Breaking Barriers

As part of our 5th-grade studies, we looked into the life of Jackie Robinson. We looked at what he accomplished both on and off the baseball field. Jackie Robinson was a very talented baseball player who broke the color barrier in 1947 when he became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.  We also discussed Jim Abbott and the barriers he broke when he became the first pitcher in the majors to play with only one hand. 

Each of us researched an athlete that either broke a barrier or overcame a challenge in their life to become legends and people to aspire to. We then took our chosen athletes and compared them to the great Jackie Robinson. What did they have in common? What helped them both be successful?  What was different about them?