Teaching Economics with Baseball

OVERVIEW

In a series of five independent microlessons, students will use stories from the history of Negro League baseball to explore basic economic concepts like employment, money, and trade. Each lesson inspires critical thinking, creativity and active learning for all elementary and middle school learners.

Curriculum

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Grade Level

K-5 Middle School

Topics

Money Labor & Income

Microlesson 1: Markets, Goods, and Servies

Students will identify goods and services found in the marketplace of a baseball stadium. They will also categorize images as goods or services and apply what they’ve learned to determine how we interact with goods, services and markets in our daily lives and community.

Microlesson 2: Consumers and Producers

Students will distinguish consumers and producers in baseball by interpreting geographical and numerical data about the Negro Leagues and associated teams.

Microlesson 3: Jobs

Students will receive one or more Negro Leagues player profiles and use the information provided to complete various activities based on teacher preference and time allotted.

Microlesson 4: Segregation and Migration

Students will examine primary sources and hear from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president to expand their knowledge of the Negro Leagues.

Microlesson 5: Game Change

Students will learn about Negro Leagues Baseball commemorative coins and their associated legislation and read about Negro Leagues teams to create their own commemorative coin and complementary legislation.