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Shadow Ball
A Lesson
Plan for Secondary Educators
Created by Genevieve Hodges-Sisco, SED 741 2003-2004
Days for lesson: 4.
Theme for Shadow Ball: African Americans were segregated from whites in all aspects of American life. However, they made a major impact on the game of baseball, and opened the game to integration years before Brown vs. Board of Education.
Introduction to analyzing films and Background
Information:
Inning 5: Shadow Ball is a documentary. This is much different than a fictional movie. Real life events with the actual participants are interviewed to provide a concise history of baseball. While you are watching the film put yourself in the time period. Remember back to what you learned about Jim Crow laws and how difficult life was to live under those rules.
The information in this movie is historically accurate. However, there are times in your life when you have watched something that was not. Can you remember a movie like that? (Call on students, talk about their findings.) It is important to think critically about the message of the movie. After we watch Shadow Ball, we will talk about what message Ken Burns was trying to send.
As you watch I want you to make a quick note about these four things:
1. People that were important during this era in baseball, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Effa Manley, Buck O’Neil, Branch Rickey, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gherig. (Pick two to watch for.)
2. Explain what an opening ceremony was like for a Negro League Team.
3. What was the
significance of
4. What strange thing happened to the Zoos during the Great Depression? (Extra Credit.)
Content Area Information:
Anne and I have planned to have a four-week unit in March on
the struggle for civil rights. We will
take four days to explore this aspect of segregation. During the entire unit I will be reading out
loud the book, My Name is
Each student will be required to fill in a sheet of questions about the site. Click here for the Worksheet
There are a few words that they will not know the definitions to before the movie. They are: Racketeers, fascism, franchises, and bleacher democracy. I will go over each word before the movie starts.
Film Summary:
This film is part of Ken Burn’s documentary series, Baseball. It is Inning 5, Shadow Ball. It encompasses the 1930s and talks about all areas of Baseball, not just the Negro Leagues. However, most of the information presented is important because it gives background information on the era, and allows for you to compare and contrast between the Major League and Negro League. By seeing what was happening to both sides during the depression, the class will be able to see what was so special about the black teams compared to the white teams. The movie goes into vivid detail about what life was like for African Americans during this time in American history.
The movie starts with background information on the depression, and then talks about the history of African Americans in baseball. The entire movie moves between vignettes of the era, the Major Leagues and Negro Leagues. Each one helps to realize how important the Negro Leagues were to the lives of Black Americans. Baseball was segregated, but the love for the game spanned all cultures.
There are many people talked about in the film. Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck O’Neil, Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig, Effa Manley, Branch Rickey, just to name a few.
Discussion Questions:
1) What do you think Ken Burns, the filmmaker, was trying to say about the Negro Leagues?
Ken Burns shows how baseball was segregated during the 1930s. Many of the players that were part of the Negro Leagues were as good, or better than their counterparts in the majors. However, they had many circumstances that made their achievements so incredible. They had to live with Jim Crow laws, lower pay, and less than perfect conditions. With all of these obstacles in their way, they still played more games and at times, packed larger crowds into the stadiums.
2) Why did the Negro Leagues flourish during the Great Depression
when the Major Leagues were struggling?
The teams were points of pride in black communities around the nation. One commentator said that the teams were “stitching black Americans together.”
3) What was the significance of Satchel Paige?
Satchel Paige was the “Babe Ruth”, in terms of attraction to games, of the Negro Leagues. He kept the franchises going. He probably won more baseball games than anyone, in majors or Negro leagues. He was the best-paid player in the Negro Leagues.
4) What was keeping African Americans from playing in the
Major Leagues?
Every other
minority in
5) Did watching this movie help you understand the
lives of African Americans during this era before the Civil Rights
Movement? Why or Why not?
Open-ended question.
Evaluation:
At the end of the lesson students will pair up and research one player from a Negro League Team. They will then make a baseball card depicting the life of that player. They may include stats from the players professional career, however after watching the film they will be all too aware of why that information is missing. Instead they will give facts on relevant information during the era that their player is from. Attached is a sample card that they will base their cards upon.
(I am getting an actual set of Negro League baseball cards, however I will show them after the assignment. I want them to be as creative as possible when they are making their cards.)
They must include-
If any information is missing from the above, students need to explain the reason for missing information, such as team too poor to have a scorekeeper, discrimination in reporting, etc.
Material © 2003 Genevieve Hodges-Sisco, All Rights Reserved.
Web Design © 2003 Justin K Takata, All Rights Reserved.