Basketball: The Math of the Game

by Thomas K. Adamson

Overview

How far is it from the three point line to the basket? What is the difference in diameter between a basketball and the rim? How do you calculate a basketball player’s field goal percentage? With every bounce of the ball and swish of the net, math makes its way to the court!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781429673174
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	07/01/2011
Series:	Sports Math
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	508,327
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	IG910L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Thomas K. Adamson has written dozens of nonfiction books for kids on sports, space, math, and more. He lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with his wife and two sons. He likes reading and playing ball with his boys. He also likes to check scores and stats on his phone.

Table of Contents

Geometry and physics — On the offense — Applying the math — Fan favorites.

Editorial Reviews

Relevance is an important aspect of learning and an interested student will be able to link math skills and sports in these Sports Illustrated Kids books. For example, baseball data is used to figure batting averages, the Pythagorean Theorem is used to figure angles in hockey, basic statistics are calculated using football statistics, and geometry is explored by figuring the area of various parts of the basketball court. Each book is visually appealing and reflects the high energy level of these athletic activities using popular athletes and exciting action shots. The publisher’s portal leads to websites for more information related to the book. A student that is interested in athletics will be able to relate to the math principles that are a part of these various sports. Recommended.

Library Media Connection

Both books present the mathematical concepts involved in the sports of basketball and football, including measurement, angles, probability, area, mean, median, mode, and statistics. Bar graphs, pie charts, and tables help organize the information, making it easier for students in grades 5-9 to understand. . . .I would recommend both books as excellent resources for classroom and school libraries. Boys and girls alike will learn many interesting facts about the sports and how they related to math.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM Teaching Children Mathematics