Let's Play Ball: Web resources related to baseball
Learning sites that relate to our national pastime
By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 5/1/2009
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Also in this article:
Baseball—As American as Apple Pie Club MLB National Baseball Hall of Fame—Enriching Education Science of Baseball Take Them Out to the Ball Game |
Baseball—As American as Apple Pie
memory.loc.gov/learn/community/cc_baseball.php
The Library of Congress hosts primary resource materials on all aspects of our national culture, including America's pastime. On this topical site, you'll find everything from photos and old posters to baseball cards and the personal papers of Dodger great Jackie Robinson. Lesson plans and an annotated baseball bibliography are included, too. Created by: The Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Don't miss: The seven-page teacher guide “Baseball Across a Divided Society.”
Club MLB
Major League Baseball has revamped its site for younger fans. For starters, the new “MLB Kids Club” is more graphically appealing. Click on the “Coaches Clipboard” to find instructional videos, tips from the pros, and baseball basics, including a glossary. In the “Rec Room,” grab the remote control and watch clips from “This Week in Baseball.” Created by: Major League Baseball, New York, NY. Don't miss: The “Game Dome,” where you can launch some T-shirts or fly balls.
National Baseball Hall of Fame—Enriching Education
education.baseballhalloffame.org
No need to go to Cooperstown, NY, to take advantage of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In the “Experience” section, you'll find 16 thematic units to be used as-is or enhanced with interactive lessons taught by one of the Museum's educators via teleconference. Created by: The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, NY. Don't miss: The electronic field trips, seven in all, each accompanied by a fascinating 90-minute video. There's also “Baseball Math,” updated daily during baseball season.
Science of Baseball
www.exploratorium.edu/baseball
Baseball is more than just a cool game—it also involves physics, meteorology, and biology, as revealed in this fun Exploratorium site. In “Tools of the Trade,” kids will learn about the physical properties of balls and bats that affect what happens when they make contact. Try your hand at finding one of three sweet spots on a bat in the “Activities” section. Created by: The Exploratorium Museum, San Francisco, CA. Don't miss: An opportunity to hit a 90 mph fastball. My best time was .18 seconds—good enough for a base hit.
Take Them Out to the Ball Game
www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson107.shtml
If you're seeking baseball-related lesson plans, class projects, printables, and activities, here's your source. Created by: Education World, San Diego, CA. Don't miss: The language arts activity “Talking Baseball” by National Geographic, the “Math Baseball” game by FunBrain, and “Construct a Stadium,” a webquest designed by teacher Keri Dean.
