In this Remarkable Idea, your students will be able to participate in a modified game of America’s favorite pass time. This is a classroom based activity that doesn’t involve bats, balls, or broken windows!
This activity addresses:
- Sportsmanship
- Social skills
- Turn taking
- Alternative methods of access
What you need:
- Step-by-Step or All-Turn-It Spinner
- A baseball field and scoreboard (drawn on a piece of paper or white board)
- Peg / wooden people (i.e. http://www.amazon.com/Hygloss-Decorative-Wooden-People-Assorted/dp/B0044S1CRE)
- Paint
Optional Materials:
Preparation:
- Record baseball scenarios to the Step-by-Step or write them on an All-Turn-It Spinner overlay - single, double, triple, home run, out, strike out, etc. To ensure a quicker game, include more than one out option (write it a few times on your overlay or record it multiple times to the Step-by-Step.)
Suggested number of each, you may wish to modify this for your game:
- 4-outs and singles,
- 2-strike outs and doubles
- 1-home run and triple
- Create overlays using the AbleNet Symbol Overlay Maker app.
What to do:
Put your team together
Give each student a blank peg person and allow them to decorate/paint it however they choose, this will be their player. Allow to dry.
Playing the game
- Draw your field on a large piece of paper or a white board so everyone can see, be sure to include a dugout for players waiting their turn.
- Decide how many innings you are going to play, split up into teams (uneven teams will not make a difference), and decide a home team.
- The visiting team goes first following typical baseball rules. Three outs per inning. If a player gets a single, advance their peg person one base, a double advances two places and so on.
- When a player is up to bat they will activate the Step-by-Step or All-Turn-It Spinner, and follow what it says.
- The game ends when the last inning is played or the game is called.
Suggestions to make the game a bit more authentic
- The National Anthem could be played before the game starts. (Record to BIGmack and have a student “sing” the National Anthem.)
- The seventh inning stretch could be observed. (Record “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” to a BIGmack and have a student “sing” it.)
- Popcorn or hot dogs could be served during the game.
Record “Good game” to a BIGmack for players to show their sportsmanship at the conclusion of the game. - Use a Step-by-Step for each team to keep score. Record numbers and have a student act as scorekeeper.