|
This program is only available via videoconferencing. If you are interested in participating in this program in your on-site visit, please note that this is now part of the Tools of the Trade program, incorporating American History and Industrial Technology. For questions or comments please call us at 607-547-0347.
I. Introduction
II. Objectives
III. Preparing the Students
IV. Presentation
V. Enrichment and Assessment Activities
VI. Additional Resources
VII. Relevant National Learning Standards
VIII. Planning a Videoconference?
Printable
Format
Your feedback is important. Complete an easy survey
to help us improve these thematic units.
Bottom of the ninth, two men on, two out, the score
is tied. With the crack of the bat and the soft thud
of a hardball settling into a leather glove, the game
goes to extra innings - just as the story of equipment
never ends. Have you ever tried catching a baseball
without a glove or hitting a pitch with a flat bat?
How about standing in against a flame-throwing pitcher
without the protection of a batting helmet? The equipment
makes the game and mirrors important developments in
history and industry. As baseball grew up, safety, technology,
available resources and a desire for greater effectiveness
have led to invention, change and standardization of
equipment. Students in grades four through eight can
slide home in this engaging unit that encourages observation,
estimation and reasoning.
Return to top
A. Examine historical artifacts and modern-day baseball
equipment.
B. Analyze, through interactive dialogue and discussion,
the physical characteristics of equipment; compare and
contrast similarities and differences.
C. Understand how factors of change that operate in
society at large have led to advances in baseball equipment
and the evolving nature of the game itself.
Return to top
A. Background
Baseball has been part of United States history for
more than 150 years. Technological factors, economic
resources, concern for safety and protection, and growing
expectations have resulted in changes to equipment and
the game. Baseballs have evolved from single pieces
of hand-stitched, stuffed leather to the modern hardball
made according to exact specifications. Bats once crudely
crafted from tree limbs and wagon tongues are now precisely
produced to meet the needs of both little leaguers and
major leaguers. From catcher's gear to a fielder's glove,
the tools of the trade parallel advancements and innovations
in American industry.
B. Vocabulary
Accession
Artifact
Characteristics
Chronological
Circumference
Diameter
Effectiveness
Efficient
Equipment
Ergonomics
Estimate
Evolution
Invention
Protection
Resources
Similarity
Standardization
Technology
C. Suggested Pre-Program Activities
1) Using the Accessions
Worksheet, ask students to bring in baseball gloves,
bats, balls and other types of equipment. Working individually
or in groups, complete an Accessions Worksheet just
as if the artifacts were being added to the collection
of a museum. Students should go into great written detail
when describing the condition and history of their objects.
This activity is highly recommended.
2) Show half a baseball; ask students to list the materials
that are found inside. OR - provide the materials from
which a baseball is made (cowhide covers, rubber ball
center, yarn and stitching thread); ask students to
write step-by-step instructions detailing how a baseball
is constructed.
3) As a creative writing exercise, students should develop
rules that describe how bats, balls, gloves and helmets
are to be used. These rules can be humorous or realistic.
The rules should take safety into consideration. Ask
students to compare their rules with the actual rules
presently used in professional baseball.
4) Have students make a baseball using their imagination
and a variety of miscellaneous materials. The sphere
should not exceed 9.25 inches - the circumference of
a regulation-sized baseball. Ask the students to write
a narrative description of the steps they took to create
the baseball.
5) Watch a few innings of a baseball game, either live
or on video. OR - watch a well-known baseball movie,
such as The Sandlot or The Natural. List the various
types of equipment that are used throughout the game
or the movie.
Return to top
If you are participating in a school visit or videoconference
please do not review this section with your students.
It will be taught as part of the presentation.
A. Opening
1) Ask students, "What equipment do you need to
play baseball?" Engage the class in a conversation
about the different and necessary pieces of equipment.
Hold up examples as the various items are mentioned.
2) Ask, "Why would baseball players need all this
equipment?" "Why would catchers, in specific,
need to wear so much gear?" INSTRUCTOR NOTE: Introduce
model or illustration of catcher's equipment.
3) Model or discuss equipment used by the modern-day
catcher. One by one, remove the various pieces of equipment
to show, in reverse, how the tools of the game have
evolved - ending with the obvious illustration that
catchers in the early days of baseball did not wear
any protective gear. Cite tools used by other players
as similar examples (e.g. the batter, the first baseman,
etc.).
4) Discuss how the game of baseball evolved from its
early days 150 years ago when the only necessities were
a crude bat, a rough ball and the four bases. Brainstorm
with students, relating this dialogue to general events
in various eras, such as the Civil War, the first airplane,
the first automobile, World War II, the first television,
the space age, the advent of personal computers, etc.
5) If comfortable, emphasize five factors in the evolution
of baseball equipment: Safety, Effectiveness, Availability,
Technology and Standardization (S.E.A.T.S)
B. Lesson
1) Beginning with a baseball glove, ask students to
describe their own baseball gloves that they've brought
to class. Students should have completed the Accessions
Worksheet in the suggested pre-program activities.
2) Compare the students' gloves to an older baseball
glove with noticeable differences (e.g. un-laced fingers,
no webbing, lack of pocket, etc.).
3) Discuss the major changes and evolution of the baseball
glove, such as: size; webbing; curved glove with pocket
and fingers laced together - i.e. effectiveness.
4) Refer to a baseball. Ask students to describe a ball
they've brought to class. Students should have completed
the Accessions
Worksheet in the suggested pre-program activities.
5) Compare the students' baseballs to an older baseball.
Ask if there are any noticeable differences (e.g. stitching,
circumference, weight, emblem, softness, hardness, cover
material, general condition, etc.). Point out that baseballs
have remained standardized, or virtually unchanged,
since the original rules of 1876 - i.e. standardization.
6) Discuss that there have been very few changes in
the production of the baseball, with the exception of
the cover material (originally horsehide, now cowhide
- i.e. availability) and the center (originally rubber,
now cork). NOTE: Early baseballs used in the 19th century
game were often a single, soft piece of hand-stitched,
stuffed leather.
7) Next, discuss baseball bats. Ask students to describe
a bat that they've brought to class. Students should
have completed the Accessions
Worksheet in the suggested pre-program activities.
8) Compare the bat to an older model with noticeable
differences (e.g. wood versus aluminum, type of wood,
grip on handle, color, weight, length, diameter of barrel,
etc.).
9) Discuss how technology and player performance have
impacted the major changes and evolution of the regulation
major league baseball bat, such as: types of wood (e.g.
hickory, ash or maple); production techniques; and why
aluminum bats are not allowed in the big leagues - i.e.
technology.
10) Display a batting helmet. Discuss the history of
the helmet, telling the story of Ray Chapman who died
in 1920 after being struck by a pitch from Carl Mays
- i.e. safety.
11) Emphasize that safety necessitates batting helmets.
However, they were not mandatory until the late 1950s
and earflaps on helmets were not required until the
1970s.
C. Conclusion
1) Segue from a discussion about the batting helmet
by reminding students that modern-day catchers wear
a protective helmet beneath their masks.
2) Once again, use the catcher's equipment to help the
class recall how and why baseball equipment has evolved
with the game (e.g., the S.E.A.T.S acronym).
3) When comparing the old and new equipment, conclude
by asking students which set of gear they would prefer
to wear during a game and why.
If you are participating in a school visit or videoconference
please do not review this section with your students.
It will be taught as part of the presentation.
Return to top
A. Using the Fox Sports video of Tim McCarver (active
link) as an example, have students construct a baseball
glove using a milk carton. Practice playing catch with
the simulated glove. Ask students to use their imaginations
to create other pieces of baseball equipment using unlikely
materials.
B. Ask students to write about what changes and continued
improvements they foresee for baseball equipment in
the 21st century. They should provide reasons and a
rationale for their predictions. Have them draw pictures
of what the new equipment might look like.
C. Students could write a creative story or a factual
report about the feasibility of playing baseball on
the moon. How would the game be different, and why?
How would equipment be different?
D. Predict whether a baseball would travel a further
or lesser distance if it were perfectly round without
any visible stitching. Support and explain the hypothesis
with scientific reasoning.
E. Create a timeline illustrating the evolution of baseball
equipment, denoting significant changes and improvements
(e.g. mandatory batting helmets and lacing between the
fingers of a fielder's glove). Incorporate photos from
baseballhalloffame.org.
F. Organize students into literature circles to read
the book "Hitting Glory: A Baseball Bat Adventure,"
by Robert Skead. After each chapter, groups should discuss
what they learned and felt, the concept of fact versus
fiction, as well as key vocabulary terms, and figurative
or descriptive language. Students should record individual
perceptions in a daily journal.
Return to top
A. Literature
Adair, Robert. The Physics of Baseball. Harper Perennial,
2002.
Bildner, Phil. Payne, C.F. (Illustrator). Shoeless Joe
and Black Betsy. Simon & Schuster, 2002.
Geng, Don. King, Andy (Photographer). Play by Play Baseball.
Lerner Sports, 2001.
Gutman, Dan. Banana Bats and Ding Dong Balls: A Century
of Unique Baseball Inventions. Hungry Minds, 1995.
Gutman, Dan and Carver, Tim. The Way Baseball Works.
Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Kinsella, W.P. "Distances." The Further Adventures
of Slugger McBatt. Houghton Mifflin, 1988.
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Baseball
As America. National Geographic Books, 2002.
Skead, Robert. Hitting Glory. Cross Training Publishing,
2001.
Thorn, John. Treasures of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Villard Books, 1998.
B. Web Links
baseballhalloffame.org
Official site of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
and Museum
pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/materials.html
Understanding properties of different materials - an
interactive lab program produced by PBS
members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/equip.htm
The history of equipment for catchers
mlb.com
Official site of Major League Baseball
stevetheump.com/bat_history.htm
History of the baseball bat
http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/index.html
Interactive site on the science of baseball
C. Multi-Media Gallery
Comparative photos of various pieces of baseball equipment,
both old and new, representing bats, balls, gloves and
catchers equipment.
Films
The Natural, 1984, directed by Barry Levinson. Rated
PG
The Sandlot, 1993, directed by David M. Evans. Rated
PG
D. For Videoconferencing
Examples of Accession
Worksheets already completed, as well as a blank
sheet that can be reproduced and completed by students.
Return to top
A. U.S. History
1) Distinguish between past, present and future time.
2) Identify the temporal structure of a historical narrative
or story: its beginning, middle and end (the latter
defined as the outcome of a particular beginning).
3) Establish temporal order in constructing their [students']
own historical narratives: working forward from some
beginning through its development, to some end or outcome;
working backward from some issue, problem or event to
explain its origins and its development over time.
4) Interpret data presented in timelines and create
timelines by designating appropriate equidistant intervals
of time and recording events according to the temporal
order in which they occurred.
5) Reconstruct patterns of historical succession and
duration in which historical developments have unfolded,
and apply them to explain historical continuity and
change.
6) Differentiate between historical facts and historical
interpretations but acknowledge that the two are related;
that the facts the historian reports are selected and
reflect therefore the historian's judgement of what
is most significant about the past.
7) Appreciate historical perspectives--(a) describing
the past on its own terms, through the eyes and experiences
of those who were there, as revealed through their literature,
diaries, letters, debates, arts, artifacts and the like;
(b) considering the historical context in which the
event unfolded--the values, outlook, options and contingencies
of that time and place; and (c) avoiding "present-mindedness,"
judging the past solely in terms of present-day norms
and values.
8) Analyze cause-and-effect relationships bearing in
mind multiple causation including (a) the importance
of the individual in history; (b) the influence of ideas,
human interests and beliefs; and (c) the role of chance,
the accidental and the irrational.
9) Draw comparisons across eras and regions in order
to define enduring issues as well as large-scale or
long-term developments that transcend regional and temporal
boundaries.
10) Formulate historical questions from encounters with
historical documents, eyewitness accounts, letters,
diaries, artifacts, photos, historical sites, art, architecture
and other records from the past.
11) Obtain historical data from a variety of sources,
including: library and museum collections, historic
sites, historical photos, journals, diaries, eyewitness
accounts, newspapers and the like; documentary films,
oral testimony from living witnesses, censuses, tax
records, city directories, statistical compilations
and economic indicators.
12) Identify issues and problems in the past and analyze
the interests, values, perspectives and points of view
of those involved in the situation.
13) Formulate a position or course of action on an issue
by identifying the nature of the problem, analyzing
the underlying factors contributing to the problem and
choosing a plausible solution from a choice of carefully
evaluated options.
B. Language Arts
1) Students adjust their use of spoken, written and
visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary)
to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences
and for different purposes.
2) Students employ a wide range of strategies as they
write and use different writing process elements appropriately
to communicate with different audiences for a variety
of purposes.
3) Students apply knowledge of language structure, language
conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media
techniques, figurative language, and genre to create,
critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
4) Students conduct research on issues and interests
by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems.
They gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a variety
of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts,
people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that
suit their purpose and audience.
5) Students use a variety of technological and information
resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks,
video) to gather and synthesize information and to create
and communicate knowledge.
6) Students use spoken, written, and visual language
to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning,
enjoyment, persuasion and the exchange of information).
C. Math
1) Understand measurable attributes of objects and the
units, systems and processes of measurement.
2) Apply appropriate techniques, tools and formulas
to determine measurements.
3) Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and
three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical
arguments about geometric relationships.
4) Create and critique inductive and deductive arguments
concerning geometric ideas and relationships, such as
congruence, similarity and the Pythagorean relationship.
5) Use visualization, spatial reasoning and geometric
modeling to solve problems.
6) Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that
are based on data.
7) Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking
through communication.
8) Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently
and clearly to peers, teachers and others.
9) Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical
ideas precisely.
10) Recognize and use connections among mathematical
ideas.
11) Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside
of mathematics.
12) Create and use representations to organize, record
and communicate mathematical ideas.
D. Technology
1) Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the
nature and operation of technology systems.
2) Students are proficient in the use of technology.
3) Students understand the ethical, cultural and societal
issues related to technology.
4) Students practice responsible use of technology systems,
information and software.
5) Students develop positive attitudes toward technology
uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration,
personal pursuits and productivity.
6) Students use technology tools to enhance learning,
increase productivity and promote creativity.
7) Students use productivity tools to collaborate in
constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications
and produce other creative works.
8) Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish,
and interact with peers, experts and other audiences.
9) Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate
information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
10) Students use technology to locate, evaluate and
collect information from a variety of sources.
11) Students use technology tools to process data and
report results.
12) Students evaluate and select new information resources
and technological innovations based on the appropriateness
for specific tasks.
13) Students use technology resources for solving problems
and making informed decisions.
14) Students employ technology in the development of
strategies for solving problems in the real world.
E. Science
1) Understand properties and changes of properties in
matter.
2) Understand motions and forces.
3) Understand transfer of energy.
4) Understand abilities of technological design.
F. Physical Education and Health
1) Demonstrate responsible personal and social behavior
in physical activity settings.
2) Demonstrate understanding and respect for differences
among people in physical activity settings.
3) Understand that physical activity provides opportunities
for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and social
interaction.
4) Distinguish between safe and risk or harmful behaviors
in relationships.
5) Develop injury prevention and management strategies
for personal and family health.
6) Demonstrate ways to avoid and reduce threatening
situations.
7) Understand risks and benefits.
8) Understand science and technology in society.
A. Videoconference
Checklist (PDF)
|
Technology:
