When doing a Literature Unit or Literature Circles, it’s always fun to incorporate novel based projects for students to do to enhance their understanding of the novel. Baseball Cards are a great way to work on characterization and/or have your child or students discuss main characters from the story. You can even take it a step further and research historical figures mentioned in the novel for this project.
Baseball Cards are a close second all-time favorite project to add in to any literature unit, with Character Suitcases being my first choice. You can see first hand how to incorporate a Baseball Card project into a novel study like The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.
Baseball Cards
This project can be used in many ways with almost any age or novel. So, how do you turn a simple thing like a baseball card into a rich and enhancing literature project? It’s easy!
Main Character Cards:
Generally, you would have students create their baseball cards on the main character in the story. These cards should include a drawn sketch of the character based on information in the story as well as “statistics” or basic information about the character from the story. Basic information can include appearance, character traits, family members, actions, etc.
Historical Figures and/or Topic Cards:
In some cases you can have students choose a historical figure from the novel or even someone related to the topic of the novel for their baseball card. After reading Stella by Starlight, students could choose to create a baseball card on either Herbert Hoover or Franklin D. Roosevelt, both were mentioned in the novel.
This is an example of Baseball Cards that you can use with The Lightning Thief unit.
Extension Activities:
If the novel allows, you can create a whole baseball team full of characters to go along with the book that you are reading. For example, after reading The Lightning Thief students can create baseball cards based on the Greek Gods/Goddesses mentioned in the novel.
If you have more than one student, or you are doing this with a class or co-op, you can have students do different characters and then have them swap. Allow students to pair up and then present their cards to one another.
I love that these baseball cards allow to you really dive deep into the characters and/or historical figures in the novel. You can discuss characterization through these cards or use them as a tool to research and add to topics or content mentioned in the novel. You can also change “statistics” to meet the needs of the book.
I hope you enjoy these Baseball Cards and that they will be a blessing in your classroom, homeschool, or co-op.
In what ways can you use these baseball cards?
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