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Grade 2 Social Studies · World 5: Georgia Heroes · Level 32
Jackie Robinson
The Cairo, Georgia, native who broke baseball's color line with courage and sportsmanship.
Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.
What children learn in Level 32
- Jackie Robinson was born in 1919 on a farm near Cairo, in south Georgia. When he was a baby, his mother moved the family to California, hoping for a better life.
- Jackie was great at sports! In college, he starred in four: baseball, basketball, football, and track. Later, he served in the U.S. Army.
- Back then, unfair rules kept Black and white people apart. Black players were not allowed in the major leagues, so they played on their own teams, in the Negro Leagues.
- In 1947, Jackie joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first Black player in modern major league baseball. People called this breaking the color line.
- Some fans and players were cruel. Jackie promised not to fight back. He stayed calm, played fair, and let his playing do the talking. That took courage, patience, and good sportsmanship.
- He was Rookie of the Year, helped the Dodgers win the World Series, and later worked for civil rights: fair treatment for all people. Every April 15, every major league player wears his number, 42!
Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:
- SS2H1.c — Jackie Robinson (sportsmanship and civil rights)