Sports and Geometry

Subjects

Grades

• 6-8
• 9-12

Brief Description

Understand why geometry is important by seeing the connections between sports and geometry.

Keywords

angles, arch, measurement, shape, speed, size, weight

Objectives

Students will recognize

• the various shapes in sports (their fields, their equipment, their rules).
• angles, arches, measurement, and shapes in sports.
• the concepts of size, speed, and weight as they apply to sports.

Materials Needed

Help students become familiar with the layouts of a

• basketball court
• tennis court
• baseball field
• pool table
• soccer field

  You can find some helpful sources of this information on these Web sites:

• Athletic Field Dimensions
• Sports Court and Field Dimensions
• Sport and Activity Dimension Index

Note: A standard tournament-play pool table is 4.5 x 9 feet.

The Lesson

Arrange students into groups of 3 or 4 students. Ask each group to choose a sporting event from the list of field layouts you've made available.

Challenge students to use the field layouts to identify geometry concepts in those sports/activities. They should identify the various shapes in their sport field and the tools/equipment of the sport too.

They will create a miniature version of the field layout and plan a presentation that shares with the other groups how geometry plays a role in the sport.

Assessment

You might use a presentation rubric (example 1 or 2) to grade student presentations. Perhaps students will use the rubric to grade their peers and/or themselves.

Extension activity: Discuss the importance of why standards are set for sports playing areas. Or, lead a discussion of other ways -- outside of sports -- in which geometry applies to everyday life.

Submitted By
Debbie Miskiel, Workman High School in La Puente, California

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Updated 08/29/2011