Learning Math With Baseball (Grades 5-8)
In this 8 week course, students will enrich their understandings of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and applied multi-step problem solving all while also learning about how math helps baseball teams make decisions.
New on Outschool
What's included
12 live meetings
11 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. After most sessions, students will have a homework assignment to cement the learning they accomplish during the session.Projects
At the end of the class, students will do a baseball research project about a specific player of their choice. They will dive into their best or worst moments, share some stats, and discuss their place in the history of the game.Mastery Evaluation
A final quiz will be given in the fifth week. This quiz will be open note and the types of questions will be made known ahead of time during our prep session.Letter Grade
Throughout the course of the class, I will give kids "RBIs" (points) for what they complete. I will refer to this as our "class contest", although kids will be working together to hit a total goal against past classes rather than against each other. Each kids "score" will not be shared with other students.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
Beginner - Intermediate Level
This course is designed for learners to build some math skills in the context of baseball. We will use baseball statistics to work on multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, and multi-step word problems. Learners will practice these skills while also learning about how statistics are used to help baseball managers and owners make choices about their teams. During each class, we will introduce a new concept or statistic, learn how to calculate it, practice, and then my favorite part - use that information to add or change players on our fictional team rosters that we will build throughout the course. For example, once we learn what ERA is (the most important statistic for pitchers) + how to calculate it, students can use the database I provide to find pitchers for their own fictional team that they will create during our first session. By doing homework, participating in class, and building good rosters, students will earn "runs" that will be tallied up over the course of the class and compared to past classes. Of course your student's work will remain private, but this will add a fun element of competition to keep your learner engaged.
Learning Goals
Students will be able to solve some multi-step word problems.Students will be able to apply the multiplication, division, rudimentary statistics, and the order of operations to real life baseball situations.
Syllabus
12 Lessons
over 6 WeeksLesson 1:
How Are Math and Baseball Related?
This lesson will discuss the ways that math is uniquely tied to baseball and provide students with information about the numbers we will work with in our class and our class contest. 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Getting Down to Business
This lesson will revolve around how teams manage their resources to create competitive rosters. We will learn a bit about budgeting as well as the different roles that players on rosters play. Students will create their own fictional team with a logo, mascot, colors, uniforms, and location. The best team will win a bonus for our class contest!
For homework, students will create a roster for their fictional team while remaining under budget. 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Statistic #1: Division and ERA
This lesson is focused on the statistic of Earned Run Average. Students will learn what an average is, what it means, and how it is calculated. At the end of class, I will reveal the ERAs of various starting pitchers and allow students to make changes to their rosters. As homework, students can calculate the ERA of a pitcher of their choice over a ten game span. 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Statistic #2: Multiple Step Math with WHIP
This lesson is focused on thinking about situations where there are multiple steps to conquer to get an answer. With calculating WHIP (walks + hits / innings pitched) we will investigate one such problem. Think of this as an intro to the order of operations for younger students. 55 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Pre-Requisites
Students in this course should have a strong understanding of addition and subtraction. They should have at least an intermediate understanding of multiplication and division.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined February, 2025
New on Outschool
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am a baseball fanatic and licensed educator! While most of my experience is in the humanities, I have subbed STEM classes in the past and am well qualified to teach this level of mathematics. Reviews
Live Group Course
$40
weekly2x per week, 6 weeks
55 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
3-10 learners per class
