MAKING A GLOVE

Time: three 30 minutes

Grade Level: 6th - 8th (can be modified)

Objective

Students explore how Ozzie Smith, as a youth, created a glove using a paper bag. The students will make a glove, using a paper bag, and use it in the same manner as Ozzie. The students will also create a glove using any material from home and demonstrate how their glove works.

Materials Necessary

• 1 lunch bag per student (10" x 5") (25cm x 13cm)
• 1 ball (tennis ball) per student or group of two (this ball could be created as well)
• baseball glove for teacher

Note: The type of ball used in the activity is dependent upon the teacher's preference.

Teacher Background

This activity is separated into three sections that will allow the students to understand how to overcome economic hardship. It will also help the students be creative in developing a glove out of different types of material. Through this process the student will understand the use of a real glove, create a glove, learn how and why Ozzie Smith created his glove, and how family members or friends coped with hardships in their life. The cost of a glove varies from $20 to $300. In some cases a person cannot afford this item and must create their own to participate in this.

When Ozzie Smith was a young man his family did not have a lot of money. Subsequently he did not have equipment to perform many of the sports he enjoyed playing. In order to play baseball he found that by making a baseball glove from a paper bag he could catch a thrown ball with little pain. Understanding that a baseball glove with a pocket will help reduce the impact of a thrown ball and allow him to make the catch. Ozzie spent hours throwing the ball to himself and learning how to catch the ball properly. He even spent time throwing the ball in the air and closing his eyes yet still catching the ball. Although Ozzie did not understand the physics of catching a ball, he was using many physics concepts in order to improve his skills. He has commented, “It helped me work on my hand-eye coordination to improve my skills.”

When catching or fielding ground balls the phrase “soft-hands” is used when a player properly picks-up a ground ball. Soft hands directly relates to the change of momentum and the impulse formula found within this web site.

Procedure

1. Lesson 1
   1. Teacher shows and describes different parts of glove.
   2. Describe different parts of gloves for different positions.
   3. Post the question "Why do players in different positions use different gloves?"
   4. Students will write an explanation of these differences.
2. Lesson 2 (Lesson 1 and 2 can be combined to form one lesson.)
   1. Cost of glove scan be too expensive for a person to afford.
   2. Each student will roll play this situation and create their own glove at home.
   3. Think of items that can be easily found and are not expensive.
   4. The item or items should help with the physics of catching a ball.
   5. Bring item to school to describe and demonstrate its use.
3. Lesson 3 (Lesson 3 should be done while watching the EFT. Ozzie will be doing this live with the kids.)
   1. Each student should have a paper bag.
   2. Open bag fully.
   3. Roll the ends of the bag; two rolls down.
   4. Place the hand, that student does not throw with, into the bag.
   5. Make the bag look similar to a glove.
   6. Pat the pocket.
   7. Toss the ball to themselves in the air (low) and catch the ball.
   8. If no ball is available, use a wrinkled piece of paper formed to resemble a ball.

Requirements

1. Lesson 1
   • Each student will write a description about the different types of gloves and their use in baseball (length is optional)
   • Each student will use physics principles in the paper.
2. Lesson 2 (Lesson 1 and 2 can be combined to form one lesson.)
   • Each student will understand the cost of gloves.
   • Each student will make a glove at home using objects from home.
   • Each student will present and demonstrate his/her glove to the class.
3. Lesson 3 (Lesson 3 should be done while watching the EFT. Ozzie will be doing this live with the kids.)
   • Each student will make a glove from a bag following the show.
   • Each student will toss the ball 10 times and catch the ball with their glove.
   • Each student will watch the flight of the ball going up, shut their eyes when the ball reaches the top of its flight, then close their eyes and try to catch the ball.
   • Each student will write a definition, using change of momentum and impulse formula, explaining how to catch a ball using the bag with a low amount of impact.

Extensions

• Draw, on the bag, what a glove should look like
• Place the student's autograph in the palm of the glove
• Toss and catch with a partner using the bag
• Toss and catch with a partner using the homemade glove
• Toss ground balls with a partner and pick-up ground balls
• History of the designs of the baseball glove