Date: April 24, 2003

Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Subject(s):

• Language Arts/Writing
• Social Studies/US History

Duration: 10 or more class sessions

Description: Learning about history through the people who lived during an era, makes the time become real to the students studying the era. Many of today’s students when asked who the most famous baseball players are would most certainly cite many African Americans, but most are unaware that those same players would not have been allowed to play in the first half of the 20th Century. They do not know of the Jim Crow laws and the segregation that existed when their grandparents watched America’s sport. Students will engage in an in-depth study of the time of the Leagues and use their research data to create baseball cards of some of the most famous of these great players.

Goals:
National Standards for History :

• 3. The student engages in historical interpretation
• 4. The student conducts historical research

• 5. 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.
  
• 7. 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 to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
  
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

• Standard 1: Basic Operations and Concepts
  • Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
  • Students are proficient in the use of technology.
• Standard 3: Technology Production Tools
  • Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
• Standard 5: Technology Research Tools
  • Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

1. Students will learn the history of segregation and the Negro Leagues.
2. Students will use technology to collect information.
3. Students will learn to take notes using a graphic organizer.
4. Students will learn to assimilate information.
5. Students will use creative thinking skill to create objects for a museum that are representative of the Negro Leagues, their players and teams.
6. Students will write paragraphs with correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
7. Students will decide on main ideas and details from their research.

• computers with Internet access
• materials for making exhibits
• Introduction to the Negro Baseball Leagues
• Museum Task
• Recording Sheet
• Graphic Organizer
• Museum Rubric

Handouts in .pdf format; requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Click the icon to obtain the free Reader.

Instruction and Activities:

Day 1:
Begin the class by asking how many students have ever gone to a museum. Encourage students to tell what kinds of things that they saw there. Continue the conversation by asking why the items were chosen and what do they represent. If there were a collection of shoes, what would the curators want to tell the public? Perhaps they are showing the changes made in the making of shoes, or the fashion of shoes over the ages. Ask if the students think museums are important to keep the past alive. Most will say they do show us history and make it real for us, more so than merely reading about shoes, for instance. Continue the study by asking students how many have ever played in or attended a baseball game. Most will respond positively since most children have had a ball to throw around. As the conversation continues, ask students to name some of their favorite players in the major leagues. Further the class discussion with the idea that there are many different nationalities and races playing baseball today, but that many of the best African American players would not be allowed to play in the major leagues if it were the years between 1900 and 1946. Most will be quite surprised as few have real understanding of segregation during these years. State that African American players during this time were only allowed to play in the Negro Baseball Leagues. Ask what students know about these leagues or their players. Depending on the age level and maturity of students, there will be little to no information known. Relate to students that they are going to begin a research project on the Negro Baseball Leagues, and after their study, they are going to create a museum that will tell the rest of the school about its players and teams.

Day 2:
Start by handing out and reading together the Introduction to the Negro Baseball Leagues. If it is on a transparency, the class can read it together. Or, if preferred, students can read it in pairs and return for a whole group discussion. Next hand out the packets that you have made for the students. Go over the task explaining what they will be doing. Strongly emphasize the rubric that will give them their grade for the project. It will tell students what you expect of them. Go over the graphic organizer for recording the information that they have read, letting them know that you will expect this to be completed. You might begin to tell them to be thinking of what might symbolize an important person or event as they read. You could mention team logos, team pictures, or individual players. In addition, you could mention a baseball from home to represent one that was thrown by Satchel Paige, etc. Allow students to begin their research.

Days 3-5:
Students will use these days to research using the given web sites.

Days 6-9:
Students will complete the Museum Recording Sheet and begin to plan on how they will represent their choices. Have materials for students to use if they choose to draw some of their relics or allow students to download pictures from the computer. Remind students that their paragraphs will be read by an audience and should have no errors in spelling, punctuation of grammar. Encourage children to pair edit.

Day 10:
Today will be sharing day. Students can show their "museums" and tell about why they have chosen the items they have selected. If time allows, also let students assess themselves with the rubric before you do so.

Lesson Extensions:
Have students take their museums to other classes to explain what they have learned. Put museums on display for everyone to see. Invite parents to the oral presentations. Using The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown as an example, have students make an Important Book about the Negro Baseball Leagues.

Assessment: Students can be assessed through teacher observation, conferences and interviews, and the Rubric.

Useful Internet Resources:
* Negro League Baseball: The Glory Years
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/negroleague3.html

* Negro League Baseball: Jackie Robinson
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/negroleague4.html

* Get That 'Negro' Off the Field!
http://www.webcom.com/~blessed/html/negro1.html

* History of Black Baseball and the Negro Baseball Leagues
http://www.blackbaseball.com/introd.htm

* Negro Baseball
Compiled by Robert Harrison
http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/projects/im98/im981/spo.htm

* Negro Leagues Player Bios
http://www.blackbaseball.com/players.htm

* Negro Baseball Leagues
http://www.blackbaseball.com/index.htm

* NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts
http://www.ncte.org/standards/standards.shtml

* National Standards for History
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/