Launch’s American Baseball History course features engaging assignments that are sure to entertain baseball lovers and history buffs alike. While the majority of the course covers the history that took place from the early 1800s through World War II, the final few themes include more modern content. Students participate in multiple culminating events, watch and reflect on multiple films and have several opportunities to collaborate with classmates located statewide.

Presenting on the Pastime:
For a culminating event in this course, students pick a decade (their choice, from 1880 to 1940) and build a presentation that discusses the developments of baseball and events of American History during that time frame. Students narrate their presentation from a first-person perspective, then share it on a discussion board and discuss it with their classmates.

Movie Mania:
Students watch three movies in this course—Eight Men Out, 42 and A League of Their Own—then complete assignments related to the films. After watching Eight Men Out, students write a paper about the ideas of capitalism and socialism in relation to baseball.