How She Played the Game introduces six athletes. Read about them in the Reader’s Resource on page 241 and the character introductions on page 242. Skim the selection, noting the headings that introduce each character. How does each segment begin? How does each segment end? Notice the pictures of each athlete.
1. Listen as your teacher reads the stage directions at the beginning of the play. Try to picture the actress and hear how she sounds. Imagine her as Eleonora Randolph Sears. Listen to the monologue in Sears’s voice. What do you learn about Sears from this section? Jot down a few notes in your notebook.
2. Read the rest of the selection on your own. Stop at the end of each section and write down what you learned about the athlete and your opinion of the athlete based on what you read.
If you are struggling with the selection, listen while somebody else reads each segment. While you listen, try to picture each speaker. Begin by looking at the picture of the athlete. Pay attention to the stage directions at the beginning of each section. These will tell you something about how the character looks and sounds.
With a partner, compare the notes you took about each character. Then discuss how the organizational features helped you understand the selection