By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, Curriki
“Batter up!”
The crack of a bat echoes in the warm spring air. The pungent smell of a hot dog with sauerkraut fills your nostrils. Spring is finally here, and that means it’s baseball season in America!
And baseball is a great tool to get your students interested in some important concepts of math and science. Who knew a hard little ball could hold so much knowledge?
Source: sciencenetlinks.com
Curriki has a number of resources to engage your students over the next 162 games. Play ball!
Math
- Baseball Stats – This student sheet accompanies the lesson, Baseball Stats. Avid baseball fans will have a blast answering questions such as, Which Pacific Coast League team had the best batting average in 1998?
- 6, 2003 – Students calculate mean, median, and range using baseball players’ weights.
- Systems of Equations Baseball – This fun lesson that uses a Powerpoint baseball game to teach equations. There are pop flies and base running but no stealing!
- Ratios – Baseball Lab – Using batting averages, students create ratios and convert them to rounded decimals.
- Proportions, Systems of Equations – Batting Averages in Baseball – Using systems of equations, students determine the missing components in the ratios used to determine batting average. All they need is a calculator and the sports page! https://library.curriki.org/oer/Proportions-Systems-of-Equations–Batting-Averages-in-Baseball/?mrid=55529
- Major League Baseball Salaries chart. This salaries chart helps students understand scientific notation.
Science
- Science of Baseball – This lesson from the Exploratorium in San Francisco teaches why a curve ball curves, how to throw a fastball, and how to improve their swing, and more.
- The Physics of Baseball – In this video adapted from QUEST, your students will discover that some of the rules of physics and baseball are one and the same, including aerodynamics and vibrations in this video adapted from QUEST.
- All Around the Baseball Field – In this lesson from the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, students explore the sport of baseball as they construct a mock baseball field using an assortment of materials including pattern blocks, tiles, and a variety of geometric shapes. Students then work in small collaborative groups to examine baseball through art, movement and sound.
Just for Fun
Calling Strikes as a Baseball Umpire – In this video, Len Bari describes how to call balls and strikes as a baseball umpire.
You’re out!
Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, leads and manages all of Curriki’s content development, user experience, and academic direction. Learn more at Curriki.org.
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