Statistics: Batter Up!

Unit Overview

"In baseball, my theory is to strive for consistency, not to worry about the numbers. If you dwell on statistics you get shortsighted, if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end."

- Hall of Famer Tom Seaver

It’s the final day of the 1941 season and Ted Williams’ batting average is .39955. What will he do? Sit this one out and guarantee an historic .400 season or take a chance and aim for mathematic immortality? At the Rookie and Intermediate Levels, students will find the answer to this and other exciting stories in a unit full of whole numbers, fractions and decimals, percentages, proportions and problem solving. This thematic unit teaches fundamental concepts that connect the calculator and the clubhouse while using and interpreting the statistics of famous ballplayers. At the Advanced Level, this thematic unit covers some of the basic topics of a beginning statistics course using baseball as the primary source of applications. If your students are particularly interested in baseball statistics, this unit is a great starting point for further research and analysis.

About the Curriculum

 
All of the lessons and activities that you will find below have been prepared to accompany "Statistics: Batter Up!" 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 State Standards.

Level 1 - Rookie

Elementary Level Overview & Table of Contents
Lesson 1 (Pre-Visit) Looking at Baseball Statistics
Lesson 2 (Pre-Visit) Batting Average Part 1: Fractions
Lesson 3 (Pre-Visit) Batting Average Part 2: Decimals
Lesson 4 On-Site Visit - or - Videoconference
Lesson 5 (Post-Visit) Other Baseball Statistics

Level 2 - Intermediate

Intermediate Level Overview & Table of Contents
Lesson 1 (Pre-Visit) Batting Average
Lesson 2 (Pre-Visit) Batting Average Ups & Downs
Lesson 3 (Pre-Visit) Averages & Percentages
Lesson 4 On-Site Visit - or - Videoconference
Lesson 5 (Post-Visit) Other Baseball Statistics

Level 3 - Advanced

Advanced Level Overview & Table of Contents
Lesson 1 (Pre-Visit) Batting Average
Lesson 2 (Pre-Visit) Slugging Percentage
Lesson 3 (Pre-Visit) Teams & Players by the Numbers
Lesson 4 On-Site Visit - or - Videoconference
Lesson 5 (Post-Visit) Classroom Fantasy Baseball

Participating in a Videoconference?

Click here for a copy of the Statistics: Batter Up! Videoconference checklist.