Play Ball!: The History of An American Pastime
American baseball is always a hit! Few things create a more quintessentially American picture than the crack of baseball bats, hot dogs at the ball field, and playing catch in the backyard. Embrace America’s national sport with a fun unit study perfectly timed for spring. In this week’s Homeschool Living, discover the history of baseball; explore physics, language, and pop culture through a unique lens; check out some fun, themed activities to implement in your homeschool physical education; and create your own baseball unit study.
Ball Play
Baseball as we know it now is inarguably an American creation. But what did baseball look like in the past? Did other cultures share any similar games? Check out the history of baseball and how it has developed over the years to become an integral part of American culture.
One of the most well-known comedy routines is Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” This hilarious play-on-words-based comedy sketch has been translated into nearly thirty languages, some of which were even performed by Abbott and Costello themselves. Here, you can check out the transcript and listen to an original audio clip.
Ball Lessons
BaseballHall.org shares a variety of free downloadable lesson plans exploring baseball in pop culture–from baseball food, to idioms, to music,and more! With different plans geared toward a variety of grade levels, these lessons make a great addition to your homeschool baseball unit study.
You’ll find tons of homeschool resources and baseball unit study ideas at HomeschoolGiveaways.com. Check out lessons delving into the classic “Casey at the Bat,” examining the physics of baseball, inspiring language arts exercises with baseball writing prompts, exploring history through the eyes of famous baseball players, and much more!
While a baseball game or two is a great addition to your homeschool physical education class, these baseball-themed exercises are great, fun activities that focus on different baseball skills–agility, batting, throwing, catching, and hand-eye coordination.
Enjoy this article?
Browse our HEAV blog archive for more interesting reads and related homeschool lifestyles here.
