Muhammad Ali Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie:

What do you know about Muhammad Ali? (Tap prior knowledge)

Why are sports figures so influential? (Explain)

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:57: How did the death of Emmett Till affect Ali? (Identify cause and effect)

Timecode 4:11 Why did Cassius Clay change his name to Muhammad Ali? (Recall)

Timecode 4:25: How did Ali use his physical and character strengths to advantage both in and out of the boxing ring? (Make inferences)

Timecode 5:30: How did Ali’s religious and political convictions affect his career in the 1960s? (Identify cause and effect)

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Muhammad Ali topic. (Make connections)

In what ways was Ali a symbol of the changing times?  (Reflect)

BrainPOP recommends reading  the movie description that appears on the Muhammad Ali Topic Page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing. Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.