Social studies activity
Billie Jean King: The Battle of the Sexes
Meet a tennis champion who was one of the best players in the world.
Materials and setup
No special materials are listed; check each step before starting.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Meet a tennis champion who was one of the best players in the world.
Steps
- Tell your child: Billie Jean King played tennis and was one of the best players in the whole world.
- She practiced very hard and won many, many matches.
- Ask: Have you ever worked really hard at something until you got good at it?
Learning objectives
- Learn that Billie Jean King was an outstanding tennis champion
- Connect hard work to achievement
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Learn how Billie Jean King proved that girls can be great athletes.
Steps
- Tell the story: A man named Bobby Riggs said that women weren't as good at tennis as men. He challenged a famous woman tennis player named Billie Jean King to a match.
- Billie Jean said yes. They played in front of a huge crowd. Billie Jean won!
- Ask: What do you think Billie Jean proved when she won? Why did it matter?
Learning objectives
- Know that Billie Jean King won the Battle of the Sexes match
- Understand that the match was about proving women are great athletes
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Learn about the Battle of the Sexes tennis match on September 20, 1973.
Steps
- Read the facts: On September 20, 1973, Billie Jean King played Bobby Riggs in a tennis match called 'The Battle of the Sexes' at the Houston Astrodome.
- Bobby Riggs had claimed publicly that women's tennis was so inferior that even a 55-year-old man like him could beat the best woman player. Billie Jean King accepted his challenge.
- King won decisively: 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. About 30,000 people watched in the stadium. Millions watched on TV.
- Discuss: Why was this more than just a tennis match? What was Riggs claiming, and what did King's win prove?
- Write: 'The Battle of the Sexes mattered because...'
Learning objectives
- Know the date (September 20, 1973), score (6-4, 6-3, 6-3), and venue (Houston Astrodome)
- Understand what Riggs claimed and what King's win demonstrated
- Connect the match to broader questions about women in sports
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Analyze Billie Jean King's legacy in women's equality in sports and the broader women's movement.
Steps
- Research the context: The match took place in 1973, in the middle of the women's liberation movement. Women were fighting for equal pay, equal rights, and respect in professional life.
- The match was watched by an estimated 90 million people worldwide — one of the most-watched tennis matches in history. Research why it attracted such enormous attention.
- Read about Billie Jean King's other advocacy: She helped found the Women's Tennis Association and fought for equal prize money at tennis tournaments. Wimbledon and the US Open now award equal prize money to men and women.
- Research Bobby Riggs: Was he a serious believer in what he was saying, or was he mostly a showman? Does the answer change how you think about the match?
- Discuss: How has women's sports pay equity changed since 1973? Where does the debate stand today?
- Write a structured argument: 'The Battle of the Sexes was a turning point for women in sports because...'
Learning objectives
- Understand the women's liberation movement as context for the match
- Analyze the global reach and significance of the 90-million-viewer audience
- Evaluate Billie Jean King's advocacy beyond the match itself
- Research the current state of pay equity in women's sports
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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