VWHS New Tech class launches project

Van Wert High School news

The iCAP (Integrated Concepts of Algebra and Physical Science) classes at Van Wert High School have recently launched a new project titled “Play Ball.” The project requires learners to analyze authentic players from the 2013 Baseball America Prospect Guide from an algebra and physical science standpoint.  Learners in the end will provide a list of their top six “draft picks”, based on data they collected for the project.

The project was launched with a video on how algebra and physical science can be used to evaluate player skills. Following the video, learners were given entry documents from the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians organizations instructing them on what role their group would take within the organization. Some groups took on the role of GMs (general managers) while others took on the role of scouts. Learners will become familiar with how a major league baseball organization operates from a front office and scouting level, as well as how those parts of the organization collaborate to ensure success.

In the algebra component of the project, learners will focus primarily on polynomials leading into quadratics. The connection to baseball creates an authentic purpose to apply this knowledge to determine the distance of how far a baseball travels during parabolic flight. Using the quadratic equation and knowing the contact angle of the hit, learners will determine distance on the X-axis of a coordinate plane.

The science component addresses all of Newton’s Laws of Motion involved in the process of hitting a baseball.  Data collection in the areas of acceleration, velocity, potential and kinetic energy, work, and power will be taken in the framework of baseball activities.

The learners were connected to three baseball experts in this project to help guide them in their top six-player selection process.  First, Chad Ehrnsberger, assistant baseball coach at Ohio Northern University, was a guest speaker in classes this week. Learners prepared baseball and project specific questions that Coach Ehrnsberger answered for them in a live Q-and-A session. Ehrnsberger, a Kalida High School graduate, has extensive playing and coaching experience. He was a three-year letter winner at Ohio State before finishing his college career at the University of Central Florida. Following his collegiate career, he played nine seasons of minor league baseball and was promoted as high as the AA Southern League in his career.

Also consulting with the learners are two current professional baseball scouts. An amateur scout in the Texas Rangers organization answered learner generated questions via email about what scouts look for when they evaluate players on the college and high school level as potential draft picks.  The amateur scout wanted to remain anonymous but was a college teammate of VWHS science teacher Jeremy Kitson, one of the science facilitators of iCAP. On the professional scouting side, former Major Leaguer and Cincinnati Reds scout Woody Woodward answered learner questions as well. Woodward has over 35 years of extensive experience in major league baseball and has also been a mentor and friend to Kitson.  Woodward is currently serving as a professional scout in the Seattle Mariners organization, a team he served as general manager from 1989-1999, signing or drafting such players as Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez.

One of the key components of New Tech is connecting learners with authentic experts and Play Ball has no shortage of that.  Learners are in their first week of the project that will culminate with a presentation during the week of May 24 at the high school.  The presentation forces learners to collaborate as GM and scout groups to select who they feel would be the best six players from the prospect guide introduced in week 1.  In those picks, learners must use critical thinking, algebra and science concepts, and logical reasoning to justify their final draft list.