Sports & opening doors
James Naismith
1861–1939
Massachusetts connection
Springfield
Naismith invented basketball in Springfield in 1891 while working at the school now called Springfield College. He wanted an indoor game for winter. His first rules helped organize a new way to play. Today the game connects people around the world.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- How can sport reveal questions about teamwork and equal opportunity?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“James Naismith mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: springfield.edu ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?