English · Class 9

Active learning ideas

Maria Sharapova's Journey

Active learning helps students internalise Maria Sharapova's journey by stepping into her shoes. Role-plays and timelines let learners feel the weight of her decisions, not just read about them. This topic demands empathy and evidence-based reflection, which active methods provide better than passive discussion.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• CBSE: Reach for the Top - Class 9

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 25 min · Pairs

Compare-Contrast T-Chart: Sharapova vs Santosh Yadav

Pairs draw a T-chart listing sacrifices, support systems, and motivations for both athletes. They cite textual evidence and discuss similarities in resilience. Conclude by sharing one key insight with the class.

Compare the sacrifices made by Maria Sharapova with those of Santosh Yadav in pursuing their goals.

Facilitation Tip

In Resilience Debate Circles, assign the strongest speaker in each group to summarise the group’s agreed points after discussion.

What to look for

Pose this question to small groups: 'Imagine you are Maria Sharapova at age 10, facing a difficult choice between staying home or moving to pursue your dream. What are two sacrifices you would have to make, and how would you cope with them?' Have groups share their top two sacrifices and coping strategies.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Small Groups

Decision Role-Play: Leaving Home

Small groups act out Sharapova's family discussion on moving to the US. Assign roles to Maria, parents, and coach; perform and reflect on emotions involved. Debrief on discipline's cost.

Evaluate the role of parental support and personal discipline in Sharapova's success.

What to look for

Ask students to write down three specific examples of discipline Maria Sharapova demonstrated, based on the text. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining why this discipline was crucial for her success.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Individual

Ambition Timeline Gallery Walk

Individuals create timelines of Sharapova's milestones with quotes on sacrifice. Display around room for gallery walk; students add sticky notes with personal connections.

Explain how her early experiences shaped her resilience and determination.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, have students complete these sentences: 'One similarity in sacrifice between Maria Sharapova and Santosh Yadav is ______. A key difference is ______. This shows that ______.'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Resilience Debate Circles

Small groups debate: 'Parental support matters more than personal discipline'. Use evidence from text; rotate speakers and vote at end.

Compare the sacrifices made by Maria Sharapova with those of Santosh Yadav in pursuing their goals.

What to look for

Pose this question to small groups: 'Imagine you are Maria Sharapova at age 10, facing a difficult choice between staying home or moving to pursue your dream. What are two sacrifices you would have to make, and how would you cope with them?' Have groups share their top two sacrifices and coping strategies.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Avoid telling students what Sharapova felt. Instead, scaffold their empathy by asking them to connect her choices to their own experiences. Research shows that when students debate decisions or role-play dilemmas, they retain grit and resilience concepts longer than through lectures. Use text quotes as anchors to keep discussions grounded.

Students will move from recalling facts about Sharapova to analysing her choices and comparing them with Santosh Yadav’s. They will articulate sacrifices, discipline, and resilience using text-based examples. Evidence of learning appears in their debate points, role-play reflections, and timeline connections.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Compare-Contrast T-Chart, watch for students who assume Sharapova’s success came from talent alone.

  During the T-Chart activity, redirect students to highlight textual references to Sharapova’s discipline, such as her refusal to eat chocolate until after Wimbledon, and Santosh Yadav’s hard training days in the mountains.

• During Decision Role-Play, watch for students who assume Sharapova had constant parental support.

  During the role-play, have students note on their scripts when Sharapova’s mother joined her and discuss how this delay shaped her resilience, using their role-play reflections to challenge the idea of constant support.

• During Resilience Debate Circles, watch for students who believe resilience is something people are born with.

  During the debate, ask students to trace Sharapova’s resilience back to specific challenges like relocation and losses, using their debate notes to show how resilience grows from experience, not birth.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Gallery Walk