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Baseball Grows Up
Preparing the Students
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 (provided at
baseballhalloffame.org), 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.
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