In this activity, students will depict the characters of the poem, paying close attention to their character traits and identify the character’s actions that show these traits. Students will also identify the challenges these characters face.
Characters included in the character map are:
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
Encourage students to relate the characters' experiences and emotions in Casey at the Bat to their own lives. Ask guiding questions like, "Have you ever felt the pressure to succeed like Casey?" or "Can you think of a time you faced a big challenge?" This builds empathy and deepens comprehension.
Choose a character’s struggle from the poem and share a brief story from your own experience that mirrors their feelings or obstacles. Be genuine and concise so students see how literature connects to real life.
List key emotions shown by Casey or the crowd (like excitement, disappointment, or hope). Invite students to recall a time they felt that same way and describe it with a partner or journal entry. This fosters engagement and personal relevance.
Provide a simple graphic organizer with columns for ‘Character,’ ‘Challenge,’ and ‘My Connection.’ Have students fill it out as they read, helping them visually link character experiences to their own.
Invite volunteers to share their text-to-self connections with the class. Celebrate diverse perspectives and highlight the value of connecting literature to everyday experiences.
A character map for "Casey at the Bat" is a graphic organizer that helps students visually identify and describe the poem’s main characters, their traits, actions, and the challenges they face.
To teach character traits with "Casey at the Bat," have students list each character’s traits, cite specific actions from the poem that show these traits, and discuss the challenges each character encounters.
Quick activities include creating character maps, role-playing scenes, drawing character portraits with captions, and having students match actions to character traits using examples from the poem.
The main characters in "Casey at the Bat" are Casey, Flynn, Jimmy Blake, and the crowd, each playing a role in the story’s dramatic baseball game.
Characters in the poem face high expectations, pressure to perform, and the disappointment of failure. Casey especially deals with the challenge of living up to the crowd’s hopes in a crucial moment.