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Tom Zeiler

This course will explore baseball and Americanism. What does it mean that baseball is the national pastime? What does national pastime even mean? What about national? When you think of the United States, what do you think of? Is baseball a part of that? These are some of the aspects we are going to delve into throughout this course. We are going to spend some time discussing how baseball reflected American culture at the time. In some instances, we will discuss how baseball reflected what people wanted American culture to look like, or appear to be.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Continental Expansion and Beyond
In this module we will cover topics surrounding the Civil War, reconstruction, the Indian Wars, and the Spalding Tour.
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Imperial Reach
In this module we will cover topics surrounding baseball and the early American empire, leading up to WWI.
The Inter War Years
In this module we will cover topics surrounding the 1920s, the Great Depression, and the New Deal.
The American Century
In this final module we will cover topics surrounding baseball and WWII, a post war world, and the Korean war.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Appeals to students who are interested in American history and culture
Might be considered to be on the easier side for learners who have experience in baseball or American history
Might be useful for learners who want to know more how the history of baseball intersected with American history
Knowledge of American history or culture may be helpful for this course

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Baseball and Americanism with these activities:
Volunteer as a baseball coach or tutor
Volunteering as a baseball coach or tutor will give you a practical understanding of the game and help you develop leadership skills that will benefit you in the course.
Show steps
  • Contact a local baseball organization.
  • Inquire about volunteer opportunities.
  • Complete any necessary training.
  • Start volunteering.
Attend a baseball game
Attending a baseball game will give you a firsthand experience of the game and help you connect with other people who share your interest in baseball.
Show steps
  • Purchase tickets to a baseball game.
  • Attend the game.
  • Talk to other fans.
Read 'Baseball' by Ken Burns
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of baseball, which will help you understand the course materials more deeply.
Show steps
  • Read the book in its entirety.
  • Take notes on the key points.
  • Write a summary of the book.
Four other activities
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Show all seven activities
Develop a lesson plan on baseball for a specific grade level
Developing a lesson plan on baseball will help you understand the pedagogical aspects of the game and how to teach it to others.
Show steps
  • Choose a grade level.
  • Research baseball lesson plans.
  • Develop your own lesson plan.
  • Teach the lesson plan to a group of students.
Analyze baseball statistics
Analyzing baseball statistics will help you understand the quantitative aspects of the game and how they relate to the course materials.
Show steps
  • Find a website or database that provides baseball statistics.
  • Choose a set of statistics to analyze, such as batting average, home runs, or earned run average.
  • Create a spreadsheet or chart to track the statistics.
  • Analyze the statistics to identify trends and patterns.
Contribute to a baseball-related open-source project
Contributing to a baseball-related open-source project will give you hands-on experience with the game and help you develop software development skills that will benefit you in the course.
Show steps
  • Find a baseball-related open-source project.
  • Contact the project maintainers.
  • Start contributing to the project.
Write a blog post about the social impact of baseball
Writing a blog post about the social impact of baseball will help you understand the broader cultural significance of the game and how it relates to the course materials.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic to write about.
  • Research the topic.
  • Write the blog post.
  • Publish the blog post.

Career center

Learners who complete Baseball and Americanism will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Professor
A Professor teaches at a college or university. This course may be useful. It can help a Professor understand the historical context of the topics that they will need to teach.
Editor
An Editor reviews, edits, and proofreads written material. This course may be useful. It can help an Editor understand the historical context of the works that they will need to edit.
Museum curator
A Museum Curator researches, acquires, interprets, and displays items in a museum. This course may be useful. It can help provide a historical context for the items that a Museum Curator will need to understand.
Teacher
A Teacher develops and delivers educational instruction to students. This course may be useful. It can help a Teacher understand the historical context of the topics that they will need to teach.
Nonprofit Manager
A Nonprofit Manager oversees the operations of a nonprofit organization. This course may be useful. It can help a Nonprofit Manager understand the historical context of the issues that their organization will need to address.
Lawyer
A Lawyer provides legal advice and representation to clients. This course may be useful. It can help a Lawyer understand the historical context of the laws that they will need to work with.
Historian
A Historian researches, analyzes, interprets, and writes about the past. This course may be useful. It can help a Historian understand the historical context of the events that they will need to study.
Archivist
An Archivist acquires, preserves, and makes available historical records, documents, and other artifacts. This course may be useful. It can help an Archivist understand the historical context of the records and documents that they will need to work with.
Journalist
A Journalist investigates, writes, and reports on news and current events. This course may be useful. It can help a Journalist understand the historical context of the events that they will need to report on.
Diplomat
A Diplomat represents their country in foreign affairs. This course may be useful. It can help a Diplomat understand the historical context of the relationships between countries.
Screenwriter
A Screenwriter writes scripts for movies and television shows. This course may be useful. It can help a Screenwriter understand the historical context of the events that they will need to write about.
Politician
A Politician holds elected office in government. This course may be useful. It can help a Politician understand the historical context of the issues that they will need to address.
Author
An Author writes books, articles, and other works of literature. This course may be useful. It can help an Author understand the historical context of the topics that they will need to write about.
Playwright
A Playwright writes plays for the theater. This course may be useful. It can help a Playwright understand the historical context of the events that they will need to write about.
Art Curator
An Art Curator researches, acquires, interprets, and displays works of art in a museum or gallery. This course may be useful. It can help provide a historical context for the works of art that an Art Curator will need to understand.

Reading list

We've selected nine books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Baseball and Americanism.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the history of baseball in America, from its origins to the present day. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the game and its place in American culture.
Examines the role of baseball in the American dream. Voigt argues that baseball has been a powerful force for social mobility and integration.
Collection of essays on baseball history, culture, and statistics. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the game.
Tells the story of baseball from its origins to the present day. Leavy provides a rich and detailed account of the game's history, characters, and controversies.
Tells the story of the owners of Major League Baseball teams. Powers provides a fascinating look at the men who have shaped the game's history.
Collection of essays on baseball statistics and strategy. James is one of the most influential baseball analysts of all time, and his work is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the game.
This massive reference work provides detailed information on every player, team, and game in the history of Major League Baseball.

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