Classroom Baseball

In this Remarkable Idea, your students will be able to participate in a modified game of America’s favorite pastime. 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 or wooden people (example: Hygloss decorative wooden people)
• Paint

Optional materials:

• BIGmack
• Step-by-Step (2)

Preparation:

1. 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

2. 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 or paint it however they choose. This will be their player. Allow to dry.

Playing the game

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. When a player is up to bat, they will activate the Step-by-Step or All-Turn-It Spinner, and follow what it says.
5. 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.