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OBJECTIVES:
1.
To illustrate to students the barriers many Americans, especially
black baseball players, have faced in attempting to join and be part of
“mainstream” activities.
2.
To show students various ways different individuals respond to
being treated with prejudice and discrimination.
3.
To give students the opportunity to write a poem in response to
what they have learned in regard to the previous day’s lesson, which was
a listening passage about Jackie Robinson. They may also respond to a
briefer biography of Satchel Paige and/or to the documents and
information they see and hear.
BACKGROUND:
1.
Students will have heard a biography of Jackie Robinson’s life
previous to this day’s activities.
2.
Students will have been taught one particular poetic stanza form
previous to this lesson. The form is the “traditional” ballad stanza
which has four lines, eight syllables in the first and third lines and
six in the second and fourth. The rhyme scheme is ABCB, and each line
will begin on an unaccented beat.
DESCRIPTION:
Students will first hear two poems, which treat baseball as a “fun”
game. They will hear part of John Fogarty’s “Centerfield” in which the
singer plays the role of one who desires to play in a baseball game.
This will act as a lead-in to the problems of minority members of
American society when they wanted to play baseball or, in the case of a
Native American, to simply answer a question in class. The lesson will
go on to illustrate how individuals choose to react to being treated
with discrimination (Satchel Paige with humor and persistence, the
Native American with lost hope and sadness, and Jackie Robinson with
confidence, ability, patience and grace. Students will also hear a poem
I have written as an example of how I suggest they write theirs. They
may write free verse if they wish, but I will suggest using the
traditional ballad stanza as a guide will be easier.
The class will end with a very uplifting poem.
MATERIALS:
A packet for each student in the class will be provided. The packet
will contain the following:
1.
“Before the Game” (a poem from That Sweet Diamond)
2.
“Analysis of Baseball” (a poem from Celebrate American in
Poetry and Art)
3.
“Raising My Hand” (a poem from Celebrate American in Poetry
and Art)
4.
Seven pages from Satchel Sez, a book about the life of
Satchel Paige.
5.
A page containing two posters with words of threat to Jackie
Robinson.
6.
Instruction for writing the poem.
7.
A copy of the poem “After the Game” from That Sweet Diamond.
8.
A letter written by Jackie Robinson in which he defends
integration.
9.
A poster with words of warning to black players.
10.
A poem written by Virginia Mee. This will be used as a model for
students.
Many questions will be asked
of students in regard to how they would react to being treated
with discrimination. Anger? Bitterness? Resignation?
ASSESSMENT:
This lesson will broaden student’s perspectives about dealing with
prejudice and discrimination. Those perspectives will be expressed by
students through poetry that may be a tribute to a player, to the game
of baseball itself, a reflection on integration and/or segregation, or a
poem about a personal experience with baseball, racism,
discrimination, or times of joy and success in overcoming an obstacle
along these lines.
EXTENSIONS:
Writing
the poem should be useful practice for writing other poems in the
future.
Hopefully, students will
be interested enough in the topic of racism and discrimination in Major
League Baseball that they will want to make a visit to The Baseball Hall
of Fame in Cooperstown to view the entire exhibit.
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