Baseball Unit Study wrap up

I'm a total scardie cat. 

Worst athlete ever. 

A ball coming at me is not my idea of fun. 

The one year I did play a school sport, the volleyball coach would only put me in for the last two seconds of an already won or lost game and gave me the Sportsmanship award at the end of the season. I was that pitiful. 

I couldn't run a mile without stopping, even if a bear was chasing me. 

Still, I have this desire to love the sport of baseball as much as my husband and his family, so together we can share the all-American pastime with our kids. 

Despite my infant scapegoat (you know the line... "I can't because of the baby, but you go and have fun"), I decided to join in and try tossing and hitting the ball with the kids today for homeschool PE. 

I'm still lousy at it, but we did have fun! We worked up an appetite for a baseball-themed afternoon snack: Tyler Florence's caramel corn. Yum! 

With opening day fast-approaching, are you incorporating baseball in your homeschool? Please share with the Linkup below! 

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Baseball unit study: chalk pastels

I wish I could take credit for this one, but all the instructions came from Chalk Pastels through the Seasons.



A baseball unit study can touch all curriculum areas, including art!

I helped draw the outline for A3 but the big boys worked on their own. A3 decided to scribble red all over his art when he was done, and I just stood back and let him. It's his art, after all! 

Scoring a baseball game - Baseball Unit Study Link Up

The possibilities for math lessons based on baseball are infinite, but I wanted to start with learning how to score a baseball game in my homeschool baseball unit study. When I initially shared this idea with a friend, she confessed that she was the official scorekeeper for her high school's baseball team so she could watch and meet the cute boys on the field. Obviously she was far more clever than me. 

Cute boy watching aside, baseball scoring provides proof that math is everywhere, and comes in many forms. 

I didn't know the first thing about how to score a baseball game, but fortunately we live in the age of Google and resources are plentiful! Here's what helped me: 

The art of scoring

How to score a baseball game 

Official info from MLB

A free PDF baseball scorecard

A brief video about how to score a baseball game 

Take a score sheet to a local high school, college or minor league baseball game, or try watching a game on TV and following along with your score sheet. 

Math class dismissed! 

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Baseball-infused math lessons for all ages

If you made me declare a "type" for our homeschool style, I'd say eclectic. We use (and love!) Tapestry of Grace, which I guess is a combo of Classical and Unit Study. Then we take breaks here and there and use a Unit Study (like we did in February for the Olympics, and a few years ago for a two month focus on all things baseball.

This year N16 and C16 won't have time to divein to a baseball unit study completely, but we will infuse baseball in our homeschool here and there.

I'm trying something different with N16 this year instead of continuing his Math-U-See Pre Algebra studies, and piecing together my own practical math curriculum. Starting next week we will try these three free math lessons from The Baseball Hall of Fame:

Geometry: Circling The Bases
There's an elementary and a middle school version of this lesson, and we'll post about the middle school plan after we complete it.

Statistics: Batter Up
This one has a high school level, as well as elementary and middle school.

Economics: The Business of Baseball
Economics is a topic that I only enjoy teaching when it relates directly to something the boys are interested in, and here's a lesson for all school ages that we'll use soon.

We won't do the videoconferencing or a field trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year, but their free curriculum still has great ideas for multiple-day lessons. Add a link to your baseball posts here!

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5 Field Trip Picks for Baseball Unit Study

Back when A3's first birthday was approaching, my dad was sent on a business trip to Louisville. My mom, on summer break from teaching, was talked into going along. When she said she was heading to the Louisville Slugger Museum, I shared that I had been wishing to take the boys there someday and made a request. I asked her to get our littlest guy a keepsake personalized bat for his first birthday gift (because, really, how many toys does a baby need?). She loved the idea and on his first birthday, he got the gift I hope he will keep forever: a good ole American-made tee-ball-sized baseball bat, complete with his name engraved on the end.

He was playing with it yesterday, and this reminded me that opening day is fast approaching for baseball season.

Before the twins were adopted I researched our school options and gobbled up so many books about education, including a best-selling book by Rafe Esquith: Lighting Their Fires. Among many other inspiring things, the author explained how any why he teaches his students about baseball. His point of view was compelling, and I jumped in and created a unit study for my twins, age 13 at the time.



Our oldest boys are definitely not athletes. If you ask them what their favorite sport is, they'll say "fishing." All things sport were foreign to them, and I wanted them to share a bit of my husband's enthusiasm for the all American pastime.

Our unit study was beefy and thorough - from the physics of the game, to scoring, to Jackie Robinson, to the locations of each MLB team; we consumed all things baseball for about two months. My boys never were inspired to the point that they wanted to join a team, but they were absolutely captivated when we finally did make it to the Louisville Slugger Museum for ourselves. Today little A3 is curious about the sport, an interest I'll jump on through library books, attending a minor league game and playing tee-ball in the back yard. This month if his curiosity keeps up, I'll teach him "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" and do some themed crafts and snacks. When he's older and an official student, I'll pull out more of my notes and items from our 2011 unit study.

 If you're inspired to bring a bit baseball into your homeschool, I'll share some resources over the next few weeks.

 For now, here's a sampling of baseball-inspired field trip ideas:


The Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville, Kentucky
When we went in 2011 I spent most of my time chasing a toddler, but it definitely will be a trip to repeat.

The Shoeless Joe statue and Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum in Greenville, South Carolina
What a great story, and a reminder that being a terrific athlete isn't about having the best gear or flashiest uniforms.

Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York
I need to plan a road trip for this one!

Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia
 Go for a game or just enjoy a guided stadium tour.

Field of Dreams in Dubuque County, Iowa
This one's on my wish list for a trip along the Mississippi River. BYO ball and bat.

If none of these are close by, just head to your local ball field next month and watch any given Little League game for free. Cheer on whoever is up to bat and encourage your kids to try and keep score.

 Have you studied baseball in your homeschool? I'd love to read your ideas! Leave a comment or join the LinkUp below.

  PS You can still enter to win a little SAT prep giveaway until the end of March!

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