The New York Yankees have changed a rule about beards. For almost 50 years, players couldn’t have beards because of a rule made by an old team owner, George Steinbrenner. Now, the new owner, Hal Steinbrenner, says the rule is old and not fair. He wants to make the team better for younger players who like having beards.

Hal Steinbrenner has been thinking about changing this rule for a long time. He talked to important players like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton about it. Letting players have beards might help the team get more good players. Some players didn’t want to join the Yankees before because they couldn’t have beards.

The old rule was about keeping the team looking neat and disciplined. But now, baseball and what players like have changed. The Yankees want to change with the times and be more welcoming. This change is a big deal for the team, which is famous in baseball history.

Original news source: New York Yankees drop ban on beards, 49 years after it was imposed by owner George Steinbrenner (AP News)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. One student from a team picks a phrase related to the article (like “New York Yankees,” “beard,” or “rule change”) and acts it out without speaking. The other team has to guess the phrase within a set time limit.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Students will walk around the classroom and ask each other if they think beards should be allowed in sports. They can write down the responses on a chart. Afterward, discuss the results as a class and share opinions.

– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Provide students with the main points from the article. In groups, they will create a catchy headline for the article. Each group will present their headline to the class, and the class can vote on the best one.

– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Choose key vocabulary words from the article such as “beard,” “rule,” “owner,” and “team.” One student will draw a word on the board without writing it down, and the rest of the class will guess the word.

– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as “Why do you think rules in sports change?” Students will think about their answers individually, then discuss their thoughts with a partner before sharing with the entire class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the old owner of the New York Yankees that made the rule about beards?
2. Why did Hal Steinbrenner want to change the rule about beards?
3. Which two important players did Hal Steinbrenner talk to about the beard rule?
4. How long did the rule about beards last before it was changed?
5. What did some players think about joining the Yankees because of the beard rule?
6. What was the old rule about beards trying to keep the team looking like?
7. Why is the change in the beard rule important for the Yankees?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The New York Yankees have changed a rule about (1)______. For almost 50 years, players couldn’t have beards because of a rule made by an old team owner, (2)______ (3)______. Now, the new owner, Hal Steinbrenner, says the rule is old and not (4)______. He wants to make the team better for younger (5)______ who like having beards.

Hal Steinbrenner has been thinking about (6)______ this rule for a long time. He talked to important players like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton about it. (7)______ players (8)______ beards might help the team get more good players. Some players didn’t want to join the Yankees before because they couldn’t have beards.

The old rule was about (9)______ the team looking neat and disciplined. But now, baseball and what players like have changed. The (10)______ want to change with the times and be more welcoming. This change is a big deal for the (11)______, which is (12)______ in baseball history.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a beard?
2. Do you like beards? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if your school had a rule about beards?
4. Do you think it’s important for teams to change old rules? Why?
5. What is your favorite sport?
6. How do you think players feel about having rules about their appearance?
7. Do you think players should be allowed to express themselves with their looks? Why?
8. What is a rule you think should be changed in your school?
9. How would you feel if you couldn’t wear your favorite clothes to school?
10. Do you like when teams try to be more welcoming? Why?
11. What is a team you really like?
12. How would you feel if you were a player and could finally grow a beard?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. rule
2. owner
3. fair
4. players
5. join
6. neat
7. disciplined
8. welcoming
9. famous
10. history
11. change
12. important

Meanings:
(A) Treating everyone the same way
(B) Things that happened in the past
(C) Known by many people
(D) Friendly and inviting
(E) A person who has something, like a business or a team
(F) A guideline or instruction that tells you what you can or cannot do
(G) Following rules and behaving well
(H) People who play a sport or game
(I) Having a lot of value or meaning
(J) Clean and tidy
(K) To become a part of a group or team
(L) To make something different
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who changed the rule about beards for the New York Yankees?
(a) George Steinbrenner
(b) Aaron Judge
(c) Hal Steinbrenner
(d) Giancarlo Stanton

2. How long could players not have beards on the Yankees?
(a) Almost 50 years
(b) 10 years
(c) 20 years
(d) 30 years

3. Why did the old owner make the no-beard rule?
(a) To keep the team looking neat
(b) To make players wear hats
(c) To sell more merchandise
(d) To change the team colors

4. Who did Hal Steinbrenner talk to about the beard rule?
(a) Fans of the team
(b) Important players
(c) Coaches from other teams
(d) The media

5. What might letting players have beards help the Yankees do?
(a) Win more games
(b) Sell more tickets
(c) Get more good players
(d) Change their logo

6. What does Hal Steinbrenner want to do for younger players?
(a) Change the team name
(b) Make them wear uniforms
(c) Move the team to another city
(d) Make the team better for them

7. What is the Yankees’ goal with this change?
(a) To win the championship
(b) To be more welcoming
(c) To have more fans
(d) To change their stadium

8. Why is this change in the beard rule important?
(a) It helps players play better
(b) It makes the team look cooler
(c) It changes the team colors
(d) It is a big deal in baseball history

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The New York Yankees have not changed a rule about beards.
2. For many years, players could have beards on the team.
3. The Yankees want to change with the times and be more welcoming to players.
4. Hal Steinbrenner wants to attract younger players to the team.
5. The new owner, Hal Steinbrenner, thinks the old rule is unfair.
6. The old rule was meant to keep the team looking neat and disciplined.
7. All players did want to join the Yankees because of the beard rule.
8. The old rule was not made by a team owner named George Steinbrenner.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
Check your answers with our free English writing assistant!

1. Who made the old rule about beards for the New York Yankees?
2. Why did Hal Steinbrenner want to change the beard rule?
3. How long did the old beard rule last?
4. Which two players did Hal Steinbrenner talk to about the beard rule?
5. Why did some players not want to join the Yankees before the rule changed?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who was the old owner of the New York Yankees that made the rule about beards?
George Steinbrenner was the old owner who made the rule about beards.

2. Why did Hal Steinbrenner want to change the rule about beards?
Hal Steinbrenner wanted to change the rule because he thought it was old and not fair.

3. Which two important players did Hal Steinbrenner talk to about the beard rule?
Hal Steinbrenner talked to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton about the beard rule.

4. How long did the rule about beards last before it was changed?
The rule about beards lasted for almost 50 years before it was changed.

5. What did some players think about joining the Yankees because of the beard rule?
Some players did not want to join the Yankees because they could not have beards.

6. What was the old rule about beards trying to keep the team looking like?
The old rule was trying to keep the team looking neat and disciplined.

7. Why is the change in the beard rule important for the Yankees?
The change is important because it helps the Yankees be more welcoming and get better players.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) beards
(2) George
(3) Steinbrenner
(4) fair
(5) players
(6) changing
(7) Letting
(8) have
(9) keeping
(10) Yankees
(11) team
(12) famous
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. rule
Answer: (F) A guideline or instruction that tells you what you can or cannot do

2. owner
Answer: (E) A person who has something, like a business or a team

3. fair
Answer: (A) Treating everyone the same way

4. players
Answer: (H) People who play a sport or game

5. join
Answer: (K) To become a part of a group or team

6. neat
Answer: (J) Clean and tidy

7. disciplined
Answer: (G) Following rules and behaving well

8. welcoming
Answer: (D) Friendly and inviting

9. famous
Answer: (C) Known by many people

10. history
Answer: (B) Things that happened in the past

11. change
Answer: (L) To make something different

12. important
Answer: (I) Having a lot of value or meaning
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who changed the rule about beards for the New York Yankees?
Answer: (c) Hal Steinbrenner

2. How long could players not have beards on the Yankees?
Answer: (a) Almost 50 years

3. Why did the old owner make the no-beard rule?
Answer: (a) To keep the team looking neat

4. Who did Hal Steinbrenner talk to about the beard rule?
Answer: (b) Important players

5. What might letting players have beards help the Yankees do?
Answer: (c) Get more good players

6. What does Hal Steinbrenner want to do for younger players?
Answer: (d) Make the team better for them

7. What is the Yankees’ goal with this change?
Answer: (b) To be more welcoming

8. Why is this change in the beard rule important?
Answer: (d) It is a big deal in baseball history
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The New York Yankees have not changed a rule about beards. (Answer: False)
2. For many years, players could have beards on the team. (Answer: False)
3. The Yankees want to change with the times and be more welcoming to players. (Answer: True)
4. Hal Steinbrenner wants to attract younger players to the team. (Answer: True)
5. The new owner, Hal Steinbrenner, thinks the old rule is unfair. (Answer: True)
6. The old rule was meant to keep the team looking neat and disciplined. (Answer: True)
7. All players did want to join the Yankees because of the beard rule. (Answer: False)
8. The old rule was not made by a team owner named George Steinbrenner. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧