MATH LEAGUE BASEBALL:
FIVE WEEK PROJECT

Grade level : 8th Grade

Objectives : The students will learn how to use statistics. The students will be able to change fractions to decimals. The students will be able to graph their statistics.

Materials : paper, pencil, draft list, blank examples tables, calculator(optional),sports section of newspaper

NCTM Standards : Standard 4 Mathematical Connections, Standard 5 Number and Number Relationships, Standard 7 Computation and Estimation, Standard 10 Statistics

Procedure :

You will need only a basic understanding of baseball to teach this lesson. Students will be drafting players from Major League Baseball teams. They will choose players according to position and place them in a batting line up. We will play according to the American League rules rather than the National League. Therefore, no pitchers will be drafted because they do not hit. Instead, a designated hitter will be chosen. Each Students will receive a draft list where he/she will chose one player from each position, including 3 outfielders, and one designated hitter. The students designated hitter can be any player on the draft list. A draft list must be constructed listing players by their positions. The position are catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and outfield. Students may have some of the same players, but each team must be different, so the winner can be calculated. The students must come up with a team name for their players. If a player is injured, a new player can be selected at the end of the week. Remember to make the change on the line-up card(like a substitution). The line-up card is to be done now. It simply lists the ten players the student chooses form the draft list with the name of the team on top. A sample draft list is listed in the article, but an updated list must be made listing current players.

Each day the students will fill out the Daily Scoring Form (Table #1). Then each week the total form will be filled out. Each Monday, a line-up card, 7 daily scoring forms, and one total form will be turned in

Daily Scoring Form:

Students can get statistics out of the newspaper for AB (at bats), R (Runs Scored), H (Hits), and RBI (Runs batted in). They should be instructed that if they do not have access to a newspaper, you will have one in the classroom. The statistics should not be done during class. The students can come in before and after school, or during lunch. It would be a good idea to go though some players on the list and find their stats. If the player did not play that day, zeros will be filled into the categories. Explain that this is going to happen, and that it will not effect the batting average.

Total Form:

Students fill in the totals for each for each day for AB, R, H, and RBI. Then the batting average must be calculated by converting the fraction H/AB to a decimal rounded to the thousandths place. Example: 7/28=.250 Make sure students understand how to calculate batting average. The totals for all seven days must be calculated at the bottom. Have students look at the table when you are explaining, so they understand.

Scoring: Points are awarded for 4 totals categories, R, H, RBI, and Batting average.

For R, H, and RBI:
5 points 1st place
3 points 2nd place
1 points 3rd place

For batting average:
7 points 1st place
5 points 2nd place
3 points 3rd place

The points will be kept on the board by the name of the team. The class should decide what the winner will receive. The teacher also needs to decide how this project will be graded.

Evaluation : Each Monday a line-up car, 7 daily scoring tables, and one daily total form is turned in. The students are responsible to make their own charts following the example you handed out to them.

Name AB R H RBI Batting Average

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Totals:

AB R H RBI Batting Average

Day

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Totals

Contributors : Major: Kari Kupfer
Minor: Carol A. Marinas