|
Welcome to SportsMath™! Have your students ever asked, “Why do we
have to do math?” Or, “I’ll never use
this – why do I have to learn it?” SportsMath (which includes a binder and accompanying CD) is a curriculum designed to give students
hands-on exploration of mathematics through the statistics of basketball and
to show them how, firsthand, math is used in the "real world."
The data from each game provides a rich opportunity to practice
mathematical thinking, reasoning, and processes through the analysis of box
scores. Additionally, the enticement
of following the progress of a favorite team and/or player provides
motivation for students to be involved with mathematics in an enjoyable,
meaningful way. SportsMath provides for the application
and practice of fractions, decimals, percents, graphing, statistics,
geography, and problem solving. The
curriculum can be used separate from a
text-based curriculum, with a culminating project, or as a supplement to your
math program, with the worksheets providing extra practice in specific areas
as text-based units are taught. The
culminating product is the creation of a poster about their player, for which
students will record, organize, and analyze data and use research
skills. Through this experience, the
students will develop an appreciation for the complexity of the mathematics
used in the game of basketball and the importance of learning mathematical
concepts and processes. For both uses,
technological applications are included.
The binder includes hard copies of the introduction and lesson plans,
condensed snapshots of the 100 pages of student material, and full-sized
copies of the 17 page answer key. The
accompanying CD has two items: a PDF file containing the student materials
and answer key (Adobe Reader Required http://www.adobe.com/main.html) and a
folder containing HTML versions of the
team’s 2002-2003 season box score reports (web
browser required). Using these items, you can
print individual worksheet pages and/or last year’s box score reports as
needed. With permission from the local NBA team,
the materials are written new each year, using data and players from the
just-completed season. This keeps the
curricula fresh and exciting. A selection of sample pages
from this year’s curriculum for one team may be viewed by clicking on the
following link (Adobe Reader
Required). If you are interested in more information about the SportsMath program, please contact Dr. Johnson at the email address below. |
|
Dr. Rita M. Johnson Assistant Professor, College of Education California State
University, Sacramento Email:
rmj@sportsmath.com Phone: (916) 481-4398 Fax: (916) 481-4399 Last Updated: |
