Baseball-Then and Now
Grade Level: Middle School Special Education
Focus of Lesson:
Students will gain a greater understanding of the ways that society changes over time. Students will come up with questions about how baseball in Denver has changed from the early 1900s to the present day and then seek answers through investigating historical resources. Areas to explore through questioning might include: How have the participants of baseball changed over the last 100 years (race, gender, etc.)?, How have the uniforms/equipment/safety precautions been altered? How have the playing fields changed over the last 100 years?
Time:
Four forty-seven minute class periods.
Standards Assessed:
- History:
Standard 2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.
2.1 Students know how to formulate questions and hypotheses regarding what happened in the past and obtain and analyze historical data to answer questions and test hypothesis.
- Reading and Writing:
Standard 4: Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing.
Standards Addressed
- History:
Standard 1: Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize major events and people into major areas to identify and explain historical relationships.
1.2 Students use chronology to organize historical events and people.
Standard 2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.
2.2 Students know how to interpret and evaluate primary and secondary sources of historical information.
2.3 Students apply knowledge of the past to analyze present day issues and events from multiple, historically objective perspectives.
Standard 3: Students will understand that societies are diverse and have changed over time.
- Reading and Writing:
Standard 1: Students read and understand a variety of materials.
Standard 2: Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Standard 4: Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing.
Standard 5: Students need to locate, select and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference and technological services.
- Information Literacy:
Standard 1: The information literate student accesses information efficiently and effectively.
Standard 9: The information literate student contributes positively to the learning community and to society and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.
Assessment-
The culminating project will be for groups of students to create and present a PowerPoint presentation consisting of at least 4 slides. One slide will include a baseball photograph for the student group to lead the class in analyzing. The second slide will include the inferences and research questions about the photograph that the students would like the audience to consider in analyzing the photo. The third slide will include a summary of the research done to confirm the inference and answer the research question. The fourth slide will be the "works cited" slide where students will need to give credit to the source of their photo of choice and the resources used. These presentations will be evaluated using the presentation rubric (that the students will have access to before the project begins). See PowerPoint Presentation Rubric.
Formative assessments for this lesson will also include daily checks with each group (pair) on progress made in creating their photo analysis presentations.
Materials/Teacher Preparation Section-
- 1 spiral notebook for each group to record data discovered in their investigation of the photographs (web addresses, hypotheses, etc.)
- Access to at least 1 computer for each student pair to use in accessing the photo archive sites and selecting a photograph to present. Student pairs will also need access to a computer to create their PowerPoint slideshows.
- Heritage Colorado or American Memory collections you (and students) might use:
Heritage Colorado Sports Link: Baseball
American Memory Collection: Baseball Cards
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bbhtml/bbhome.html
- Handouts for each student:
- PowerPoint software on the computers so that students can develop their presentations.
- Electronic display system (video projector, T.V. monitor) if preferred. Student presentations can also be given using a regular computer monitor.
- Access to the school and public libraries so that students can check out text references, or provide resources for them to use.
- Teacher will need to prep students in how to click on hypertext to access web sites.
- Teacher will need to give students an introduction to using Microsoft PowerPoint software to create a slide show, insert graphics, etc.
Possible Procedures-
In order to complete this lesson, students will need to be familiar with how to navigate the World Wide Web, by clicking on hypertext and typing in URL information. Students will also need to be familiar with how to use Microsoft PowerPoint software (or comparable software) to create a slide show and insert graphics.
Day 1: Lead the class through a photo analysis activity using the baseball image of your choice and the Analyzing Photos Worksheet. Make sure that they understand the distinction between observations, inferences and research questions. Show them resources for answering their research questions. Go over the presentation rubric with the class so that students understand the expectation of the assignment.
Day 2: Group students in pairs. Give student guided choices in their initial examinations of images. Each student pair will go to the web URL's provided above and will select a photograph that they would like to use to lead the class in analyzing. The student pair will go through the Analyzing Photos Worksheet, to come up with an inference they would like to confirm (What do you think you know about this image?) and research question that they would like answer (what would you like to know about this image?) Give them time and guidance when researching the answers to their questions.
Day 3: Provide resources for students to use to answer their research questions. Student pairs begin to create their PowerPoint slideshows. Students will continue to work on their PowerPoint slideshows and add finishing touches. Show the students the proper way to cite the digital image and the resources used.
Day 4: Student pairs will present their presentations to the class and lead the class in an analysis of their photograph.
Support Materials-
In addition to the Web URL's provided above you may want to seek resources from:
- The Colorado Historical Society Library
1300 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
- Colorado Online Virtual Library
http://www.aclin.org
-Margo Campbell, Merrill Middle School
