Popular Culture: Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Unit Overview

"Baseball is our game, the American game. I connect it to our national character."

- Walt Whitman, 1888

Almost everyone participates in our national pastime often without even knowing it! Preschoolers sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Executives make "ballpark estimates." Teachers warn, "three strikes and you're out." A baseball movie opens at the local multiplex. We lament that "there is no joy in Mudville" without even realizing that we know "Casey at the Bat." Baseball was part of popular culture as early as the 1850s, celebrated in song, story, and art. In this unit, students take a closer look at specific aspects of baseball popular culture that are often a part of our everyday lives.

About the Curriculum

 
All of the lessons and activities that you will find below have been prepared to accompany "Popular Culture: Take Me Out to the Ballgame." You will find that the curriculum is organized into three levels: Level 1 for elementary school students, Level 2 for middle school students, and Level 3 for high school students. Feel free to pick and choose lessons from multiple levels if you feel that your students are ready for a challenge or would benefit from a review.

Within each level you will find both pre-visit lessons and post-visit lessons. We strongly encourage you to use these materials before your visit or videoconference. We've found that students understand and learn so much more if they are prepared before their Hall of Fame experience.

Click on the links to view Adobe Acrobat documents, which you can easily print or save for later use. All lessons are aligned with Common Core Curriculum Standards.

Level 1 - Rookie

Elementary Level Overview & Table of Contents
Lesson 1 (Pre-Visit) Pop Culture of the Ballpark: Food
Lesson 2 (Pre-Visit) Step Up to the Plate for Ballpark Idioms
Lesson 3 (Pre-Visit) "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" The Baseball Anthem
Lesson 4 On-Site Visit
Lesson 5 (Post-Visit) Pop Culture of the Past

Level 2 - Intermediate

Intermediate Level Overview & Table of Contents
Lesson 1 (Pre-Visit) Pop Culture of the Ballpark: Food
Lesson 2 (Pre-Visit) Casey Back at Bat: Baseball Poetry
Lesson 3 (Pre-Visit) Baseball at the Movies
Lesson 4 On-Site Visit
Lesson 5 (Post-Visit) Pop Culture of the Past

Level 3 - Advanced

Advanced Level Overview & Table of Contents
Lesson 1 (Pre-Visit) Pop Culture of the Ballpark: Mascots
Lesson 2 (Pre-Visit) Baseball in Popular Music and Memory
Lesson 3 (Pre-Visit) Pop Culture of the Past
Lesson 4 On-Site Visit
Lesson 5 (Post-Visit) Pop Culture Beyond the Ballpark: Baseball Poetry

Interested in Additional Resources?

On the Recommended Reading list below, you’ll find resources that were compiled to aid parents, teachers, and students in learning more about baseball and Popular Culture.

Recommended Reading for Popular Culture