Introduction
This activity would be done with my special education
U.S. history students when talking about World War II from
the homefront. Students will have already studied Pearl
Harbor and viewed some examples of propaganda that
were used to encourage Americans to support the war
effort. For this activity, students would use computers with
the slideshow loaded onto the desktop for easy access.
They would work in pre-assigned groups of four with
random levels of ability. Some of the questions may seem
very easy, but would be challenging for some of my
students with very low abilities.
BASEBALL
America’s Pastime
Baseball during World War II
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With your group, view the following slide show about baseball,
sometimes referred to as “our nation’s pastime.”
Choose a team name. Use one of your favorite baseball teams or
make one up.
Choose a manager to be the group leader. This person is
responsible for making sure everyone on the team is doing what
they are supposed to.
Next, choose your pitcher. This person will control the pace, as
they are the ONLY person that should be touching the computer.
They will click forward or go back as needed.
Next, choose your team captain. This person will do any and all
communicating with the teacher. (this way the teacher does not
have to talk to 30 different students)
Finally, choose the team reporter to record the groups answers.
All group members should contribute to answers, but the reporter
should be someone with good handwriting to write down answers
that will be turned in for a group grade. Be sure to write the names
of all your group members and their role in the group.
Baseball in America
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Major league baseball enjoyed widespread popularity during the
early 1900s.
Attendance at games grew, and the World Series became one of
the leading annual events in sports.
Outstanding players such as Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, and
Ty Cobb emerged as national stars.
Owners responded to the prosperity by building larger, more modern
ballparks.
Cy Young
Ty Cobb
Baseball in the 1920s
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Babe Ruth, initially a star pitcher for the Boston Red Sox,
joined the New York Yankees in 1920 and became one of
the greatest home-run hitters of all time.
Many hitters imitated Ruth’s style, and baseball
developed into a higher scoring and—to many fans—
more exciting game.
Baseball in the 1930s
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The growth of baseball continued into the 1930s, when
radio broadcasts of games became common.
The first major league night games were also held
during the 1930s, enabling fans to attend games after
work.
In 1939 the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
was opened in Cooperstown, New York, to display
baseball memorabilia and honor the game’s greatest
players.
A trip to the mound…
Record your answers to the following questions
What change allowed more fans to attend
games in the 1930s?
 How did most fans in the 1930s enjoy
baseball games if they could not attend
them in person?
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Pearl Harbor-World War II
Japan attacks the U.S.
at Pearl Harbor
 President Roosevelt
immediately asks
Congress for a
declaration of war
 The United States is
at war with Germany,
Italy and Japan
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America Stunned…
Baseball commissioner, Kenesaw Landis
writes President Roosevelt a letter
regarding the state of major league
baseball
 Your team will examine the letters Landis
and Roosevelt wrote each other and
answer the questions that follow.
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Examining the Source…
(Go back to the letter if you need)
What is Landis asking Roosevelt about?
 Approximately how many teams are
involved with major league baseball?
(counting minor league teams as well)
 Does Landis support the war effort? What
in the letter tells you this?
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Green Letter
Examining the Source…
Did President Roosevelt think baseball
should continue to be played during the
war?
 President Roosevelt said that fewer people
would be ________ if baseball continued.
 What purpose did Roosevelt say baseball
could serve during the war?
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Americans to War
Millions of Americans signed up or were drafted into
military service
 Many professional athletes served in the military,
including baseball players
 Although baseball would continue during the war,
without many of its players, things would be different…
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Star Athletes Become Soldiers
Ted Williams,
Boston Red Sox
Joe Louis,
heavyweight
boxer
Joe DiMaggio, New
York Yankees
Pee Wee Reese,
Brooklyn Dodgers
Trip to the mound…
Do you know of any
professional athletes today who
have served in the military?
Do you think athletes today would risk their
careers to serve in their country’s military?
Why or why not?
Pat Tillman
NFL player, Pat Tillman, walked away from
a $3.6 million contract offer to enlist in the
U.S. army after the attacks on September
11, 2001.
 He was killed in combat in Afghanistan on
April 22, 2004.
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Replacement Players
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Many Major League
baseball players were
either drafted or
volunteered for military
service
Teams roster spots were
often filled with players
who were among the
30% of American men
labeled as ‘4 F’ or
physically unfit to serve
Pete Gray, outfielder, St. Louis Browns
Women During the War
Many women moved
into jobs that were
left behind by
American men serving
in the military.
 In addition to their
roles at home, many
women worked
factory jobs they had
previously been
denied.
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Examining the source…
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Examine the following picture. Describe
everything you see in the picture. Where
do you think this picture was taken? What
does this picture tell you about the time
period? What was happening?
All-American Girls Professional
Baseball League
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By the fall of 1942, many minor league baseball teams were folding
because of a lack of players.
Phillip K. Wrigley, owner of Wrigley chewing gum and the Chicago
Cubs, created a professional women’s baseball league in the
Midwest, the AAGPBL.
Rockford Peaches
One team was located right here in
Rockford, IL
 The Rockford Peaches played the entire
existence of the league, 1945-1953.
 During that time, the Peaches won four
league championships
 The movie A League of Their Own is
based on the team, although all the
characters were fictional
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Extra Credit
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For extra credit, visit the former home of the Rockford Peaches,
Beyer Stadium on 15th Avenue in Rockford.
Describe what has changed about the ball park since it was last
used for women’s baseball.
Compare and contrast the uniforms of the players from the
1940s and today.
Expectations for Women
Although women were filling roles that were traditionally
limited to men only, they were still expected to maintain
a feminine appearance
 Players were given specific guidelines to follow regarding
their “beauty”
 On the following slides, you will see actual excerpts from
a Charm School Guide that was distributed to all players.
As a group, scan the guidelines listed. Write down four
things that you thought were interesting or surprised
you. Why did you find them interesting and/or why did
they surprise you?
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BEAUTY ROUTINES
Your ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS BASEBALL LEAGUE BEAUTY KIT Should always
contain the following:
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Cleansing Cream
Lipstick
Rouge Medium
Cream Deodorant
Mild Astringent
Face powder for Brunette
Hand Lotion
Hair Remover
You should be the best judge of your own beauty requirements. Keep your own kit
replenished with the things you need for your own toilette and your beauty culture and
care. Remember the skin, the hair, the teeth and the eyes. It is most desirable in your
own interests, that of your teammates and fellow players, as well as from the standpoint
of the public relations of the league, that each girl be at all times presentable and
attractive, whether on the playing field or at leisure. Study your own beauty culture
possibilities and without overdoing your beauty treatment at the risk of attaining
gaudiness, practice the little measure that will reflect well on your appearance and
personality as a real AllAmerican girl.
SUGGESTED BEAUTY ROUTINE
"After the Game"
Remember, the AllAmerican girl is subjected to greater exposure through her activities on the
diamond, through exertion in greater body warmth and perspiration, through exposure to dirt, grime
and dust and through vigorous play to scratches, cuts, abrasions and sprains. This means extra
precaution to assure all the niceties of toilette and personality. Especially "after the game,"the All
American girl should take time to observe the necessary beauty ritual, to protect both her health and
appearance. Here are a few simple rules that should prove helpful and healthful "after the game.“
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Shower well and soap the skin.
Dry thoroughly to avoid chapping or chafing.
Apply cleansing cream to face and remove with tissue.
Wash face with soap and water.
Apply skin astringent.
Apply rouge moderately but carefully.
Apply lipstick with moderate taste.
Apply eye makeup if considered desirable.
Apply powder.
Check all cuts, abrasions or minor injuries.
Trip to the mound…
Do you think major league
baseball players were given
guidelines about what to do after games?
What do you think these guidelines say
about the ways women were viewed during
this era?
Do you think these views have changed? If so, how?
Video Clips
Watch the following video clips. As a group,
describe what you saw in the clip. What did each clip
have to do with the war?
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/baseball
/overview/videos
 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top
ic-video/15840/19456/Newsreel-footagehighlighting-womens-professional-baseball
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Bottom of the ninth…
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Each group member needs to rate the other members of
their group based on their effort throughout this activity.
Assign your partners one of the following rankings:
All star- Paid attention to what the group was doing and contributed
ideas on a regular basis.
Starter- Contributed ideas but was sometimes distracted.
Minor Leaguer- Sometimes contributed ideas, but was often distracted.
Rookie Baller- Contributed minimally and was mostly distracted.
That’s the game!
Turn your papers into the teacher.
Conclusion
My goal is for students to take pride in the
fact that a really neat part of history took
place so close to home. I also would like
them to think critically about the roles of
women in the 1940s and 1950s and how
they began to change during the war. By
pointing out some of the differences in the
baseball leagues, I hope my students
would recognize the inequalities between
men and women during the time period.