We Are The Ship

We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Written and Illustrated by: Kadir Nelson

Published by Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children in 2008.

Coretta Scott King Award Winner in 2009.
 
Summary:
This book is about the Negro Baseball League. It begins by talking about the discrimination against Negros and therefore Negroes started Negro only teams. It talks about how Negro baseball was different from regular baseball because in Negro baseball it was more of an anything goes type of play. It talks about how traveling was difficult because there were many places that would not serve Negros food or let them stay at hotels. It talks about how Negro team owners did not make much and it was more a hobby of theirs rather than a career. The Negro League would play the Major League in the off season. After WWII, although the Negro League had lost some players to the war, popularity went up. The Major Leagues wanted some of the really good Negro players, but wouldn't admit it until Jackie Robinson. This was a victory for the Negros, however, it led to the demolish of the Negro Baseball League. The Major Leagues started signing more and more Negroes after Jackie Robinson.

Reading Level:
Lexile Measure: 900L
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.2
Interest Level: Grades 3-5

Electronic Resources:
We Are The Ship
This link leads to the book's official website. It has an about the author, about the book, making of the book, and traveling exhibit sections. This is useful to both students and teachers who are interested in this book.

Kadir Nelson
This link leads to a youtube video about the book. Nelson talks about the first painting he did about the Negro Baseball League, which was his inspiration for writing the book. This is useful for students who are looking to learn more about the book and Nelson's view on his own writing.

Teaching Strategies:
Teachers can use this story to teach students about social studies history and the separation between whites and blacks.

Suggested Delivery:
I would use this book as a read aloud because some of the concepts may be difficult for students to understand especially for students who know nothing about baseball.

Key Vocabulary:
Wit, Genuine, Consistently, Precision, Unsavory, Barnstormed

Reading Strategies:

Before Reading:
Have students fill out the K and W sections of a KWL chart about what they know and want to know about the negro baseball league and segregation.

During Reading:
Have students look at the pictures to help guide and understand the reading.

After Reading:
Have students fill out the L section of the KWL chart about what they learned about the negro baseball league and segregation.

Writing Strategies:
Have each student choose a photograph to research and write about additional information not told in the story.