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)

Revitalizing Homeschool Unit Studies

Having been away from this blog, and blogging in general, for quite a while now, I am feeling drawn to come back to it.  Beginning in the next week or so, I will start posting unit studies here again.  To give you something to hold you over, I wanted to share this blog post from Jen Reviews.  She shares 63 basketball drills to help your child improve their basketball skills.  These drills would be a great addition to a physical education course or an overall unit on basketball.  I am planning on using them with my basketball loving son over the next few months.

Now, are there any specific topics you are looking for?  I am happy to consider putting together new unit studies along with the ones I have already prepared, but may have not shared yet.

Book Review: Carschooling

I have had this book for quite a while now and absolutely LOVE it.  Carschooling is a book that I find I am often recommending, not only to homeschoolers, but also to parents whose children are in traditional school settings as well.  I suggest to those who find themselves traveling often as well as those who take trips across town a few times a week.  It is full of fun and unique ideas that cover a wide range of subjects including: language arts, math, social sciences, science, geography, visual and performing arts, foreign languages, physical education and health, and even recess.  There is also a chapter that shares a bunch of ideas that do not fall in the traditional school subjects, such as vocational training and home economics.  For those who are new to the concept of carschooling, there is a chapter to introduce you to the ins and outs of learning on the run as well as chapter to help you get your vehicle and yourself organized so that every trip is a learning opportunity.

We used this book extensively on our cross country trip in the summer of 2009.  The family loved playing several of the games suggested in the book, but especially enjoyed License Plate Equations and Pave the Way With Palindromes.  We also discovered a love for audio books during this road trip and the book has a wonderful list of resources as well as some ideas for turning the stories into additional lessons.  My favorite part of this book is that many of the activities need little to no equipment and can be played time and time again whenever the feeling strikes.  I also like that there is something for everyone in the book, including a section on Road Kill Zoology, complete with the warning that it is not for the squeamish. 

We are preparing for yet another cross country trip in the late spring and I will not be packing this book.  Yes, you read that right.  I will not be packing it, because it's home is in my van, right under the front passenger seat.  We use it ALL the time, every time we are going to be in the van for an extended period of time.  On our shorter trips, we often find ourselves playing the games we already know from the book. 

It is rare for me to HIGHLY recommend any book, as I am a big fan of borrowing from the library to save both money and resources.  However, there are certain books I insist on owning simply due to the amount that I use them and the value I get from it.  Carschooling is one of those books. It is so chock full of ideas and information, that if it did not have a home in my van, it would be shelved with my reference books. Of all the book reviews I have done, I HIGHLY recommend this book to EVERY parent, homeschooler or not, whether they travel or not.


***Disclaimer***
I did receive a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for this review. However, this review is my own personal opinion and is unaffected by others. I had originally borrowed this book from the library and loved it so much I was preparing to buy it when this opportunity was presented to me.

Jackie Robinson and part of Penguin unit postponed

Due to life circumstances, I am postponing the Jackie Robinson unit and the remainder of the Penguin unit.  We have still been working on school for those weeks, but not on specific units.  My husband is a full time student and we spent much of last week preparing for the new semester and this week, we are trying to adjust to a new schedule.  It appears this is what our life will be like over the next few years.  As each new semester starts, we will need to adjust to his new schedule.  Not a big deal, but it definitely affects my ability to plan lessons.  I will be back with the next unit, Chinese New Year, either later this week or early next week.  I may also switch back to posting a few subjects each day, rather than posting the entire unit in one day.  If you have a strong preference for having the entire unit posted at once, let me know and I can e-mail it to you separately.

Penguins (Partial Unit)

Reading

- For younger readers, read If You Were a Penguin by Wendell and Florence Minor.  Older readers can read Penguins Strange and Wonderful by Laurence Pringle.  Write down 10 facts that you learned.

Writing

- Write a story about penguins that uses at least 5 facts that you have learned.  You can use the picture found here: http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pdf.htm?penguin.pdf for your book cover.  Lay the cover page over several blank pages and then cut along the outline of the penguin to make a penguin shaped booked.  When the book is complete, you can either staple the pages together or bind them some other way.

Math

- Use a website or books to find out the average height of several different types of penguins and make a bar graph showing what you learned.  Some types of penguins include: Emperor, Fairy, King, Adelie, and Rockhopper.
- Practice percentages by playing this game: http://www.funbrain.com/penguin/index.html
- Practice number places with this game: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/maths/placethepenguin.shtml

Science

- Watch March of the Penguins to learn more about the life of an Emperor Penguin.

Service

- Put together a fundraiser in order to foster a Yellow Eyed Penguin chick for 1 year.  It costs $20 for 1 year of fostering.  You can learn more here: http://www.penguins.org.nz/content/foster-yep-chick  Ideas for a service project include shoveling driveways/sidewalks for neighbors, helping with chores around the house, or making and selling penguin themed crafts.

Health

- Penguins have blubber to help keep their bodies warm.  To experience how blubber works, get a cup of ice water.  Place your finger in the water to see just how cold it is.  Then coat your finger in a thick layer of shortening and place it in the water again.  Humans do not have blubber to protect their bodies from the extreme cold.  Hypothermia and frostbite are 2 issues that people face when exposed to extreme cold.  Learn about the symptoms of either one of these medical issues and create a poster telling others how to avoid getting them.  Also be sure to learn how to treat the issue you choose.

Social Studies

- Penguins live in a variety of climates and locations.  Based on your earlier research (reading, writing, math), make a list of all the places where penguins live.  Then use a world map to locate each of these locations. 

Benjamin Franklin

Reading

- Read Benjamin Franklin, American Genius: His Life and Ideas. Choose at 3 of the activities listed in the book and do them.

Writing

- Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor. Many of his inventions are still used to today and many others have been improved on to become products we use today. Choose one of Benjamin Franklin's inventions and write a short report on it. Try to answer when he invented it, why and how he invented it, if he worked with any other people on the invention, where he invented it, if we still use it, or any form of it, today, and any other interesting facts that you find. Some of his inventions include: bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, the lightning rod, and the glass armonica.

Math

- "A penny saved is a penny earned", is a saying from Benjamin Franklin. It means that if you do not spend a penny, it is the same as earning it. If you invest (see vocabulary words) that penny, you can earn more money on it as long as you leave it in the bank long enough. The money you earn on your investment is called interest (another vocabulary word). Interest is money that the bank gives you for letting them hold onto your money (they are actually borrowing it from you, but you will learn about that much later in your education). Take a "field trip" to a bank and speak with a bank representative about interest and how it works. If you do not already have one (and you have your parent's permission), see about opening your own savings account.

Science

- For a fun activity about electricity and circuits, have an adult help you with the lesson plan listed here: http://askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Physics/PHS0005.html

Service

- Benjamin Franklin founded the first public library. Contact your local library and find out if there is any service project you can do for them. Some ideas: help prepare craft materials for an upcoming program; wipe down book covers; help clean up toys in the children's room, or help out with a program for younger children.

Vocabulary/Spelling

• invest- to put money into something in an attempt to earn even more money
  
• interest- money paid in exchange for borrowing money
  
• taut- tight
  
• alternate- switch back and forth
  
• apprentice- a person who works for another person in order to learn their trade
  
• brayer- a small roller used for inking
  
• bifocals- eyeglasses that have 2 types of lenses, one to see close and one to see far, in one lens
  
• armonica- a musical instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin that uses a series of spinning glass bowls that the player runs moistened fingers over; also called a glass harmonica
  
• Philadelphia- a city in Southeast Pennsylvania
  
• colonial- refers to the early years of the US, when the colonies still belonged to England
  

Health

- Another famous saying from Benjamin Franklin is, "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away." This tells us that a healthy diet will help us to avoid bigger medical problems. It is recommended that we eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Keep a journal of all the foods you eat for one day. Are you eating the recommended amount? Look through a cookbook or look online for a recipe that is fruit or vegetable based and make it for your family.

Social Studies

- Ben Franklin spent a lot of time in Philadelphia and there are a ton of sites there that one can visit to learn more about Ben Franklin and his life. For those who cannot visit Philadelphia, I have listed an alternative activity that involves Netflix and another one that does not.
- Watch episode 10 of Liberty's Kids (currently available for instant streaming on Netflix) to learn about Benjamin Franklin's involvement in the Post Office. Many, if not all, of the episodes at least mention Ben Franklin and help teach about life before and during the Revolutionary War. I highly recommend watching the entire series at least once.
- Play the True and False game on this website: http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/social_studies_games/ben-franklin/franklin_true_false.html This will be easier if do the reading assignment first. There are a few other games as well that will help you learn more about Ben Franklin.

Language Arts

- Ben Franklin was the publisher of the "Pennsylvania Gazette", one of the most successful newspaper of the colonies. Visit this website: http://www.libertyskids.com/lnn.html and create your own family or classroom newspaper.

Religion

- Another saying of Ben Franklin's is, "God helps them that helps themselves." What does this statement mean to you? Do you agree or disagree with it?

Gym

- A game similar to jacks was commonly played in colonial times. This game was called jackstones and was played with small stones or small fruit seeds, like apples or pumpkin. On the first turn, the player tosses a small stone into the air and scatters the seeds on the ground in front of him, catching the stone before it lands. The next player then tosses the stone in the air and picks up as many seeds as possible and catches the stone before it lands with the same hand. Play continues until all the seeds are picked up. The one with the most seeds wins. Play a few rounds of jackstones with a friend or family member, or practice by yourself.
- Hopscotch was another common game played during the colonial era. Draw, or find, a hopscotch board and play for a bit. If you live in a colder climate, see if it is possible to draw or paint a board on a large piece of cardboard or ply wood or even the basement floor (GET AN ADULT"S PERMISSION FIRST!!!)

Domestic Arts

- Make a whirligig, a toy common in the colonial days. Find a large, circular button and then string 2 1/2 feet of string through the holes of the button and tie the ends together. Then hold each end of the strings and twirl the button until the string is taut (tight) and then pull apart, letting the button spin. Alternate (switch back and forth) between pulling and relaxing to keep the button spinning.

Art

- Benjamin Franklin spent many years working as a printer. Practice the art of printmaking by making your own prints. To do this like Franklin did, you will need to get a brayer (a small roller), but if you do not have one, there are other ways to do this project. Find, or make, some alphabet stamps. Arrange them to spell a short word, like your name. Then using a brayer, apply ink to the stamps and place the paper on top of the wet stamps. Gently apply pressure to the paper by placing a block on top the paper. Carefully remove the paper by lifting it straight up off the stamps and allow it to dry. If you do not have a brayer, you can apply the stamps directly to the ink and apply them to the paper one at a time.

Music

- Learn about the armonica, a musical instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin, by watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D9BBMDWoNM

Spanish

• lightning- el relámpago
• glasses- las gafas
• newspaper- el periódico
  

Free Chinese New Year Study Kit

As I posted a few days ago, I will be posting a unit in a few weeks on Chinese New Year. Today, I came across (thanks Money Saving Mom!) a free Chinese New Year Study Kit from Panda Express. It includes:

• Panda Express’ Year of the Rabbit DVD
• Year of the Rabbit Fact Sheet
• Jade Emperor’s Interactive Game & Activity Sheet
• Chinese New Year Decoration Art Activity
• Lai See Activity Sheet
• Bookmarks (with a Free Kids Meal with purchase coupon attached)

I am still planning to post my study unit, but I am letting you know about this as I may, or may not, use activities in it for the unit. According to the website, this must be ordered by midnight (CST), January 8th.