Jackie Robinson changed Major League Baseball when he crossed the “color line” to join the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Robinson, and baseball executive Branch Rickey who signed him, disrupted the tacit agreement formed by league owners in the 1880s to prevent black baseball players from competing in the major leagues.

In this activity, students will examine Jackie Robinson’s character, career, and his lasting effects on both baseball and American civil rights more broadly. Students will view clips from Baseball and share their findings in a Jigsaw activity. Students will use the information they gather to construct character sketches of Robinson and select individuals who played significant roles in his career. To culminate, students will produce historically-backed skits or interviews depicting key events in Robinson’s early career.

Lesson Objectives (Students will...):

• Research and discuss key events from Jackie Robinson’s integration of Major League Baseball;
• Assess the impact of Jackie Robinson’s career on baseball and American civil rights more broadly;
• Create character sketches of key individuals to define their roles in Jackie Robinson’s early career;
• Produce historically accurate skits or interviews depicting key events in Jackie Robinson’s early career.

About the Authors

Greg Timmons has been a social studies teacher for over 30 years. He has written lessons for the Ken Burns’s series “The War” and “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea”. He resides in Washington state and Montana.

Michele Israel has been an educator for nearly 20 years. She has developed and managed innovative educational initiatives, taught in nontraditional settings in the U.S. and overseas, developed curricula and educational materials, and designed and facilitated professional development for classroom and community educators. Currently operating Educational Consulting Group, Israel is involved with diverse projects, including strategic planning and product development.