and organ size, which typically gives men a physical advantage in sports.
- Williams believes that more precise testing might be difficult due to ethical concerns, as it would involve invasive assessments of physical features like body hair, voice depth, and breast size.
- Grossman thinks the IOC needs to be cautious because DSD conditions vary widely, making it difficult to create fair and accurate rules without risking discrimination or legal challenges.
- Gravholt's perspective challenges traditional views by arguing that sex is not simply determined by chromosomes or testosterone levels, but is much more complicated.
- …
Vocabulary 1-c, 2-I, 3-g, 4-a, 5-j, 6-e, 7-k, 8-h, 9-b, 10-f, 11-d
Collocations 1-c, 2-f, 3-e, 4-b, 5-a, 6-d
Endnotes:
[1] https://run.outsideonline.com/news/olympics/dsd-athletes-meaning-and-world-athletics-rules/
[2] https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-the-story-about-olympic-boxers-and-dsd-differences-in-sexual-development/
[3] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/imane-khelif-dsd-xy-chromosome-test-paris-2024-olympics-b2591171.html