 |
| ");?> ");?> |
Activity Guide: Rachael
Discuss these questions and share your thoughts with others, or record your thoughts and responses in a personal journal.
1. What are your initial reactions to Rachael’s story?
2. Name four qualities that you admire about Rachael?
a. First, _________________________
b. Second, ______________________
c. Third, ________________________
d. Fourth, _______________________
3. Why did you select these four? What do each of these mean to you?
4. Like Rachael, many people have "big dreams" they hope to accomplish one day. What are your "big dreams"?
5. What kinds of things do you think it will take to make sure that you accomplish your dreams?
7. Rachael is a young woman who has a strong sense of her own identity – who she is as a person. While others may, at first, see Rachael as a "blind sled dog racer," She clearly sees herself as a "disciplined athlete," first and foremost. When asked to describe herself in one sentence, she enthusiastically portrays herself without reference to her visual disability as, "Rachael Scdoris is an athletic girl that loves to sing!"
8. Do you have a strong sense of your own identity? If so, what is it? How would you describe yourself in one sentence? Do other people who may not know you as well see you as something else? What do others see you as? What are some things you can you do to help others see you for who you really are?
9. Rachael’s role models include two female athletes who have broken records in their fields. Who are your role models? What about them do you admire?
10. Do you see Rachael as a role model for you? Rachael’s father taught her to accept the good things that happen to her with dignity, humility, and grace, and to move on from disappointment without a loss of enthusiasm. Is this a quality that you admire or aspire to? Explain?
Where to Learn More...About Rachael and about Visual Challenges such as Blindness
Learning links: Surfing the Net is a great way to gather information about sightless people and the world in which they live. The following Web sites offer a small sampling of information available onlineL
Visit Rachael’s website: http://www.sleddogrides.com/; and learn more about dogsledding at http://www.wyomingstagestop.org/ and http://www.dogsled.com/.
http://www.nyise.org/braille.htm Don’t know where to start your research on Louis Braille? The Blindness Resource Center can give you the answer. Operated by the New York Institute for Special Education, this Web site has links to a host of short biographies on Louis Braille and the history of the Braille system, including the early development of Braille translators and embossers to the latest technology, research and materials serving the blind today.
http://www.nfb.org "The real problem of blindness is not the lack of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information which exists." So say the opening words to the homepage of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). With more than 20 links to information on everything from questions children most frequently ask of the blind to the laws and legislation affecting the visually impaired, the NFB’s site is sure to enlighten everyone who logs on to this address.
http://www.blindchildrensfund.org The Blind Children’s Fund provides access to a variety of materials and services available to sightless youth. Especially created to serve the needs of parents and professionals working with visually impaired children, the organization offers books, video materials, computer programs and in-service training.
http://www.afb.org This site offers access to the Helen Keller Archives and the M.C. Migel Memorial Library, one of the world’s largest collections of print materials on blindness.
About Girls and Sports
http://www.melpomene.org/girls/ Melpomene Institute helps girls and women of all ages link physical activity and health. The website has interesting stories about girls and sports, plus career information and books.
http://www.itvs.org/girlsinamerica/shows1.html PBS recently sponsored a documentary entitled "Run Like a Girl." The documentary listens closely to female athletes involved in non-traditional sports like rugby, synchronized swimming, and double-dutch jumping and explores how sports can help girls cultivate resistance to any force that stunts spiritual growth or thwarts self-confidence.
Produced by Joanna Pinneo for
New Media for Non Profits
privacy policy
© 2001 Joanna B. Pinneo