Agate is thrilled to release free teaching materials to supplement State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation by Melissa Isaacson. State is an inspirational story of an unlikely group of high school girls who pull together to win their state’s high school basketball championship just after the passage of Title IX in 1972. In this compelling memoir, Isaacson shares what it was like in the 1970s for her and her teammates to live through both gender discrimination in sports and the joy of the very first days of equality—or at least the closest one high school girls’ basketball team ever came to it.
Title IX had passed just three years earlier, prohibiting gender discrimination in education programs or activities, including athletics. As a result, states like Illinois began implementing varsity competition—and state tournaments—for girls’ high school sports. At the time, Isaacson and her teammates didn’t really understand the legislation. All they knew was that they finally had opportunities—to play, to learn, to sweat, to lose, to win—and an identity. They were athletes. They were a team. And in 1979, they became state champions.
The downloadable educational materials include lesson plans, discussion topics, an end of book assessment, historical timelines and more. With the upcoming 50th anniversary of Title IX on June 23, 2022, now is the perfect time to introduce State to classrooms and celebrate a remarkable milestone that championed equality and forever changed the landscape of athletics in our schools. Bulk discounts are available for school districts. Visit https://state-book.com for more information!