Educational Curriculum Materials: Bringing Baseball to the Classroom

Educational Curriculum Materials: Bringing Baseball to the Classroom

Grades K-3

This curriculum aligns with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts.

MATHEMATICS

GRADES K-3

Focus: Examine how geometrical and other mathematical concepts apply to baseball.

Materials Needed: pencil, paper, calculator

1.  Label on the picture below: point, vertex, line segment, angle. Using colored pencils, draw an obtuse angle, acute angle, and right angle on the baseball diamond picture.

2.  Batting Average is a measure of a batter’s performance. It is calculated as the number of hits divided by the number of times at bat. Calculate the following players’ batting averages (decimals should be rounded to the thousandth):

·  Miguel Cabrera: 197 Hits/572 At Bats

·  Adrian Gonzalez: 213 Hits/630 At Bats

·  Victor Martinez: 178 Hits/540 At Bats

·  Alex Gordon: 185 Hits/611 At Bats

SCIENCE

GRADES K-3

Focus: Understand important vocabulary related to physical science and conceptualize an innovation in baseball that would improve the performance of a particular position on the team or a stadium worker.

Materials Needed: pencil/paper

1.  Define the following types of scientists:

·  Biologist:

·  Geologist:

·  Paleontologist:

2.  Choose one of the following clients: groundskeeper, umpire, vendor, or mascot. You must improve one element of the client’s baseball experience. For example, improvements can include a new tool, improvement on an existing tool, adjustment to the client’s working environment, or something the client may wear. In the space provided, describe your improvements that would make the client’s job easier or safer in some way.

GEOGRAPHY

GRADES K-3

Focus: Understand important vocabulary related to geography and correctly identify the latitude and longitude for selected cities around the world.

Materials Needed: pencil, paper, world map or globe

1.  Define the following geography terms:

·  Location:

·  Latitude:

·  Longitude:

·  Map:

·  Place:

2.  What are the latitude/longitude coordinates of the following locations:

·  Tokyo, Japan:

·  Havana, Cuba:

·  Caracas, Venezuela:

HISTORY

GRADES K-3

Focus: Understand the importance of women in the history of baseball and the role of Jackie Robinson in the Civil Rights Movement.

1.  Draw a venn diagram with the following headings: Sports that Boys Play, Sports that Girls Play, and Sports Played by Both Girls and Boys. Brainstorm examples for each heading. Answer the questions below:

·  Were these sports always only for boys or girls?

·  Was there a time when both boys and girls played these sports?

2.  Answer the following questions using research from books and/or the Internet:

·  Where was Jackie Robinson born?

·  Where did Jackie Robinson grow up?

·  Who were some important figures in Jackie Robinson’s life?

·  How did Jackie Robinson impact other people’s lives?

ENGLISH

GRADES K-3

Focus: CCS.ELA-Literary.W.3.3, W.4.3, W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

1.  Using the space provided, write about an amazing sporting event you either watched on TV or played in. Include as many details as you can and don’t forget to use language to help your reader understand how exciting it was.

ANSWER KEY

Mathematics:

Question 1:

Question 2: Miguel Cabrera: .344; Adrian Gonzalez: .338; Victor Martinez: .330; Alex Gordon: .303

Science:

Question 1:

·  Biologist: a scientist who studies living organisms

·  Geologist: a scientist who studies changes in the earth’s surface and core

·  Paleontologist: a scientist who studies life that existed in prehistoric times

Question 2: Answers will vary

Geography:

Question 1:

·  Latitude: invisible lines that run horizontally around the globe measuring the distance north and south of the equator

·  Location: a position or point in physical space

·  Longitude: invisible lines that run vertically around the globe measuring the distance east and west of the Prime Meridian

·  Map: a representation of the features of a given area

·  Place: the physical and human characteristics of a location

Question 2:

·  Tokyo: 35.68°N, 139.77°E

·  Havana: 23.12°N, 82.39°W

·  Caracas: 10.50°N, 66.90°W

History:

Question 1: Answers can vary

Question 2:

·  Where was Jackie Robinson born? Answer: Cairo, Georgia

·  Where did Jackie Robinson grow up? Answer: He grew up in poverty in Pasadena, California

·  Who were some important figures in Jackie Robinson’s life? Answer: Brother Matthew Robinson

·  How did Jackie Robinson impact other people’s lives? Answer: broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball by being the first African American to play major league baseball