1. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
(5 MINUTES)

Ask students to respond to this prompt: In which aspects of American life today are women treated unequally to men? Have students share their answers with a partner.

2. SURVEY AND DISCUSS
(10 MINUTES)

Have students look at the image on the left and ask them if they are familiar with the athlete. Then do the same with the image on the right. Discuss whether an athlete’s popularity should affect his or her pay. Then show the video about the history of women in sports.

3. INDEPENDENT READING
(15 MINUTES)

Have students read the article on their own, writing down any comments or questions.

4. FULL-CLASS DISCUSSION
(15 MINUTES)

Use these questions to guide a discussion.

• What inequality led five U.S. women’s soccer players to file a complaint with the federal government?
  (The players charge that women make 40 percent of what the male players make, despite equal work and greater success.)
  
  
• Is it fair to pay male athletes more than women because they bring in more revenue? How is that not even true in soccer?
  (Answers will vary. As to soccer: U.S. Soccer projects that the 2017 revenue from the women’s team will be about $9 million more than that from the men’s team.)

5. ARGUMENT WRITING
Tell students that they will be writing an argument essay on the gender-based pay gap. Have students complete the skills sheet Argument Writing: Organizing Your Argument prior to drafting their essay.