Math Monday: Basketball

Basketball is a great topic for studying various areas of math.

Counting

- Younger students can practice counting by ones, twos, fives, tens, etc.  Dribble a basketball or bounce it back and forth with a partner, counting each time it bounces.

- Learn how to keep score in basketball.  Watch or play a game and keep track of the score.

Geometry

- Print out a diagram of a basketball court (high school court or NBA court)

• Measure the lengths of the various parts of the court.  Determine the perimeter and/or area of the court itself, half of the court, the free throw lane and for more advanced students, the center circle. (Here is a diagram to identify the different parts of the basketball court.)
• Identify the different types of lines found on a basketball court (parallel, perpendicular, horizontal, vertical) and the parts of a circle (arc, circumference, diameter, semicircle)

- When shooting a basket, take note of the angle of your elbow as you start your shot.  Try starting with your elbow at different angles and see which angle you have the most success with. 

Algebra

- Watch a game or go out and shoot some hoops.  Keep track of how many times you (or a certain player or one team) attempts to make a basket, and how many times you/they succeed and miss.  Now, determine the percentage of shots made.

Word Problems

Word problems can be made with a basketball theme for many levels.  My samples use the student as the subject, but you could easily substitute a favorite team and player.  Here are a few samples:

- Your team scored 15 points in the first quarter.  The other team scored 17 points.  How many points were scored in all?

- Your team scored 87 points in the game.  You scored 18 of the points.  How points did your teammates score?

- During your last basketball game, your team scored 4 3-point shots, 8 foul shots, and 35 baskets inside the 3-point line.  How many points did your team score in all?

- You took a total of 42 foul shots last year.  You scored with 35 of the shots.  What percentage of foul shots did you make?

There are also some online games to practice math facts with a basketball theme.

Math Facts Basketball (Basic math facts)

Hoops (multi-step word problems)

There are also several math related books about basketball.  (Disclaimer: the following are affiliate links.  This simply means I may receive a small commission if you purchase from the site.  This does not cost you anything extra.)

- Basketball: The Math of the Game (Currently available free through kindleunlimited)

- Basketball Math: Slam-Dunk Activities and Projects for Grades 4-8

- Fantasy Basketball Math: Using Stats to Score Big in Your League

- The Math of Basketball 

- Basketball: Math on the Court (Currently only available for free on kindleunlimited)