Global Learning Unit Baseball around the World

1. Global Learning UnitBaseball around the World Matthew Rudy ED 648-01 Dr. Ronald Helms

2. Unit Details • Grade Level: Tenth Grade • Timing: End of the year activity/simulation • Length of Unit: 10 days • Goal of the Unit: The goal of this unit is intended to teach the students about the global reach of baseball and the variety of cultures that exist in the game. Also, the unit will give students lessons in math and the science of baseball.

3. Objectives: Baseball around the World • Teach students about the countries and geography of some of the best baseball players in the World. • Teach students about the different statistical categories. • Teach the history of baseball and it’s role in the history of the United States • Help students achieve a global perspective on not just baseball, but many things in their lives.

4. OHIO Curriculum Standands • 1. Explain the effects of industrialization in the United States in the 19th century including: • e. The emergence of a middle class and its impact on leisure, art, music, literature and other aspects of culture. • 11. Analyze the impact of U.S. participation in World War II with emphasis on: • a. Events on the home front to support the war effort, including industrial mobilization, women and minorities in the workforce; • 14. Analyze the origins, major developments, controversies and consequences of the civil rights movement with emphasis on: • c. The linkages between the civil rights movement and movements to gain justice for other minority groups.

5. NCSS Standards covered in this unit I. Culture II. Time, Continuity, and Change III. People, Places, and Environments V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions VII. Production, Distribution, and Consumption IX. Global Connections

6. Resources used in this unit Maps PowerPoint projector Computer Handouts ESPN.com Baseball equipment Bus Minor/Major League Baseball facility

7. Procedures • Introduction: The unit will be introduced with the history of baseball, around the World. This will take approximately two days and will include a couple lessons on geography. • Direct Instruction: The students will receive at least two or three lessons on baseball in other countries: Caribbean, Far East, Europe. • Closure: The lesson will end with a simulation of being a baseball general manager. The requirement: To get at least one player from all of the countries, and then a written report of 1 to 2 pages about the history of baseball in one of the countries.

8. Assessment Plan: • Students will be assessed during the unit in a variety of methods. • Their maps will be assessed. • Participation in the GM exercise • Assessment of the final papers

9. Accommodations • The lessons during this unit could be made simpler for those students on IEP’s. • Examples include • Simplifying maps • Shortening the writing exercise • Adding visuals and other cues to re-emphasize the information

10. Student Resource Page • Map of breakdown of fans in US. • http://chicagoist.com/attachments/chicagoist_chuck/2007_08_baseball_map.jpg • Complete listing of stats • http://www.baseball-reference.com/ • Listing of active players by place of birth • http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?y=2007 • Website for international baseball • http://www.internationalbaseball.org/ • Miami Valley Amateur Baseball League • www.miamivalleybaseball.com • History of Baseball • http://www.rpi.edu/~fiscap/history_files/history1.htm • Japanese Baseball History • http://mcel.pacificu.edu/as/students/baseballjapan/sum.html

11. Teacher Resource Unit • Map of breakdown of fans in US. • http://chicagoist.com/attachments/chicagoist_chuck/2007_08_baseball_map.jpg • Complete listing of stats • http://www.baseball-reference.com/ • Listing of active players by place of birth • http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?y=2007 • Current Baseball news • http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/index • Website for international baseball • http://www.internationalbaseball.org/ • Miami Valley Amateur Baseball League • www.miamivalleybaseball.com • History of Baseball • http://www.rpi.edu/~fiscap/history_files/history1.htm • Japanese Baseball History • http://mcel.pacificu.edu/as/students/baseballjapan/sum.html • Latino Baseball History • http://www.latinobaseball.com/mlb-hcountry.php • Venezuelan Baseball History • http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall02/landino/thepast2.htm

12. Day One: Introduction • The first day of class is going to be an introduction to the topic. This is going to be done with video, showing a couple clips from some of the best baseball movies ever made. As well as clips from baseball history • Field of Dreams • Bull Durham • “Shot heard around the World” 1951 • Jackie Robinson • Major League • Following this session, that will last about 30 minutes. A 15 minute question-answer period will determine just how much knowledge the students have of the game of baseball.

13. Day Two: The History • This is going to be a PowerPoint lesson on the history of baseball in the US. From it’s roots in the Midwest and East, to the boom on the west coast. It will chronicle the best of times (Babe Ruth, Pete Rose) and the worst of times (Willie Stargell plane crash, Black Sox scandal, Pete Rose) It will last approximately one class period and the students will take notes, that will be checked for a grade the next day. • Homework: Students will be asked to pick a current player in Major League Baseball and come in with that name the next day.

14. Day Three • The names that the students found the night before will be asked to the educator, who in turn, using the internet will pull up information on those players. • Using http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?y=2007 • This session will give the students more insight into the players, as well as give the educator a chance to explain certain statistical categories that the students will be using later.

15. Day Four • This is a PowerPoint lesson on the global reaches of baseball. The students will be given a blank map of the World handout and as the PowerPoint goes along, the students will fill in the country in a certain color and write a couple players/facts about that countries baseball history. • The map will be collected, checked for correctness and then handed back the following day. • This session is meant to teach the students about the global expansion of baseball and it’s continuing efforts to grow the game.

16. Day Five • This day will be a PowerPoint lesson on the history of baseball around the World, not just the US. • It will chronicle how baseball got it’s start in the Caribbean and in the Far East. • It will mention some of the heroes of the game in these countries and bring attention to the differences in the cultures of these regions.

17. Day Six & Seven Students will watch the documentary from 2005, “Viva Baseball” directed by Dan Klores. The movie will last approximately two days.

18. Day Eight, Nine, and Ten • Students will break up into groups with a packet of current MLB players and their home countries and will be asked to put the best team of players that they can together with a catch • The students must include at least ten players from outside the US. • The students will use math skills to try and add up the stats who will help them better • Geography skills to map out where the players came from and write their names on that specific country on a map. • This project is slated for three days.

19. Day Eleven • Final Project/Field Trip • Students will take a field trip to the Cincinnati Reds museum and view the history of the home town club. The students will be asked to take notes on a specific event in Reds history and then write a one page paper on that event and why it was important in Reds history. • Students will also be asked to include a one page paper on an important player in Reds history who was not from the United States. • Students will be give approximately three days to write this paper and submit it.

20. Day Twelve – Coming full circle The final day of this unit will explain how almost any topic can be broken down in this fashion. A PowerPoint presentation with a Q/A will help bring home the idea that almost everything in student’s lives stretches across the globe and across many cultures.

21. Self Reflection • This unit was an idea of mine attempting to think outside the box. Yes, there are historical events that would fit the idea of “global” but this is something that the students see/hear about on a daily basis. Some of the girls may not have much knowledge to the sport of baseball and for that matter, a lot of the guys probably won’t have much understanding and that is why I like this topic. The students will learn about a subject that reaches from one corner of the globe to the other and will learn about the history and background behind why so many people love it.

22. Self Reflection (con’d) • That is what makes this lesson so great is that not only does it take something that is close to the students (High School, College, Dayton Dragons, Cincinnati Reds all within arms reach) but it takes it to another level. The students are working with statistics and attempting to put the best team together. They are working with geography in trying to globalize their hypothetical teams. There could even be a lesson in science and the mechanics of the game if this class were a higher level than tenth grade. Also, the lessons in this unit are laden with tons of technology. A smart board would be amazing with the mapping exercise I think that because this lesson is so outside the box, it would be something the students love.