Saluting Babe Ruth, the Bambino

Saluting Babe Ruth, the Bambino
Edith Wilson: Sports and Popular Culture

Skill: Elementary School
Time Required: One to two class periods


Introduction:

One of the great heroes of baseball, Babe Ruth, was a big part of President Wilson's favorite sport while he was in the White House.  Indeed, the Babe's home run records stood for 39 years, and he is still considered one of baseball's greats.

Objectives:

Students who participate in this activity will learn something about the life and career of Babe Ruth, as well as about the history of the place of the home run in the game of baseball.

Materials Required:

Access to the Internet.  Access to books about baseball, Babe Ruth.

Procedures:

1.  Introduce this activity by telling students that they have been selected to design a special wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, dedicated to Babe Ruth.  Their job is to recommend events to be commemorated, memorabilia to be included, and the story to be told about the Bambino.

2.  Assign different tasks to different groups of students.  Among the possibilities are:

  • to write the life of Babe Ruth in short sentences or paragraphs to be used as captions or brief texts on the walls of the Babe Ruth Wing
  • to gather statistics on Babe Ruth's batting career
  • to research the story of the trading to Ruth to the Yankees and the "curse" that trade seemingly put on the Boston Red Sox
  • to research the history of the home run
  • to gather pictures of the Babe to go with the texts (above)
  • to find and decide upon artifacts or memorabilia to be included (e.g., programs, baseballs, bats, etc.)

3.  When all research has been done, students will use their work to create displays for the Babe Ruth Wing.

Extending the Lesson:

This lesson could be extended by researching another baseball great, or a record-setter in any other sport.

Sources & Resources:

Websites:
Credits:
This lesson was developed by Averil McClelland, Kent State University.

^Top