MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
Language / Idioma
Choose your path

Reading tools & my notebook
My passport
Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

Event 52 of 100 · 1891

Basketball begins in Springfield

Choose a PDF, read on screen, and try the word game.

← All 100 events

Choose your PDF reading

Grade 2 PDF ↗Short sentences, pictures, and read-and-notice questions.Grade 4 PDF ↗More context, text evidence, and explanatory writing.Grade 8 PDF ↗Source analysis, perspective, and evidence-based comparisons.Words first PDF ↗Supported reading for multilingual learners and students who benefit from more spacing and oral rehearsal.

All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.

Read on this page

James Naismith holding a basketball and basket.
James Naismith holding a basketball and basket.

Words to know

invent
create a new tool, process, or idea
rule
an instruction about what is allowed
adapt
change to meet a new situation

James Naismith created basketball in Springfield. He wanted an indoor game for students during cold weather. The first version used peach baskets. The rules and equipment changed as more people played.

Talk about the reading

What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?

Follow-up: The Lizzie Borden case

Lizzie Borden was accused of killing her father and stepmother in Fall River. The case drew great public attention. She was tried and acquitted in 1893. Being accused is not the same as being found guilty.

How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.

Read the follow-up event →

Word match: use the reading

Select a word, then select its meaning. You can use a keyboard or tap. Read the word bank if you need a clue.

Choose a word to begin.

Check the evidence

Research source for this event ↗

Unknown photographer · Public domain Image source and rights ↗

Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.

Try a source investigationVisit a Massachusetts place
Explore the six lessons →Image credits & sources →
Browse all collections