Take Me Out to the Ball Game By: Sarah Gates Geographic Question: How does the location of major league sports teams correlate to population patterns of the U.S.? Overview: At the middle to high school level, most students have an interest in or at least a knowledge of major sports teams, including locations of such teams. In this lesson, students will graph the location of major sports teams; depending on the time of year, students can concentrate on one sport or on more than one. Students will then analyze population data for the U.S. and compare that data with the graph of sports teams locations. Students will then come to a conclusion about the relationship between location of major sports teams and population patterns. Grade Level: 7-12; modify for lower grades Common Curriculum Goals/Oregon Department of Education Goals: CIM/Grade 10 Benchmark - Use interpret, and construct geographic representation (maps, globes, charts, graphs, diagrams, models, photographs, databases) to analyze information, explain spatial relationships and compare places. - Analyze changes in the physical and human characteristics of places and regions and the effects of technology, migration, and urbanization on them. Connection With Other Curriculum Areas: History, Language Arts, Math National Geography Standards Addressed: #1- How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective. #9- The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human population on Earth s surface. #12- The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement. Objectives: - Students will plot the location of major league sports teams, and the location of the 30 largest U.S. cities, including the ten fastest growing cities. - Students will analyze the maps/data, looking for patterns or connections between the two sets of data. - Students will write a response discussing the patterns or connections they found, and the conclusions about the relationship between location of sports teams and population patterns that they discovered.
Materials: - Blank U.S. maps (2 for each student) - List of major league sports teams locations (transparency) - List of the 30 largest U.S. cities and the 10 fastest growing U.S. cities (transparency) - Notebook paper - Colored pencils, pens, or crayons - Labeled U.S. political map for reference - Overhead maps labeled with the locations of the major league sports teams, the 30 largest U.S. cities, and the 10 fastest growing U.S. cities Vocabulary: - Population Pattern: how population moves, migrates, changes and what influences it to do so - Major League Sports Teams: professional sports teams, the ones that are in the national media - Expansion Team: a new team created in an established sports league, usually given to a city that does not already have a team Procedure: 1. Open the lesson by discussing the location of major league sports teams. Ask students if they know where some major league sports teams are located. 2. Ask students why they think the cities they have mentioned have major league sports teams. 3. Pass out one U.S. map to each student. 4. Put the list of the major league sports teams on the overhead and have students plot their locations on their maps, using the U.S. political maps as reference. Help students with locations of difficult teams (i.e. Provide city for teams like the Texas Rangers.) If students are going to graph the locations of more than one sport, have them use different colors or symbols to identify them. If desired, include Canadian teams as well, and discuss where they are located in relation to the U.S. 5. Ask students if they notice any patterns of where teams are located. Are the teams concentrated in one area of the country? Which states have the most teams? Which states have the least teams? Why? 6. Pass out another U.S. map to each student. 7. Put the list of the thirty largest cities on the overhead and have students plot their locations on the second map, again using the U.S. political maps as reference. 8. Have students compare the two maps. Ask students if they see any connection between the location of sports teams and the location of the thirty largest cities. Do all of the thirty largest cities have major league sports teams? Are there any sports teams not located in one of the largest cities? Where are these exceptions located and why? 9. Put the list of the ten fastest growing cities on the overhead. Have students plot their locations on their city map, using a different color or symbol. If one on these cities is already one of the largest cities, have students circle or underline these cities to show that they are one of the fastest growing as well.
10. Ask students if this changes the patterns they already found. Do any of these cities have teams? Are any teams not located in either a major city or a fastest growing city? Which ones and why? 11. Guide a class discussion about some of the patterns and connections they see between the location of the teams and the location of the largest and fastest growing cities. - Do all of the largest cities have a team? - Are all teams located in a large city? - Do any cities have more than one team? Why? - Does population follow the location of sports teams or do sports teams follow population? - What about expansion teams? Where should the next on be located and why? - Would a city want an expansion team? What are some of the benefits and some costs involved? 12. On their notebook paper, have students write about the patterns that they found between the location of major cities and the location of sports teams. Have them include whether there is a pattern or not and why. Also, have them include where they think the next expansion team should go and why. Finally, have them include whether they think population follows sports teams or do sports teams follow population and why. Assessment: - Give credit for maps that are complete. Emphasize correct map protocol- title, legend, labels, etc. - Read students papers, giving credit for connections students made using the data; the most important thing is that they back up their argument with factual data. - For a CIM speaking task, have students present a persuasive speech on where they believe the next expansion team should go. Extensions: This is a relatively simple lesson plan, which has a multitude of extensions that can be easily done. Here are just a few suggestions. - Look at the three major sports (baseball, basketball, and football) and compare the locations of the teams based on sport. Are there any connections, major differences? What cities/areas have different types of teams? What cities/areas have only one sports team? Why? - Look at where the original teams of each league were located and where they are now. How many of them have remained in their original cities? How many have moved? Where did they move? Are these move indicative of population patterns and movement? Use population data from the early 1900s of the largest cities and compare how the largest cities change to how the location of some teams change. Looking into the future, should any teams consider moving any time soon? Where to and why?
- Look at the role of weather on where teams are located? Do the sports play inside or outside and how does that influence where teams are located? Looking at the fastest growing cities, would weather be a benefit or a drawback to a team locating there? Look at exceptions, (i.e. Green Bay Packers playing football in Wisconsin in autumn) why are these teams located where they are? Are there other considerations besides weather to take into mind? - Look at the location of women s sports teams. Are the locations of these teams showing a different population pattern or do they follow those of the major league sports teams? What could explain these differences or similarities? - A class debate on whether a community should try to get an expansion team or not. What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? Do they have the population to support a sports team? What size city is needed to support a sports team? Are there exceptions? Sources: www.infoplease.com/almanacs.html, July 19, 2000. www.census.gov/press-release/www/1999/eb99-240.htm, July 19, 2000.
30 Largest U.S. Cities, July 1998 1. New York City 16. Phoenix 2. Los Angeles 17. San Diego 3. Chicago 18. St. Louis 4. Washington D.C./Baltimore 19. Pittsburgh 5. San Francisco/Oakland 20. Denver 6. Philadelphia 21. Tampa 7. Boston 22. Portland, OR 8. Detroit 23. Cincinnati 9. Dallas, TX 24. Kansas City 10. Houston 25. Milwaukee 11. Atlanta 26. Sacramento 12. Miami 27. Norfolk, VA 13. Seattle 28. Indianapolis 14. Cleveland 29. San Antonio 15. Minneapolis-St. Paul 30. Columbus, OH Ten Fastest Growing Cities, 1998; Population--Percentage of Growth 1. Las Vegas, NV; 1,321,546--55% 2. Laredo, TX; 188,166--41% 3. McAllen, TX; 522,204--36% 4. Boise, ID; 395,953--34% 5. Naples, FL; 199,436--31% 6. Phoenix, AZ; 2,931,004--30% 7. Austin, TX; 1,105,909--30% 8. Fayetteville, AR; 272,616--29% 9. Wilmington, NC; 218,248--27% 10. Provo, UT; 335,635--27% Major League Baseball Teams Seattle Mariners Anaheim Angels Chicago White Sox Detroit Tigers Minnesota Twins (Minneapolis) Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles Arizona Diamondbacks (Phoenix) Colorado Rockies (Denver) San Diego Padres Cincinnati Reds Pittsburgh Pirates Houston Astros New York Mets Montreal Expos Oakland A s Texas Rangers (Arlington) Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals New York Yankees Boston Red Sox Tampa Devil Rays San Francisco Giants Los Angeles Dodgers St. Louis Cardinals Milwaukee Brewers Chicago Cubs Atlanta Braves Florida Marlins (Miami) Philadelphia Phillies
National Basketball Association Teams Seattle Supersonics Portland Trailblazers Sacramento Kings Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Clippers Golden State Warriors (San Francisco) Phoenix Suns Utah Jazz (Salt Lake City) Denver Nuggets Houston Rockets San Antonio Spurs Dallas Mavericks Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves (Minneapolis) Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers (Indianapolis) Detroit Pistons Cleveland Cavaliers Atlanta Hawks Orlando Magic Miami Heat Charlotte Hornets Philadelphia 76ers New Jersey Nets (East Rutherford) New York Knicks Boston Celtics Toronto Raptors Vancouver Grizzlies National Football League Teams Buffalo Bills Miami Dolphins Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens Tennessee Titans (Nashville) San Diego Chargers Oakland Raiders New Orleans Saints Carolina Panthers (Charlotte) Atlanta Falcons Green Bay Packers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Washington (D.C.) Redskins Philadelphia Eagles Arizona Cardinals (Tempe) Indianapolis Colts New York Jets New England Patriots (Boston) Jacksonville Jaguars Pittsburgh Steelers Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs Seattle Seahawks St. Louis Rams San Francisco 49ers Minnesota Vikings (Minneapolis) Detroit Lions Chicago Bears New York Giants Dallas Cowboys