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A Lesson on My First Baseball Game Save As Favorite
A Lesson on My First Baseball Game Grade: Grade 3
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Aspen Burke
Lesson Length: 1 hour 15 minutes
Keywords/Tags: Baseball, Loyalty, Sports, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Common Core, 3rd Grade, Perseverance, Jerome, Cubs
Lesson Description: In this lesson, students will read My First Baseball Game and analyze the theme of loyalty, particularly in the context of sports. They will reflect on how Jerome learns the importance of supporting his team, even when the Cubs lose. Following the reading, students will participate in a writing activity where they explore how loyalty applies to both sports and their own lives, using examples from the story and personal experiences.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2: Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4a: Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
 
     
     
 
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.

My First Baseball Game

I remember my first Cubs game. My uncle came to take me to it. It was a Saturday. He drove all the way from Indiana to get me. We took the train to the ballpark. He said it would be hard to find a parking space there. 

He was right. When we got there it was so crowded. We had tickets that were for seats far back. It seemed like I climbed about 100 steps to get to them. But when we got there and I turned around I could see everything. I saw the whole field. It was much better than watching it on TV. 

Then the game started. Everyone cheered. The man next to me said, “This is going to be the year. They are playing really well.” 

My uncle said to him, “Let’s hope this is the one.” But then he whispered to me, “Jerome, we’ll have to wait and see. Remember last year? They started out good and then they lost at the end.” 

“Hey, Hey, Hey!” The Cub batter hit a ball far to the wall. 

Just then I heard “Hot dogs!” “Peanuts!” I looked and saw a man with a big tray hanging from his shoulders. It was full of hotdogs in plastic wrap and bags of peanuts. 

“Two hot dogs,” my uncle shouted. Then he gave the man next to us $4. He passed it along down to the man with the hot dogs. He sent back two hot dogs. 

“This is great,” I said to my uncle. 

“Not so great,” he said. “We just struck out.” 

While I had been watching the hotdogs, the team had struck out. 

It went on that way for the rest of the game. We got peanuts. We even got another hot dog. And the Cubs kept losing. We’d all hope every time a batter came to bat. One by one they struck out. Still, everyone was staying happy. Even at the end. The score was 7 to 0. The Cubs never got a run. 

“Tomorrow, they’ll win,” one person said. “Right. This was just a bad day for them,” another said. “The pitcher tomorrow is really good.” 

When we were on the way home, I asked my uncle, “Why was everyone so sure they will win next time?” 

“That’s what it means to be a Cubs fan. We believe in tomorrow. When they win, it’s the best. Every year, we hope. Every game we hope. That’s loyalty. It’s about supporting your team no matter what. Cubs fans are loyal. And it’s about fun. Did you have fun?” 

“Yes it was great. I see what you mean. Even when they lose, it still was fun. Thanks for taking me. And thanks for being loyal to me.” 
 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.
Vocabulary Questions
Word/Phrase: loyalty | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q1 We are given the sentence "That's loyalty." Which sentence or sentences help us best understand what loyalty is?
A. Cubs fans are loyal.
B. We believe in tomorrow. When they win, it's the best.
C. It's about supporting your team no matter what. *
D. Every year we hope. Every game we hope.
Which sentence uses the word "loyalty" correctly?
A. Leaving his team after they lost showed that he had loyalty.
B. Even after all their ups and downs, her loyalty was to her family. *
C. He enjoyed loyalty because he had no friends.
D. The team showed loyalty by arguing with each other.
Word/Phrase: Pitcher | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q2 The author in our story says: “The pitcher tomorrow is really good.” What does the word "pitcher" mean in this sentence?
A. A container used to pour liquids
B. A person who throws the ball in a baseball game *
C. A type of food sold at the stadium
D. A fan who cheers for the team
Which sentence below uses the word "pitcher" correctly?
A. The pitcher threw to the batter. *
B. The pitcher cheered loudly from the stands.
C. She filled the pitcher with lemonade and set it on the table.
D. We ordered a pitcher of popcorn at the game.
Word/Phrase: struck out | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q3 The author in our story says: “While I had been watching the hotdogs, the team had struck out.” What does the phrase "struck out" mean in this sentence?
A. To hit the baseball far into the stands.
B. To stop playing and leave the game.
C. To run to the next base quickly.
D. To miss three pitches and be out. *
Which sentence below uses the phrase "struck out" correctly?
A. We struck out our picnic blanket on the grass.
B. She struck out the candles on her birthday cake.
C. The batter struck out after missing three pitches. *
D. The boy struck out when he jumped over the fence.
Word/Phrase: crowded | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q4 The author in our story says: “When we got there it was so crowded.” What does the word "crowded" mean in this sentence?
A. Having many people in one place. *
B. Being very quiet and empty.
C. Moving very fast.
D. Feeling excited and happy.
Which sentence below uses the word "crowded" correctly?
A. The bus was so crowded that there were no empty seats. *
B. She crowded her new puppy before going to bed.
C. He felt crowded when he ate his lunch.
D. The library was crowded because no one was there.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4a,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.
  Topic Title Replies
Message Understanding Author's Purpose
How do the last two paragraphs contribute to the meaning of the story?
Sent on: Feb 20, 2025 by: Aspen Burke		 0
Message At the end of the story, Jerome asks his uncle why Cubs fans believe they will win next time, even after losing. His uncle responds, "That’s what it means to be a Cubs fan. We believe in tomorrow... That’s loyalty."
What does his uncle mean by this statement? How does this idea of loyalty relate to both being a fan of a team and other parts of life? Provide examples from the story and your own experiences.
Sent on: Feb 20, 2025 by: Aspen Burke		 0
Message Even though the Cubs lose the game with a score of 7 to 0, Jerome still has a great time. He enjoys the experience of being at the game, eating hot dogs, and spending time with his uncle. Jerome’s uncle explains that being a Cubs fan is about having fun and staying loyal to the team, no matter the outcome.
Why do you think Jerome still had fun at the game, even though the Cubs lost? How can we find joy in something, even when it doesn’t go as planned? Share an experience where you had fun or stayed positive, even when things didn’t turn out the way you expected.
Sent on: Feb 20, 2025 by: Aspen Burke		 0
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (30 points)
Instructions: After reading My First Baseball Game, think about the lesson Jerome learns from his uncle about loyalty. In the story, his uncle explains that being a Cubs fan is about believing in tomorrow, even when the team loses.

Write a 3-paragraph response discussing the importance of loyalty, both in sports and in other parts of life. Use examples from the story and your own experiences to explain why staying loyal is important, even when things don’t go as planned.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2,
 
     

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