Social Studies Grade FourConcepts
Students will know that:
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Students will:
Students will:
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Students may:
Suggested ApproachesContemporary Saskatchewan people
While learning about contemporary Saskatchewan people, develop understandings about stereotype, assumptions, bias, point of view, and prejudice. After experiencing different resources, ask, "What does this tell us about this group of people?" "What doesn't it tell us about this group of people?" Learn that we are seeing this group from one point of view. Their previous experiences may influence ideas they have about other groups of people. Use resources that present as many points of view as possible. Develop in students skills and actions they will need to counter the bias that is prevalent in society. Use examples from the local community.
Develop understandings about Saskatchewan's Indian and Métis peoples as a contemporary people.
A study of heroes should include a cross-section of examples representing both genders, people from many cultures, and people of varying abilities. The study of heroes should focus on giving students guidance in their own lives. Opportunities should be provided for students to reflect upon the characteristics they admire in heroes. They should consider questions such as, "What makes that person a hero?" and "What would I do in her/his situation?"
Learn about citizens in action from the news. Recognize citizens in action in your school and community. Make a classroom scrapbook. Articles may be cut from newspapers or magazines. Other accounts may be illustrated or written by students.
Consider with the students their personal achievements and their personal goals. Brainstorm, note, discuss and/or role play ways students in the class may now or in the future be heroes. Students' goals may include small or major achievements in various fields.
In discussions with students consider some of the following:
Note: The following activity is also suggested in the Grade 5 curriculum. The teachers of Gr. 4 and 5 may wish to do this together.
Establish a local Hall of Fame. This may be done on a classroom, school or community basis.
Resources could include:
The Order of Canada is awarded every spring and fall and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit is awarded every fall. These awards recognize citizens who are outstanding in their fields.
Learn about people from your community who have received these awards. For more information about the Order of Canada contact:
Director, Honours, Chancellery,
Government House
OTTAWA ON K1A 0A1
and for information about Saskatchewan Order of Merit, contact:
Protocol Office
10th Floor
1919 Saskatchewan Drive
REGINA SK S4P 3V7
Volunteers in the community Saskatchewan has the highest rate of voluntarism in Canada.
How many students have done volunteer work? Have students question their parents to find out what kinds of volunteer work their parents are involved in.
Guide students in planning an inquiry into voluntarism in their community. Use survey or interview format. Help students identify information they might like to obtain such as: the name of an organization that depends on volunteers, the kind of volunteer needed, and how the organization and the volunteer benefits the community or province. Guide students in designing an instrument to obtain the information they want. Organize the information on charts or graphs and analyze the results.
Learn about churches and other organizations like Scouts that encourage members to help others.
Explore voluntarism in your school. Do students or adults assist with the library, after school programs, phoning, parents' groups?
Use the open-ended "story starters" on the Student Information Page: Volunteers. Add to and finish the story. Describe how volunteers were involved in "saving the day". Follow up activities include:
Discuss with the students the various ways that people in Saskatchewan make a living. Guide the discussion to looking at jobs usually associated with either women or men. Guide students to see that where there used to be clearly defined roles and jobs for women and men, girls and boys, the roles are not so clearly defined anymore. Point out that this provides additional opportunities for both men and women, girls and boys.
Tell or have the students read the story of Denise Needham.
As a follow-up activity, the teacher may choose to do the following:
By way of introduction, the teacher may discuss with the students what they think of when they hear the term professional baseball. Write on the chalkboard the words `professional WOMEN'S baseball league'. Ask them when, why, and where they think a women's league might have existed.
As a follow-up, the teacher may choose to have the class visit the Sports Hall of Fame. The students may also complete the crossword puzzle.
Assigning and assessing projects
The teacher may choose to use (or adapt) the Student Information Pages: Listing sources used for research and Hero research, a sample organizer.
The teacher may explain to students that when various sources are used for research, the sources must be acknowledged as a way of saying, "Thank you for the information." The teacher may choose to be quite lenient regarding the format for listing sources.
When using sources for research, students will need to learn to take jot notes. Then, for the purpose of assessment, the teacher may use a rating scale to assess the students' jot notes and the listing of sources used. This, of course, would be in addition to other evaluation instruments and criteria the teacher and students choose.
Suggested Resources
(listed in other bibliographies and catalogues)
The Balgonie Birdman (MHP, V8307)
Birch Bark Biting (Arts Ed) (MHP, 8683)
By Instinct a Painter (Arts Ed) (MHP, 7067)
Invite Saskatchewan writers to share insights about contemporary Saskatchewan people. Contact:
Saskatchewan Writers GuildUse the following units in Arts Education: A Curriculum Guide for Grade Four:
2049 Lorne St.
Regina, SK
S4P 2M4
Tel: 757-6310
A group of hikers had gone out early in the morning, then stopped for lunch in a forest meadow. They were careful not to drop any garbage, but as they were leaving a bottle fell unnoticed from one of the packs. It broke on a rock, but the hikers were busy talking among themselves and nobody heard the glass crack. As the sun climbed over the tops of the trees and shone on the meadow, its rays caught the broken bottle at just the right angle for the glass to act as a magnifier. The bone- dry grass began to smoulder, a small flame burst from a flower patch, and the warm wind began to fan the flame. . . .
One evening I was in the barn finishing my chores. I left the kerosene lamp by the door. It was a windy night, and I could feel the cool air coming in through the cracks. Suddenly a strong blast of wind threw the door open, knocking the pitch fork against the lamp. Flames shot up instantly, nearly reaching the rafters. The horses cried out and panicked, and I . . . .
Profile: Denise Needham
Denise is a carpenter. In fact, she has her own company called the Women's Renovation Company. She builds balconies, fixes steps, and remodels basements. She has had jobs all over the province. During the summer when she has a lot of work, she hires another woman to work with her. She hires a woman because so far no men have applied.
She says, "I have always liked working with my hands." She likes to make or fix things and have something to show for her work.
Denise has taught many women and men carpentry skills. In fact, she often has the owners of the house help her with the work. That way they can save money and take part in the project.
People at the YWCA think she is doing something important. The YWCA gave her a 'Woman of the Year' award in 1992. The award was a way of saying, "Thank you for being a leader. Thank you for teaching women and girls how to be carpenters and fix things."
Has she had problems because she is a woman carpenter? She says, "Absolutely none. People want a good job done. It doesn't matter if you are a woman or a man."
It was during World War II. Young men from Canada and the United States were busy being soldiers and flying fighter planes. There were very few young men left at home. There were not enough men left to make up the teams in professional sports.
P.K. Wrigley (chewing gum) had an idea. Why not start a professional baseball league for women? Wrigley believed that women could play professional sports as well as men. He was right.
The league started with 4 teams in 1943, but soon there were 10 teams. It took awhile for people to get used to seeing women pitching curve balls, women stealing to second base, women arguing with umpires, and women sliding home. But once they got used to it, the games attracted up to a million fans every season.
The women had to follow strict rules. When they were in public, they had to wear skirts or dresses, and were not allowed to smoke or drink. Their hair could not be shorter than shoulder length. They had to take lessons in how to stand, walk and put on make-up. On the field, their uniforms were short skirts and short sleeved shirts. They often scraped and bruised their bare arms and legs.
Fifty-three Canadians played in the league. Twenty-five of them were from Saskatchewan.
One was Mary Baker. When Mary heard about the league, she was working at the Army and Navy store in Regina during the day and playing softball at night. At the store she was earning $17 a week. A talent scout noticed her skill and asked her to try out for the league. She proved her ability and was signed by the South Bend Blue Sox. Her starting salary was $150 per week. Baker played catcher for the Sox for 8 years. She made the all-star team five times and was always among the top hitters in the league. She appeared on popular American radio shows and was featured in magazines. After her success as a player, she became the manager of the team in Kalamazoo. She brought the team from last to fourth place. In spite of her success, the league passed a rule that managers had to be men. She was the only female manager professional baseball has ever had.
She had another first. After her career in baseball, she became Canada's first woman sportscaster.
Another Saskatchewan woman to play baseball was Arleene Noga of Ogema. She began her career in 1945. She played third base, and set fielding records which may never be broken. Newspaper writers called her a "flashy fielding third sacker" and the "ironwoman of baseball". She was the only player in the league to play two full seasons in a row without missing a game. And that was quite an accomplishment! The women had to play every night and twice on Sundays for 3 1/2 months, for a total of 112 games. The schedule today is not nearly as demanding. Like Baker, Noga was very popular with the fans and received a lot of attention. But after four years as a star at third base, Noga retired and settled down in Saskatchewan with her husband.
Another woman from Regina, Daisy Junor, also had great success in professional baseball. She played in the league for four years and was an all- star outfielder. At the plate, she was a slugger. People compared her to Joe DiMaggio, one of the greatest baseball players ever. Junor and DiMaggio were even interviewed together on a radio show.
These three women were amazing athletes. They were not only outstanding baseball players, but were also stars in other sports when they returned to Saskatchewan. Daisy Junor was a provincial golf champion and champion 5 pin bowler. Arleene Noga came to Regina and starred in softball, playing on nine provincial championship teams and five Western Canadian championship teams. Noga, along with Mary Baker, also represented Canada in the world softball championship. Noga and Baker were outstanding curlers. In fact, Mary Baker managed the Wheat City Curling Club in Regina for 25 years until she retired in 1986.
So what happened to the women's baseball league? It continued to be successful until the early 1950s and then it folded in 1954. Why? Television became popular. Many other forms of entertainment began to appear. The war was over and the men were back. Many people felt that it was not proper for women to play professional baseball.
Memories of the women who played live on. All three of the women mentioned have been inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in Regina. They are also in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, which is probably the most famous Hall of Fame in the world.
In 1992 a movie "A League of their Own" was made. The three women, Baker, Noga and Junor saw a special preview of the movie. They thought the movie was pretty accurate and fun to watch. Most of the movie is done with actors. But at the end of the movie, it shows many of the women who really played in the league getting together for a reunion. Both Noga and Junor appear in that section of the movie.
Student Information Page:
Women professional baseball crossword puzzle
Across
1. Baseball, curling, bowling, and golf are all _____.
5. Mary _____
6. Daisy Junor was also a ____ champion.
8. The women had to _____ they could play baseball as well as men.
10. Baker and Junor were from ___.
13. Noga was called the "iron ___".
14. 53 ___ women played in the league.
16. The women were ___ baseball players.
18. The sport they played was ___.
23. The women were strong ___.
24. The women were ___ in several sports.
25. A League of their Own is the name of a ___.
26. Daisy Junor was interviewed with Joe ___.
27. Noga and Baker were also excellent ___.
28. The position Junor played was ___.
Down
2. Watching a ___ of a movie means watching it before it's released.
3. 25 players were from ___.
4. The men were away because of a ___.
7. Arlene Noga was from ___.
9. Arlene ___
11. P.K. ___ started the women's league.
12. Daisy ___
15. Only ___ played in the league.
17. Back in Saskatchewan, the women played ___.
18. Junor was also a champion at ___.
19. Several teams that play each other make up a ___.
20. Cooperstown and Regina both have a ___.
21. Baker played ___ for the Blue Sox.
22. Baker was the only woman baseball ___.
Word List:
ATHLETES BAKER BASEBALL BOWLING CANADIAN CATCHER CHAMPIONS CURLERS DIMAGGIO GOLF JUNOR HALLOFFAME LEAGUE MANAGER MOVIE NOGA OGEMA OUTFIELDER PREVIEW PROVE REGINA PROFESSIONAL SOFTBALL SASKATCHEWAN SPORTS WAR WOMAN WOMEN WRIGLEYAnswers:
Student Information Page: Listing sources used
for research
Why do we need to list sources of information?
SOURCES USED FOR RESEARCH Name:________________(Use this as a rough Rm#_____ Date________draft for your bibliography.) Topic________________
| Resources Used: Author, pages e.g Marsh, p.22-25 |
Name of hero:_________________________ Use jot notes:
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| Who? (description)
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| When?
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| Where? (live, work, play)
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| What? (accomplishments, hardships experienced)
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| How? (accomplishments attained, hardships overcome)
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| Why? (considered a hero)
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My "thank you" list of resources: