8th Grade Math Home > Teacher Resources > Activities > Baseball: Teacher Notes

Baseball Proportion: Teacher Notes

MA.7.A.1.6

Conceptual Understanding

Proportional Reasoning
Scale Factor
Similarity

Procedural Knowledge

Solve Proportions

Problem Solving
Reasoning
Communication
Connections
Representation

Have one student model a batting stance with a regulation size baseball bat. Have another student model the batting stance with a souvenir miniature baseball bat. Ask the class, "Why does the student with the souvenir bat look so funny?"

Students work in individually or in pairs

  • 1 regulation-sized baseball bat
  • 1 souvenir miniature baseball bat
  • 1 piece of posterboard for each student
  • 1 metric measuring tape for each student

  1. Measure the length of the regular bat in centimeters.
  2. Measure the length of the souvenir bat in centimeters.
  3. Measure the height of the student holding the regular bat.
  4. Determine how tall a person should be in order to be proportional to the souvenir bat.
  5. Using the posterboard, draw a person the correct height.
  6. Have students show their work and/or explain in words the process for determining the correct height of the figure on the posterboard.

As a result of this activity, students learn to use ratios and proportions to solve real world problems involving models and drawings.

Rubric (4 points):

  • Assignment is completed on time.
  • Figure’s height measures within 0.5 cm of the correct height.
  • Written explanation shows good thinking and calculations are correct.
  • Poster board figure is neat and creative in design.

8th Grade Math Home > Teacher Resources > Activities > Baseball: Teacher Notes