The. Toledo Mud Hens. Present: SCHOOL DAY CELEBRATION Curriculum Guide

Transcription

1 The Toledo Mud Hens Present: SCHOOL DAY CELEBRATION Curriculum Guide

2 Objectives of Curriculum for School Day Celebration Important: please read before continuing! This curriculum guide was created to provide you with a learning compass to help guide your students through rewarding out-of-class experience. The ideas and lesson plans included within stand to serve as a guide for educators to create educational, appropriate ideas to assist in the School Celebration Days at Fifth Third Field home of the world famous Toledo Mud Hens. The curriculum guide has been designed by teachers, for teachers to use within the classroom. It is intended to meet the initiatives set forth by the Ohio Proficiency Outcomes for grades K-8. Regardless of the activity, the procedures and methods can easily be substituted to fit the appropriate grade level. This curriculum has been organized with the following in mind: A) Educators tailor their lesson plans to meet the needs of their students. B) Educators may use bits and pieces of a lesson plan to create their own lesson plan. C) Educators have the flexibility to use this curriculum to integrate ideas into current studies. This curriculum guide has been divided into four basic areas of study: Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts. Within each of these four areas of study, we have further divided them into two distinct sub-headings: and Extended Ideas. : With at least three samples per section, these lesson plans have been designed as a complete top-to-bottom lesson plan. Each focused lesson plan contains exercises to be implemented in the classroom, at the School Celebration Days and after the games have been completed as follow-up or additional learning. Extended Ideas: Each section contains a number of ideas, which have been designed to peak your interest. Should you find an extended idea applicable to your area of expertise, you are encouraged to develop the concept into a focused lesson plan for use within your classroom. Please do not hesitate to modify, add to, subtract from, or completely re-work these ideas for your own application. We sincerely appreciate your participation and we truly hope that you find this event worthwhile, educational, and enjoyable. Additionally, we welcome any specific ideas or comments that would aid or improve our School Celebration Days or the curriculum guide for future Educational Days. Was the guide easy to use? Were there any errors? If so, please inform us so that we can correct them. Was there an activity that stood out from the rest--one in which students truly enjoyed? Did you enhance any of the activities in ways others might want to know? Were there any activities that struck out or should have never been placed within the guide? Just as in baseball, teaching only gets better with practice. So, we would like ideas for future editions of this curriculum guide. Send your ideas, comments, or even lesson plan(s) to us at: Toledo Mud Hens "School Day" Fifth Third Field 406 Washington St Toledo OH *Be sure to include your name and school. We will reward you if we use your ideas next year! 2

3 OUR PROMISE To deliver a Grand Slam in Affordable Family Entertainment by covering all the bases. 1st Base: 2nd Base: 3rd Base: Home: Fun. Family. Fabulous food. Affordability. Who we are We are a professional, world-class Triple-A minor league baseball team that is an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. And as such, are not only a great entertainment venue, but also a great source of pride for our region and especially for our fans. What we do While we function as a baseball franchise, the benefit provided to our loyal customers is that they are going to have a good time without having to spend a fortune while doing it. We provide a mix of fun and entertaining experiences that can fulfill the wishes of any fan - at every age and stage of life. We also provide entertainment for people and their business colleagues, as well as for our numerous corporate partners and sponsors. How we do it We believe that our organization and our fans are on the same team, so to speak. You can't have one without the other. It's a connection. A bond. And to further cement this bond, we offer popular team merchandise and team apparel through our year-round store, the Swamp Shop. While we take pride in helping to create fond memories for our fans, we acknowledge the many wonderful memories our fans create for us. Being in it together is what makes a great team work. By being in-tune with our legions of loyal fans. By feeding off their energy and passion when they chant "Let's Go Hens!" and responding to them by displaying it on the video boards. By interacting with them. By putting them first, and understanding and knowing what they like and dislike, we are able to bring them joy, regardless of the outcome of the game. Why we do what we do Wouldn't it be a shame if money got in the way of people sharing great times and great memories with their friends and families? The Mud Hens think so. We built this great ballpark so that people could afford to build wonderful memories with the ones they love. Memories of counting down to opening day and the unofficial start of Spring, and of the fun and excitement that come with that first day as it electrifies the whole town. Of walking into the gate for the first time and seeing the beautiful Downtown Toledo skyline and a packed house. Memories of catching a foul ball. Or seeing an incredible home run. Memories of camping out under the stars. Of getting hugs and kisses from Muddy the Mud Hen or Muddonna. Memories of waiting for the sun to go down just to see the stadium lights come up. Of hearing the crack of the bat or the smack of the ball hitting the catcher's glove so hard that it hurt your ears. The smell of popcorn. The taste of the best darn hot dog you ever ate in your life. Memories of the 7th inning stretch. Of the pride that goes with wearing a Mud Hen's jersey and chanting "Let's go Hens!" while doing the wave, Mud Hens style. Memories of the first time your dad took you to a game - and your mom, time and time again. And reliving that excitement and seeing it though the eyes of your own child. Memories of bumping into a neighbor or an old friend as you watch your kids run the bases. Memoires of The Roost and feeling like you're a special guest at the biggest community block party ever assembled. 3

4 We built this park to heighten the joy of sharing. Of sharing fantastic food. A good laugh with your friends. A shared moment witnessing a great play on the field by a famous player. Or a soon-to-be famous player. Of taking a photograph with a best friend or getting an autograph from a favorite player. Yes, we built this park for fans. But not just baseball fans. Fans of having a good time. Fans of the whole downtown experience who make Toledo's many fine bars and restaurants a first stop before the game. Fans of watching our fireworks. Fans of having fun, who love to laugh, even at themselves upon seeing their moves on the "Dance Cam" during the Chicken Dance, the Electric Slide or the Cha-Cha song. Fans of seeing the joy of discovery on a child's face the moment they realize they made it on the "Kids Cam." Fans of each other, as couples are caught on the "Kiss Cam" along with an end shot of a couple of visiting players in the dugout for laughs. We built this park so people can let loose and have fun and cheer for their favorite star. Whether it's a baseball player or an animated ketchup, chili or mustard bottle during the "Hot Dog Race." We built this park to give kids something to cheer about on school days by hosting morning games where 10,000 of them scream so loud your ears ring for days. We built this park with moms in mind. So that they can bring their kids to someplace safe. And comfortable. We built it with dads in mind, too. With big seats. Close to the players. In a minor league park, with a major league feel. Without feeling the sting of major league prices. Where worries are few, and help and friendliness from our staff is abundant. We built this park to affirm our respect for the sport of baseball. And more importantly, family. All kinds of families. So that people can connect. With each other. With childhood memories. To see. And to be seen. We built this park to give people a mix of fun - and affordable and entertaining experiences - that can fulfill the dreams and wishes of any fan. At any age. And any stage of life. We built this park so people can build on their relationships. Have good memories. And create new ones. This is what baseball is all about. This is joy. The Joy of Mudville. 4

5 Curriculum Development Team LUCAS COUNTY EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTER Jason Smith Rose Kandik Pat McNichols TOLEDO MUD HENS BASEBALL CLUB Erik Ibsen Thomas Townley John Mulka PROUD SPONSORS Pepsi Owens-Illinois, Inc. BP Toledo Refinery SPECIAL THANKS TO: Kurt Landes Akron Aeros Baseball Club 5

6 Table Of Contents A. Mathematics Focused Lesson Plan 8-11 Extended Ideas B. Science Focused Lesson Plan Extended Ideas C. Social Studies Focused Lesson Plan Extended Ideas D. Language Arts Focused Lesson Plan Extended Ideas APPENDICES: Appendix A: International League Mileage Chart Appendix B: Mud Hens Schedule Appendix C: Promo Calendar Appendix D: Stadium Map & Dimensions Appendix E: Stadium Costs Appendix F: Reading Baseball Statistics Appendix G: Box Score Glossary/Box Score Appendix H: Baseball Formulas/Definitions Appendix I: Blank Official Score Appendix J: 2010 Final Statistics Appendix K: Mud Hens 2010 Roster Appendix L: Mud Hens History Appendix M: 2010 Minor League Teams Appendix N: Mud Hens Demographics Appendix O: Casey at the Bat Appendix P: Baseball Books & Internet Web Sites Appendix Q: Jigsaw Expert Sheets Appendix R: Jigsaw Expert Question Sheet Appendix S: Baseball Bat Sizes Appendix T: Warehouse District Map Appendix U: Erie Street and Farmer s Market 6

7 LESSON PLANS & EXTENDED IDEAS 7

8 MATHEMATICS Lesson Plan 1 Time & Distance Using the chart below and distance scales (Appendix A), have students perform calculations in relation to travel times and distances of visiting teams within the International League and their trips to Toledo. Calculator Pencil Paper 1. Refer to Appendix A to determine mileage to Toledo from other International League cities. 2. Before School Celebration Day determine how long was the visiting team s trip if they traveled at a rate of 55 mph and stopped for a one-hour lunch? 3. Have your students estimate the distance and the time it will take your class to arrive at Fifth Third Field. Buffalo, NY Pawtucket, RI Moosic, PA Charlotte, NC Norfolk, VA Columbus, OH Louisville, KY Allentown, PA Rochester, NY Syracuse, NY Durham. NC Richmond, VA Indianapolis, IN At the Game: 1. On the way to the game, determine how many miles your class traveled to Fifth Third Field and record the length of the trip. What was your average speed? 2. Using the data your class collected on the trip to the game; determine what time your class must leave the stadium in order to return to school on time. What s the maximum length of time the game can last for your class to see the entire game? Beyond the game: 1. Using a cumulative mileage chart (Appendix A) and the Mud Hens 2008 Schedule (Appendix B), determine the total number of miles that the Mud Hens will travel this season. Start with month to month and have students do a total. 2. If the Mud Hens were to use plane travel rather than bus travel, how much travel time would the Mud Hens save? Assume an average air speed of 400 mph (miles per hour). 8

9 Lesson Plan 2 Size/Dimensions of a Baseball Field MATHEMATICS Although baseball is the same basic sport, regardless of whether it s played on a little league or a professional playing field, the size of the field may vary. How the field dimensions are displayed also depends on the country you are in. The Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos have their fields in Canada. Canada uses the metric system whereas we use the English system here in the United States. Dimensions of your school s baseball field and those of Fifth Third Field (Appendix C & D) Rulers Paper Pencil Protractors (optional) Graph Paper Stopwatch 1. Instruct the students to use the dimensions of the two fields to create a scale drawing. For younger students, a pre-drawn field may be used. 2. Using their scale drawings, calculate the following: Area of infield in square feet Area of infield in square inches Distance from pitcher s mound to home plate in feet Distance from pitcher s mound to home plate in inches Distance from base to base in feet Distance from base to base in inches Fifth Third Field School s Field 3. How many square inches larger is Fifth Third Field s infield compared to your school s infield? 4. Find the perimeter of each infield. What is the difference in perimeter between the two fields? 5. If a runner is travelling at 10 feet/second, how long would it take to get from home plate to first base? Determine for both your school s field and Fifth Third Field. 6. Now instruct the students to convert their measurements to the metric measurements. Explain to the students why it is important to understand both systems of measurement. This is important to know as baseball continues to expand into international markets. At the Game: 1. Using a stopwatch, time the players as they run to first base, second, etc. Which players clocked the fastest speeds? How fast were they traveling (feet per second)? 2. Plot the landing point of each fair ball hit for one full inning. Estimate the distance of each fair ball and the total distance traveled. Beyond the Game: 1. Using your choice of materials, construct a 3-D model of Fifth Third Field to scale in groups of two. 2. Determine the area of a chalkboard eraser. How many chalkboard erasers would it take to cover the Fifth Third Field playing surface? 9

10 Lesson Plan 3 Calculating Costs MATHEMATICS Using basic mathematical principles, calculate and compare the cost per student on School Celebration Day versus the standard cost. Calculator Pencil Paper Graph paper Ruler 1. Have each student tally the total amount of money they individually spent at School Celebration Day on their ticket, food, and souvenirs. 2. Determine the total amount of money spent by the class followed by the average per student. 3. Plot the total amount of money spent by each student on a graph. Compare these figures with the class average. 4. Using the Mud Hens attendance for School Celebration Day and your class average, estimate how much revenue the Mud Hens earned on this particular day? If these numbers held true for the entire 72-game home season, how much money would the Mud Hens earn for the year? Discuss whether students feel that this is an accurate figure (figure given at game). At the Game: 1. Have each student tally the total amount of money spent at School Celebration Day on their tickets, food and souvenirs. 2. Have students (perhaps 1 or 2) collect cups and prices for various size drinks. Compare cost per ounce when students are back in class. Which is the better value? Beyond the Game: 1. Using actual costs at a Mud Hens game (see Appendix E), determine the total amount of money that the class would have spent as well as the average per student had certain prices not been discounted. 2. Explain that this is how companies forecast profits for a year and the importance of having a model that is reflective of the entire population. 3. Discuss potential costs that come out of Mud Hens revenue (management salaries, game-day labor, electricity, etc) 10

11 Lesson Plan 4 Box Score Statistics Learning to use baseball box scores and applying basic math skills. MATHEMATICS Appendix F How to read a box score from the Toledo Blade or off the Toledo Mud Hens official web page, Appendix G Baseball Box Score Glossary Appendix H Key Baseball Formulas Paper Pencil Using Appendices F & G, have students answer the following questions or create your own: a) Who played first base for the Mud Hens? b) Who was the starting pitcher for the Mud Hens? c) Who were the two opposing shortstops? d) What was the Mud Hens team batting average for the game? The opposing team s batting average? Both teams combined? e) How many hits did the Mud Hens third baseman get? f) Which player drove in the most runs? g) In which innings did the Mud Hens score two or more runs? h) How many outs did the Mud Hens starting pitcher record? How many batters did he face? i) How many Mud Hens were left on base in the entire game? j) If the Mud Hens score this many runs per game over the 142-game season, how many runs would they score this year? k) What was the winning pitcher s ERA (earned run average) for the game? The winning teams (refer to Appendix H)? l) How many more strikeouts did the winning pitcher have than the losing pitcher? m) How many more hits did the losing pitcher give up than the winning pitcher? n) If all the men left on base would have scored, what would have been the final game score? o) If the Mud Hens came into the game with 75 doubles on the year and this game was their 61 st game of the year, how many doubles per game would they average after this game? p) The playing time was how many minutes less than three hours? q) How many times did each individual player go to bat? What was the average of the team? r) How many people attended the game? s) If each person at the game paid $9.00 per ticket, what was the total revenue? At the Game: 1. Have students keep score or collect the appropriate game information in order to create their own box score after the game. (Appendix I) Beyond the Game: 1. In groups, create your own box score based on a class exhibition game or a Detroit Tiger s baseball game on television. 2. Invent a new box score for a different class game. For example, if your class plays Chalkboard Jeopardy, create statistics for each participant and organize them into a unique box score. 3. Learn to keep the official score at a baseball game. See Appendix I. 11

12 MATHEMATICS Extended Ideas CALCULATING A PITCHER S EARNED RUN AVERAGE ERA stands for Earned Run Average which is the average number of times batters earn a run against a pitcher. The lower a pitcher s ERA, the better. Use Appendix H to view the calculation for ERA. a) Calculate the ERA of the Toledo Mud Hens 2008 pitching staff using Appendix J. b) Using the statistics from the daily box-score from School Celebration Day, find the ERA for each starting pitcher. c) Write a paragraph explaining why you think an ERA becomes more accurate with more innings pitched. CALCULATING BASEBALL STATISTICS Using Appendix G, Appendix H, and Appendix J as guides, have the students figure out various Mud Hens player statistics. CALCULATING BATTING AVERAGE Using Mud Hens team statistics, compute batting averages and graphically compare from one game to the next. Use to locate Mud Hens game-day box-scores and daily statistics. a) Did the student correctly compute the averages? b) Did the student display the results correctly? c) At School Celebration Day, calculate the Mud Hens batting average for one inning. Refer to Appendix H for the formulas. BASIC MATH SKILLS Use paper and pencil or the calculator to find the answers to these problems. a) I had 40 total hits for the season. I had 22 singles and 10 doubles. I had the same number of triples as home runs. How many home runs did I have? b) For the season, Joe had 47 total hits. He had 12 doubles, 3 triples, and 5 home runs. How many singles did he have? c) I had 3 triples for the season. I had twice as many home runs as triples. I also had twice as many doubles as home runs. How many extra base hits did I have? USING FORMULAS TO CALCULATE STATISTICS ABOUT BATTING AND PITCHING a) Estimate/calculate how fast a pitcher throws for either one inning or ten pitches. Students could use stopwatches to time how long it takes a pitch to get from the pitcher s hand to the catcher s glove. In class, use the formula Speed = Distance * Time to calculate the speed of the pitches. Students could create a spreadsheet of the information to compare speeds. In addition, compare speeds of students within the class or compare against Mud Hens pitchers at School Celebration Day. b) Convert pitching speed from feet per second to miles per hour. c) Record the pitches thrown for an inning at School Celebration Day and calculate the ratio of balls versus strikes thrown by the pitcher. USE THE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE AND ACTIVITIES FROM SCHOOL CELEBRATION DAY TO ESTIMATE TOTALS FOR AN ENTIRE GAME OR SEASON a) Use the announced attendance for School Celebration Day to create calculations. If the Mud Hens averaged the same attendance as School Celebration Day, what would their total attendance be for the season (based on a 72-game home season)? If everyone paid $9 ticket, how much money was collected for admission for the day? Create a chart comparing how much money each student spent for the day. Calculate the average amount of money spent per student on food and souvenirs. Using that average, calculate how much the entire crowd spent. b) Have students keep track of how they spent their time at the game. What percentage of their time was spent where? 12

13 MATHEMATICS Extended Ideas COMPARISON OF STUDENT/PLAYER INFORMATION a) Using Appendix K, have students calculate the average height, weight, and age for the Mud Hens players. Have students select a player and compare their height, weight and age with those of that player. Students can calculate differences and find percent differences, etc. USING MAPS a) Using Appendix K, have students calculate the distance each Mud Hens player is from their hometown to Toledo. Convert miles to yards to feet to inches or into metric units. Which players are farthest and closest from home? b) Using Appendix A, determine how far the opposing team travels to get to the game. c) Using an average speed, calculate how long it will take the visiting team to get to the game. d) Use the same calculations to compare how long it will take your class to get to the game. Estimate the distance prior to the trip and compare the estimations to actual data. Compare this to the travels of the visiting team. e) Using the answers from Lesson Plan 1, convert the distances from International League cities to kilometers. f) After observing the game, predict the number of home runs if the field was shortened by 10 ft. Estimate the home run increase for the year. Predict affect on singles, doubles, triples and justify responses. MOCK DRAFT Using the team s roster sheet (Appendix K) and player statistics (Appendix J), divide students into teams and hold a mock draft of Mud Hens players. a) Why were some players taken before others? Ask students to support their selections with the statistics given. b) Did students use the statistical information to make sound decisions as to who to draft? c) Discuss how this process is similar to real drafts. d) How was it determined who received the 1 st pick? What were the chances that your team was going to receive the first pick in the draft? 13

14 Lesson Plan 1 The Greatest Distance is Sound SCIENCE Focused Lesson Plan A player can tell if the ball will go a long distance by the sound that the ball makes when the ball is hit by the bat. Ted Williams used to say that he could tell how far and the direction a ball was hit with his eyes closed by just listening to the sound of the contact. Can you find that percussion spot? Hammer or piece of wood the size of a hammer Baseball Bat (Aluminum and/or wooden bat) Ruler To find one of the sweet spots on a baseball bat, hold the bat, hanging down, loosely between your thumb and index finger, just below the knob on the bat s handle. Have a friend tap the bat gently with a hammer, starting at the fat end and moving toward the handle. (You can also do it yourself, although it s easier and more fun with a friend). You should feel a vibration in your fingers whenever the bat is struck, except when the node (sweet spot) is hit; then you ll feel nothing. You may also notice a slightly different sound when the node is struck. 1. What did you notice about the sound of the bat each time you hit it? 2. Where is the spot that makes the clearest, most solid sound? 3. Measure how far this spot is from the thick end of the bat (inches or cm, mark this with masking tape). 4. Why do you think this spot is called the center of percussion? (Hint: Which band instruments are called percussion instruments?) At the Game: 1. Observe the sound that Mud Hens players bats make. Are these sounds different from the sounds of your bat? Do ground balls sound different than fly balls? 2. Have various students close their eyes for one half inning of the game. Have these students attempt to determine the distance that the ball traveled based on the sound of the bat and whether it was a ground ball or a fly ball. Have your students track the difference between their guess and the actual distance of the ball. Beyond the Game: 1. Experiment with other sports equipment (e.g. tennis racket, racquetball racket, hockey stick, whiffle ball bat, broomstick, etc.) to find the center of percussion. Graph your findings. 2. Why do professional players use wooden bats whereas collegiate players down through little league use aluminum bats? Note that collegiate baseball players are now slowly being required to switch from aluminum bats to wooden bats. Why? 14

15 Lesson Plan 2 The Center of Gravity SCIENCE Baseball players use a variety of bats. Some players use heavy bats and other use lightweight bats. How does the length and weight of a bat affect the center of gravity? Why is the center of gravity important to baseball players? Variety of baseball bats 2 feet of string On every bat, there is a spot where the weight is concentrated. This spot is called the center of gravity. The students can find the spot by following the directions. 1. Instruct the students to predict where they think the center of gravity may be located (use the same bats as in Lesson Plan 1). 2. Take the string and tie it to the bat somewhere around the middle. Make the knot loose because you may need to slide the knot up and down the bat. 3. Let the bat hang horizontally from the string so that the bat becomes balanced. This is the time when the knot should be adjusted to enable the bat to hang balanced. 4. When the knot becomes balanced, measure the distance from the thick end of the bat to the place at which the knot balances the bat. This spot is the center of gravity for the bat (mark with masking tape). 5. Have students study data and determine the relationship between the increase in the size of bat and the distance the center of gravity is from either end. Put into ratio form. 6. Compare your own sweet spot measurement (from Lesson Plan 1) with the center of gravity (from Lesson Plan 2). Were they the same? Why or why not? 7. How far off were students from their predictions? 8. Explain why the center of gravity (COG) is important to a batter? At the Game: 1. Observe players baseball bats as they step up to home plate. Which players appear to have the largest baseball bats? Does this players personal and baseball statistics justify him using this bat size? Beyond the Game: 1. What other careers require materials that are perfectly balanced? List those materials. 2. Discuss reasons why different players use different size bats. (Appendix T) 15

16 SCIENCE Lesson Plan 3 Galileo s Principles Complete the following tables and discover the formulas expressing the relationships between each measurement. Pencil Baseball Stopwatch Find the rule or formula used in each chart. Allow students to experiment with formulas determined form the tables with a baseball and a stopwatch. Time & Velocity Dropped Objects Time of an Object s Flight & Distance Traveled Total Time in Air & Velocity of Object Thrown Total Time in Air & Maximum Height Total Time of Fall (seconds) Velocity of Object (ft. per second) Total Time of Fall (seconds) Distance (feet) Total Time in Air (seconds) Velocity of Object (ft. per second) Total Time in Air (seconds) Height Reached (feet) Look on next page for activities for the students. 16

17 At the game: 1. Using your stopwatch, collect sample data from the following: a) Total time in air of fly balls. b) Total time of descent of a fly ball. c) Estimate the height and the distance of each fly ball. SCIENCE Beyond the Game: 1. Using the sample data collected at the game, does your data support the theories from the tables above? 2. What outside forces may have affected your findings (in relation to the charts)? (i.e. weather) 17

18 Lesson Plan 4 Air Temperatures SCIENCE Determine if air temperature has any effect on the distance a baseball travels. Baseballs Pitching machine Yard/meter stick Thermometer 1. Record the current temperature. 2. Using a pitching machine set it up for one speed and one angle. 3. Measure how far the machine pitches the balls. 4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 at different times of the day as well as different days of the week. Each time the temperature should be different. 5. Graph the data. 6. Ask the students if there are any other variables which may affect distance traveled during this activity? 7. Ask students to write their conclusions. At the Game: 1. Determine the game-time temperature at the School Celebration Day. Observe how many home runs were hit at the Mud Hens game. Were there any long fly balls that barely missed being a home run? If the temperature at the game would have been different, would it have helped or hurt the chances of more home runs? Beyond the Game: 1. What effect does air temperature have on other sports? In addition, what effect does air temperature play upon the participants? 2. Why do different sports and different athletes have varying ideal air temperatures? 3. Research what affect air density has on the distance balls are hit (use data from elevated stadiums). Is this conclusive? (get examples) 4. Research what affect humidity has on the distance balls are hit (use data from southern stadiums). Is this conclusive? (get examples) 18

19 Lesson Plan 5 "Local Fowl" SCIENCE To examine local waterfowl and determine what is a mud hen. Appendix L: Toledo Mud Hens History in the Making Appendix Q: Jigsaw expert sheets Appendix R: Jigsaw question sheet Pencil Paper Internet access 1. Have students do a simultaneous think-pair-share about characteristics of an actual mud hen. To accomplish this students are instructed to: Think individually about characteristics of a mud hen Pair up with a partner to discuss characteristics and record their best answers on a sheet of tag paper Put markers down and pairs of students then take turns sharing responses 2. Students read aloud the description of a mud hen in the appendix. 3. Place learners in groups of four. Instruct them to list Toledo area birds that fit the description of a mud hen. Students may respond using a roundtable structure. 4. Have learners number off from 1-4 (or 5) within groups. Students are each given a jigsaw mud hen expert question sheet. All the number one students are given the expert sheet on the Mallard. All the number twos are given another bird expert sheet, all the number threes are given another bird on which to become an expert and so forth. Students are then instructed to move and get together with all other students with similar numbers to study the bird (expert sheet) provided to them. They are to complete the mud hen expert question sheet for the bird they are studying. When everyone is finished, the students return to their original groups of four or five and teach the remaining members of the group about their bird. 5. Teacher should then ask learners which bird seems to fit the perfect profile of a mud hen given the description provided in the appendix. Discuss rationale for this designation. Beyond the Game: 1. Compare and contrast the environment before and after the black swamp was developed/filled. Discuss what life would be like for a mud hen during the early 1900 s and compare it to what it would be like for a mud hen in this area today (less swamp but larger bodies of water). 2. Have learners write a paper explaining why they think the mud hen was chosen as the mascot for the Toledo minor league baseball team. 19

20 EXAMINING SCIENTIFIC RELATIONSHIPS SCIENCE Extended Ideas Using a baseball or a softball, have students determine the relationships between time, velocity, distance, and height. a) Use your visit to Fifth Third Field to determine the speed, velocity or distance of a fly ball. b) During your visit, determine the speed or velocity of a throw across the infield. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISTANCE AND ANGLE In baseball, the angle of the swing has a dramatic effect on the angle of the baseball, and therefore, the ball s distance. Experiments can be staged to emphasize the effect of the swing angle. a) Have students swing a baseball bat off of a batting tee using different angles. Determine which angle allowed the greatest distance. Which angle produced the worst results in terms of distance? What factors do your students feel affected your results (either positively or negatively)? b) Using videotape, examine the swing of home run champion Barry Bonds versus the swing of one of your students or of a baseball singles hitter. Take into consideration the angle and placement of the pitch. (high ball, low ball) What factors have caused Barry Bonds to be so successful? c) Use the following web site to illustrate this concept (powerful computer likely needed to run these intense graphics) DETERMINING THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER AND AIR DENSITY ON A BASEBALL In class, discuss the differences during a baseball game between games played in ideal weather conditions versus games played in rain, cold, humidity, precipitation. Also discuss the effect that air density has on the distance that a ball will travel (e.g. in cities such as Denver). a) What was the weather like at Fifth Third Field on School Celebration Day? Attempt to anticipate how well the ball will travel based on your class s earlier findings. USING LEVERS A baseball bat is a third-class lever. The load is at one end (ball), the fulcrum is at one end of the bat and extends to the batters shoulders, and the effort is in your hands a short distance from the end of the bat. Using a baseball bat as an example, have students determine the fulcrum, the force, and the load. What are other examples of other first, second or third-class levers? BERNOULLI S PRINCIPLE Test the effects of lift, drag and thrust on ball movement. How does the pitcher s grip on a baseball or delivery motion affect ball movement? ANGLE OF THE SUN Using what students know about the sun and the layout of Fifth Third Field, what seat would be the best if it were going to be a sunny, hot day? Which direction would you normally expect the wind to blow? MACHINERY & BASEBALL In what way has the development of machinery improved/hurt the cultural experience of the game of baseball? How was the game played before machines such as hot dog warmers, pitching machines, loudspeakers, and scoreboards were invented? LIFE CYCLES Ask students to spend one inning recording all observable life. Create diagrams of the cycle that was observed. 20

21 BASEBALL INVENTIONS SCIENCE Extended Ideas Have students state which invention had the largest impact on professional baseball. Discuss. Research and list a number of inventions that have improved the game of baseball over the years. Ask them to create a new invention that would improve baseball. SWINGING THE BASEBALL BAT Using Appendix S, determine the appropriate bat length and weight for each Mud Hens player (see Appendix E) as well as each student in class. Discuss why some players use larger or smaller bats than what is prescribed. Conduct experiments outside the classroom using a variety of baseball bat weights and lengths 21

22 Lesson Plan 1 Decision-Making and Resources SOCIAL STUDIES All businesses make decisions based on their available resources. The Toledo Mud Hens, as a business, are no different. List of people and materials involved with running the Toledo Mud Hens team Pencil Paper Discuss the following factors of production terms: land, labor, capital, entrepreneurship, goods, services, production, consumption, revenue, resources, factors of production, competitive market, supply and demand. 1. Create a large list of any and all people and materials that your class believes are involved in running the Mud Hens team. This could be as small as the grass at Fifth Third Field or as important as the Mud Hens manager. 2. Place the students in small groups with the following instruction: a) Evaluate each item on the list to determine which factor of production term it is most associated with. b) Create a graphic organizer that will display your evaluation. 3. Compare the results as a class. At the Game: 1. Looking at the advertisements on the Mud Hens outfield walls, categorize them as goods or services. 2. Why do companies want their name in a stadium? Which companies do you think would be smart to advertise on the outfield wall and why? Beyond the Game: 1. Research professional baseball for taxes and regulations that are placed on teams. How do they affect the decision-making and resources used? 2. How are the Mud Hens similar or different to other types of businesses? 22

23 Lesson Plan 2 The Toledo Mud Hens History in the Making SOCIAL STUDIES To learn about the historical background of the Toledo Mud Hens. Pen or pencil Paper Encyclopedia See Appendix L to refer to the Toledo Mud Hens. 1. Research the history of the Mud Hens and plot the major developments on a time-line. 2. Examine the history of Toledo and the surrounding areas during the same time period. * Plot major developments on a separate time-line. At the Game: 1. Be sure to visit the Club Level Lounge and look at the historical information along the wall. Beyond the Game: 1. As an extended activity, plot the historical developments in the state of Ohio and the United States on separate time-lines. Then compare the time-line to the ones previously done. 2. As an extended activity, have students do a research paper/project on the History of Baseball. Who invented baseball? Progression of leagues? Then have students create a pictorial timeline with pictures of important people or places in the history 23

24 Lesson Plan 3 Plotting minor league baseball teams SOCIAL STUDIES To learn about minor league baseball throughout the country while making comparisons to important data regarding the Toledo Mud Hens. Oversized United States map (to be marked on) Markers Baseball Information Resources: books, web sites ( etc. (Appendix P) See Appendix M for a listing of every minor league baseball team in America. 1. Have your students select or assign them to five different minor league baseball teams. 2. Ask each student to plot each team in its exact location on the U.S. map. 3. Using the teams assigned to each group of students, have the students research the following items and then compare their findings to those of the Toledo Mud Hens. Add your own comparisons! Team Name Toledo Mud Hens Selected Team Level of Professional Baseball AAA Name of League International League 2010 Attendance 558,059 Number of Games Played 144 Stadium Name Fifth Third Field Cost of a Hot Dog $3.00 Cost of a Ticket $9.00, $7.00 Downtown or Suburbs Distance from Toledo (miles) Nearest Body of Water City Population At the Game: 1. On the way to the game, ask the student who was assigned the Mud Hens opponent to report their findings to the rest of the class. 2. Discuss how the Mud Hens and the City of Toledo compare to the opponent. Beyond the Game: 1. Have each student choose one major league team as well. Compare and contrast the differences between major and minor league baseball. 2. Locate cities without a baseball team that have comparable statistics and city information that would make them ideal hosts to a new professional team. Have any of these cities attempted to lure a team in the past? 24

25 SOCIAL STUDIES Lesson Plan 4 Examining the Warehouse District, Erie Street Market, and Farmer s Market To learn about the local area and historical buildings surrounding Fifth Third Field. Paper Pencil Map of Warehouse District (Appendix T) Appendix U Binoculars (if available) 4. Have your students do some research on the Warehouse District, Erie Street Market, and Farmer s Market by using information from the local city library and the Internet (if available). Appendix U provides a brief outline of the history of the Erie Street and Farmer s Markets. 5. Have your students report the information they found to the class for discussion. 6. Using Appendix T, have your students identify some of the historical buildings or areas that they found in their research. Where are they in relation to Fifth Third Field? You may wish to point out how the designers of Fifth Third Field incorporated some of the surrounding buildings into the building of the new ballpark. 7. Have your students select a building or area to write a report about. Some notable historical buildings are the Oliver House/Maumee Bay Brewing Company and the Valentine Theatre. At the Game: 1. On the way to the game have the students try to see if they can see some of the buildings that were talked about during class. Also have the students note the condition of some of those buildings in relation to others. 2. While the students are in their seats, have the students use binoculars (if available) to see some of the buildings in the skyline of the ballpark. What buildings did they see and are they the same ones they talked about in class? Beyond the Game: 1. Have the students write a report on what they would do to improve the area surrounding Fifth Third Field using the information they gathered from the library, Internet, and School Celebration Day. 25

26 SOCIAL STUDIES Extended Ideas DISTANCE TRAVELED The Toledo Mud Hens play in a 14-team AAA baseball league known as the International League. Representative teams are located throughout the northeast sector of the United States. Each team has a major league affiliate located somewhere in the United States. Major league teams ideally prefer their minor league affiliates to be as close as possible for a number of reasons. See Appendix M for a list of Minor League Affiliates, and Appendix A for a comprehensive mileage chart. a) Identify the major league team association with each International League team. Determine the distance between each major league team to its International League affiliate. Plot on a map. b) What direction would you have to travel to get to each International League Park? c) Why do major league teams generally prefer that their minor league affiliates be as close as possible? USING MAPS a) Have students determine the directions from your school to Fifth Third Field using a local map. b) What distance is your school from Fifth Third Field? c) Plot the major highways and roads the Mud Hens take to each International League city. ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BASEBALL AND FIFTH THIRD FIELD a) List a number of changes (positive or negative) that a baseball/sports stadium can have on a city? b) Why do many cities yearn for baseball/sports stadiums? c) Are all stadiums a success for their respective cities/regions? Through research, find examples of other cities who have built new stadiums in the past ten years. DEMOGRAPHICS Demographics play a large part towards determining how the Mud Hens market Fifth Third Field and baseball throughout the community. Minor league baseball has a strong history of reaching specific demographics (i.e. families, children, etc.). Can your students determine the logic behind this? a) What are demographics? (See Appendix N) b) Estimate the Mud Hens demographics. Would you have predicted these figures? c) Why do the Mud Hens pay close attention to demographics? How can the Mud Hens and other businesses utilize this information? NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST ORIENTATION a) What features are in the northern-most direction of the ballpark? b) Which team in the International League is the farthest north (also east, west, south)? c) Behind which base does the sun set? Why has Fifth Third Field been laid out so that the sun sets behind this base? Why are all baseball fields laid out in this direction? d) On a picture of the park (Appendix C), draw a directional indicator showing all four directions. JOBS/PROFESSIONS REPRESENTED AT FIFTH THIRD FIELD Many assume that minor league baseball consists only of the players that step onto the field. In reality, a number of different professions are represented, in addition to many job opportunities. Throughout the summer, as many as 150 people may be employed at once, whereas throughout the fall and winter months, the staff if scaled back to only full-time employees. a) List all possible career opportunities/professions represented at Fifth Third Field. b) How can these jobs be categorized (e.g. ticket sales, marketing, finance, game-day vs. full-time)? c) Estimate a Toledo Mud Hens player salary (generally between $25,000 - $35,000). Discuss why it is so much lower than the salaries that are read about in the newspaper? d) Besides being a player, what jobs with the Mud Hens would you be most interested in? e) At School Celebration Day, keep track of each type of employee that you interact with. 26

27 GEOGRAPHY OF TOLEDO AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES SOCIAL STUDIES Extended Ideas a) For each surrounding community, what is its distance (in miles) to Fifth Third Field? b) On average, fans from as far as one hour in each direction will attend a Mud Hens baseball game. Mark a onehour distance radius from Fifth Third Field from all directions and list some of the communities that attend Mud Hens games. c) How long does it take from each community to travel to Fifth Third Field? NATIONALITY OF MUD HEN PLAYERS a) Using the roster sheet (Appendix K), identify the number of Mud Hen players from other countries. Discuss why so many players are from other countries. Which countries are represented? How many players are from each country? Do you think the results are representative of all minor and major league baseball? b) Why are so many players from Latin American playing in the United States? Are there any other countries that are gradually increasing their representation in baseball? c) Using yarn and a map of the Americas, connect each player s hometown to Toledo. Who traveled the furthest to play in Toledo? SIGNIFICANT AND FAMOUS A significant person makes a lasting contribution to society. What person in the history of baseball could be significant? Defend your position. Is there a person you would label famous but not significant? a) When was this person born and when did they die? b) In what way is this person historically significant? Famous? c) What was the major event in the person s life (cause or action)? d) What was the action taken by the person (effect)? e) What was the result of the action taken (additional effects)? FACT VS. OPINION Using an article from the sports section in a newspaper, ask students to highlight the facts in yellow and opinions in pink. Was the article mostly factual or opinionated? Do certain sections of the paper consistently print more factual or opinionated articles? TRADITIONS & SUPERSTITIONS Research different traditions and/or superstitions in the game of baseball. How did they originate and are all of them still in use? For example: Singing the National Anthem, hot dogs, Crackerjack, Seventh Inning Stretch & Take me out to the Ballgame, the World Series, not washing your socks on a winning streak, jumping over the white foul line, etc LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS IN BASEBALL The relationship between the players (labor) and owners (management) has impacted professional sports, and baseball in particular, a great deal. a) Discuss labor relations in other industries. b) What are the major issues between players (labor) and owners (management)? 27

28 Lesson Plan 1 Investigating Reporting LANGUAGE ARTS Choose a topic and investigate it thoroughly. Choose an activity that will enable students to share knowledge with others in class. Reference Guides Pencil Paper Have students choose from the following topics: Minor League Baseball Toledo Mud Hens Fifth Third Field Warehouse District 1. Create 20 questions that cover the topic of study in groups. Include the answers. Compile the group results and transform into a Trivial Pursuit -style game for the entire class. 2. Create a timeline that shows both the dates and significant people within your topic. Include pictures if possible. 3. Write a news story about what you learned as if you are a news reporter. 4. List reasons why your topic should be studied in schools. Develop a plan of study or events that the students could participate in that would make a difference in our society. 5. Describe your topic in a story, poem, skit, or song format. 6. Have students write a proposal as if they were the mayors of their community. This proposal should attempt to explain how your topic is important to the community and should be preserved. This proposal should include how the topic can be improved for families, entertainment, cultural area, etc. Then have the students do a mock press conference. At the Game: 1. Collect evidence that supports your topic at School Celebration Day. Beyond the Game: 1. Mail your investigative findings to an appropriate individual within each category and follow up via mail to that individual to gather their comments and opinions. 28