Illustration of Jackie Robinson playing baseball
Art by Kelley McMorris
Paired Texts,

Brave Jackie / Jackie Up Close

How Jackie Robinson changed baseball—and the world!

By Alex Winnick
From the February 2024 Issue

Children compare and contrast two short nonfiction articles about Jackie Robinson.

Lexile® measure: 510L
Featured Skill: Compare Two Texts,
Vocabulary: irate, accomplishment, segregated
Common Core Standards
  • RI.2.1 Key details RI.2.4 Vocabulary RI.2.5 Nonfiction text features RI.2.7 Use visuals RI.2.9 Compare two versions of the same story RI.2.10 Read grade-2-appropriate informational texts SL.2 Participate in conversations about grade-2 texts
TEKS Standards
  • Social Studies
    (10) Citizenship. The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historical figures and other individuals. The student is expected to: (B) identify historical figures and other individuals who have exemplified good citizenship such as Paul Revere, Abigail Adams, World War II Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), Navajo Code Talkers, and Sojourner Truth

Magazine View
See Student View
Think and Read

As you read, think about why Jackie Robinson was a hero.

Brave Jackie

Kelly McMorris

It was April 15, 1947. Thousands of fans were watching a baseball team called the Brooklyn Dodgers. Many had come to see a new player. His name was Jackie Robinson.

A player on the other team hit the ball. He started running to first base. One of the Dodgers caught the ball and threw it to Robinson. Robinson grabbed it before the other player touched first base. The other player was out!

“OUT!” shouted the umpire. People cheered.

Why were they so excited? Robinson had made a great catch. But something else had happened too. Robinson had made history.


PAUSE AND THINK: Who was the new player on the Brooklyn Dodgers?

Standing Strong

Keystone/Getty Images

Jackie Robinson gets ready to catch a ball.

For many years, baseball was segregated. White players and Black players had to play on different teams.

The man in charge of the Brooklyn Dodgers wanted to change that. He wanted a Black player to join his all-White team. He chose Jackie Robinson.

At first, many fans were irate. They were really mad. They screamed at Robinson. They wrote mean letters to his family. Players from other teams stomped on his feet. Pitchers threw the ball at his head.

But Robinson stood strong. He never yelled at the fans. He never fought back. He kept playing baseball. And the Dodgers kept winning.


PAUSE AND THINK: What did some people do to Jackie Robinson?

The Best New Player

After one season, Robinson was voted the best new player in baseball. He hit 12 home runs and stole 29 bases.

Fans started changing their minds. They saw how incredible Robinson was. And other White teams hired Black players. These players showed that people shouldn’t be kept apart because of their skin color.

Robinson played for the Dodgers for nine years. In 1955, the Dodgers won the World Series. It was a huge accomplishment.

For the rest of his life, Robinson worked for equal rights for Black people. Today we remember him as a great player and a brave hero. And every year on April 15, we celebrate Jackie Robinson Day.


National Baseball Hall of Fame Library/MLB via Getty Images

Jackie Robinson with his teammates

Jackie Up Close

Look at these historical items and documents. What do they show you about Jackie Robinson’s life?

Buttons

David J. & Janice L. Frent/Corbis via Getty Images (Left Button);  Alamy Stock Photo (Right Button)

Some fans came to games to cheer for Robinson. They wore buttons to show they were on Robinson’s side.

World Series Ring

Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images

The Dodgers won the World Series in 1955. This is Jackie’s World Series ring.

Player Card

Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

This is a Jackie Robinson baseball card from 1956. That was his last year playing for the Dodgers.

Dodgers Jersey

Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images    

Jackie Robinson wore the number 42. In 2021, a jersey he once wore sold for $4.2 million!

video (2)
video (2)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (5)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (2)
video (2)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (5) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

Social Studies Focus

American Heroes

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Small group; whole group; independent reading

Pairings and Text Connections

  • In this issue, these texts all go with the heroes theme:

"The Dog That Saved a Town," p. 6

"Brave Jackie /Jackie Up Close," p.18

"Nina and the Winter Whirlwinds," p. 22

"Hero," p. 32

Before-Reading Resources

  • Text Preview Bookmarks

(10 minutes) Kids can cut out the nonfiction bookmark and use it to preview the text.

  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow 

(5 minutes) Help students become familiar with vocabulary words they will see in the article. 

  • Watch the video "The Great Jackie Robinson"

(5 minutes) This will give students background knowledge about Jackie Robinson's life. 

  • Watch the Big Question video "What Is a Hero?"

(5 minutes) Help students think about characteristics of heroes. They can connect the ideas in the video to the themed texts in the magazine. 

Suggested Reading Focus

Compare and contrast (30 minutes)

  • Ask the Think and Read question.
  • Read both articles. Ask kids to compare and contrast them.

After-Reading Skills Practice

(15 minutes for each activity)

  • Quiz: Comprehension check
  • Heroes Chart: Compare and contrast the themed texts in the issue.
  • My Baseball Card: With this fun activity, students can design their own baseball card.

Text-to-Speech