TEACHER WORKSHEET

CYCLE 4 • MATHEMATICS

DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS

IN BASKETBALL
OVERVIEW

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: SCHEDULE FOR SESSIONS:

• Solve problems about proportions. • Read texts aloud as a class.
• Perform calculations for length, time, and • Solve problems.
speed. • Share with class and review.
• Work with compound units.
• Be familiar with and compare performance. DURATION:
• 1 session (1 × 1 hour).
SPECIFIC SKILLS:
• Extract useful information from a document, ORGANIZATION:
reformulate it, organize it, and compare it with • Work alone or in pairs, then share as a class.
one’s own prior knowledge.
• Check whether information is correct; read,
interpret, and comment on tables.
• Solve problems involving various properties.
• Break a problem down into smaller problems.

INTERDISCIPLINARY SKILLS:
• PE:
Understand performance in the context of
human performance.
• Mathematics/numbers and calculations:
Calculate with integers and decimals. i OLYMPIC GAMES KEYWORDS:
 ASKETBALL • TEAM SPORT • RULES •
B
SURPASSING ONESELF • RECORD

CONCEPTS ADDRESSED

A BRIEF OLYMPIC HISTORY OF BASKETBALL

Basketball was invented in 1891 by a Canadian physical education teacher who was looking for an
indoor sport to keep students fit during the winter. Most of the 13 rules he came up with are still used
today.
Basketball debuted at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States, as a
demonstration event, since only American teams competed.
Men’s basketball became an official sport at the 1936 Games in Berlin, Germany, followed by women’s
basketball at the 1976 Games in Montreal, Canada.
 RULES OF THE GAME
A basketball court is 28 meters long and 15 meters wide; the baskets are
3.05 meters above the ground.
A game is played in four 10-minute quarters between two five-player
teams. The object of the game is to score more points than the opposing
team in 40 minutes. FUN
A successful shot is worth two points inside the three-point line (6.25 FACT!
meters or 6.75 meters depending on the level) and three points outside Basketball was originally
the three-point line. A free throw (also known as a foul shot because it is
played using a peach
taken after a foul) is worth 1 point.
basket... but without a
The player with the ball must dribble it and can only take up to two steps
without bouncing the ball off the ground. hole in the bottom! The
No player whose team is in possession of the ball may stop for more ball had to be retrieved
than three seconds in the key. The key is the area between the free- after each point. In 1906,
throw line and the basket. peach baskets were finally
When a team takes control of the ball on the court, that team must replaced by metal hoops
take a shot within 24 seconds. The ball must hit the hoop to restart the and backboards, such as
24-second shot clock.
those used today.
MATH CONCEPTS
This worksheet will enable students to:
–R
 ead raw data, tables, and graphs.
–C
 alculate and interpret central tendency and dispersion in a
statistical series. Measures: mean, median, range.
FUN
–P
 erform calculations involving measurable quantities, using
the same units. FACT!
In the late 1950s, one
American player had
the idea to make the
basketball orange so that
it could be more easily
seen by players and
spectators.

TEACHER WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 2

 STUDENT WORKSHEET OVERVIEW

VOCABULARY:
Small forward, block, free throw, dribble basket, pass, pivot.

ACTIVITIES:
u ACTIVITY 1: BASKETBALL COURT DIMENSIONS
Calculate area, work with simple shapes and combined shapes, round numbers up or down.
12–13 yr 13–14 yr 14–15 yr
Materials: Court diagram with text-based questions.
b FIND OUT MORE:
The three-point shot.

u ACTIVITY 2: GAME STATISTICS

Read documents, percentages.
12–13 yr 13–14 yr 14–15 yr
Materials: Text-based questions and table.
b FIND OUT MORE:
Statistics and sports.

u ACTIVITY 3: THE FRENCH BASKETBALL TEAM

Statistics: mean, median, range.
12–13 yr 13–14 yr 14–15 yr
Materials: Text-based questions.
b FIND OUT MORE:
The time out.

STUDENT WORKSHEET ANSWER KEY

u ACTIVITY 1: BASKETBALL COURT DIMENSIONS

Calculate area, work with simple shapes and combined shapes, round numbers up or down.
12–13 yr 13–14 yr 14–15 yr

1) T
 here are 2 axes of symmetry: the midcourt line and the perpendicular bisector.
Yes, the center of symmetry is the center of the center circle.
2) 5.8 × 4.9 = 28.42 m². 1 m² = 100 dm² = 10,000 cm², so 28.42 m² = 284,200 cm².
3) 3
 .6 ÷ 2 = 1.8, so the center circle’s radius is 1.8 m.
Next, π × 1.8² = 3.24π (exact value) ≈ 10.18 m² (rounded to dm²)
4) T
 o calculate the area of the semicircle: π × 6.75² = 45.5625π m².
The two segments form a rectangle that is 1.58 meters wide and equal in length to the
semicircle’s diameter, i.e. 6.75 × 2 = 13.5 m.
The area of the rectangle is therefore 13.5 × 1.58 = 21.33 m².
The total area is 45.5625π + 21.33 ≈ 164 m².

TEACHER WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 3

 u ACTIVITY 2: GAME STATISTICS
Read documents, percentages
12–13 yr 13–14 yr 14–15 yr

1) ( 2 × 5) + (3 × 5) + 5 = 10 + 15 + 5 = 30. Kevin Durant scored 30 points.

(3 × 2) + 7 = 6 + 7 = 13. DeMarcus Cousins scored 13 points.
2) The two players scored a total 43 points. 43/96 × 100 ≈ 45%.
3) 5/6 × 100 ≈ 83% and 7/9 × 100 ≈ 78%. Kevin Durant has a better rate of success.
4) K
 evin Durant missed three 2-point shots and six 3-point shots (for a total of 9) as well as a free
throw. 30 + 3 + 4 + 2 + 1 – 9 – 1 – 2 = 28. His efficiency rating is 28.

u ACTIVITY 3: THE FRENCH BASKETBALL TEAM

Statistics: mean, median, range.
12–13 yr 13–14 yr 14–15 yr

1) F
 or clarification, “at most two meters” includes players who are two meters tall. There are five
players on the French team under two meters.
2) There are 12 players on the team. 5/12 × 100 ≈ 42%.
3) (2.15 + 2.10 + 1.88 + …)/12 ≈ 2.00 m.
4) 110 – 81 = 29 kg.
5) T
 here are 12 players on the team, so the median is the average age of the 6th and 7th players,
when put in ascending order. That corresponds to the following: 28 and 29 years old, with an
average age of 28.5 years. The median age is therefore 28 and a half years.
This means that half of the players are over 28 and a half years old, while the other half are
under 28 and a half.

FIND OUT MORE

EDUCATIONAL FILES DIGITAL RESOURCES

English: A passion for sports Éduscol:
English: The art of being a (s)wordsmith https://cache.media.eduscol.education.fr/file/
Grandeurs_et_mesures/52/7/RA16_MATH_C4_
Math: Performance in swimming
doc_maitre_grand_mesu_610527.pdf
Geography: Tokyo: A global metropolis and host https://cache.media.eduscol.education.fr/file/
city of the 1964 and 2020 Olympic Games Traitement_des_donnees/03/6/RA16_C4_MATH_
French: Competing in the Olympics despite all doc_maitre_564036.pdf
opposition: ski jumping
Moral and civic education: The Olympic flame, Les Clefs de l’École:
torchbearers, and values http://www.lesclefsdelecole.com/College/4eme/
Mathematiques/Aires-Perimetres-definition-et-
Information and media literacy: The 1936 Olympic unites-en-4eme
Games in Berlin: propaganda and journalism http://www.lesclefsdelecole.com/College/4eme/
Interdisciplinary practical education: Sports and Mathematiques/Aires-Perimetres-de-figures-
the fight against doping usuelles-en-4eme
Interdisciplinary practical education: Developing http://www.lesclefsdelecole.com/College/4eme/
a symbolic view of the Olympic Games Mathematiques/Les-statistiques-en-4eme

EXHIBITIONS FOR STUDENTS ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS

The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland End of unit: “It’s your turn! Dimensions and
statistics in basketball” (and answer key).

TEACHER WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 4

 STUDENT WORKSHEET
CYCLE 4 • MATHEMATICS

DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS

IN BASKETBALL
Aa VOCABULARY

SMALL FORWARD: The player whose position is at the front of a team’s offensive line.
BLOCK: A tactic when a player deflects an attempt from an offensive player.
FREE THROW: An unopposed attempt awarded to the shooter after a foul by the
opposing team.
DRIBBLE: To continuously bounce the ball with small hand strokes (for basketball) past
opponents.
FIELD GOAL: A successful shot.
PASS: The act of passing the ball to a teammate.
PIVOT: The player located closest to the baseline or basket; also known as a center.

ACTIVITIES

uACTIVITY 1: BASKETBALL COURT DIMENSIONS TIPS &

Here are the standard dimensions of a basketball court.
TRICKS
While watching a
basketball game on TV,
you might have already
seen a coach give players
pointers using a dry-erase
Center circle
board for clarity. You too
can use scrap paper to
organize your ideas. That
4.9 m should help you see more
Basket clearly and turn in a clean
5.8 m (hoop) assignment.

Key (paint)

Three-point line
 1) H
 ow many axes of symmetry are there on a basketball court? Is there a center of symmetry?

2) T
 he key is an area where an offensive player cannot stay more than three seconds at a time.
Since 2010, the key has been shaped like a rectangle that is 5.8 meters long and 4.9 meters wide.
What is its area? Write your answer in square centimeters (cm²).

3) T
 he center circle is used to put the ball in play through a jump ball. The circle has a diameter
of 3.6 meters. What is its area? Give the exact value, then round off to the nearest square
decimeter (dm²).

4) T
 he three-point line is used to determine whether a shot is worth 2 or 3 points. Think of it as a
semi-circle with a radius of 6.75 meters, extended on each side by two segments 1.58 meters long.
What would be the area of the zone marked off by the three-point line? Round your answer to the
nearest square meter (m²).

b FIND OUT MORE

The distance from the three-point line to the basket used to be 6.25 meters, but was increased to
6.75 meters in 2010 to make three-point shots harder.
But since the court is only 15 meters wide, that doesn’t leave much space on the sides (i.e. players
only have 75 centimeters to move and shoot). That’s why the three-point line’s arc actually stops
about three meters from the baseline and leaves 90 centimeters of space on each side. And since
players continue to score three-point shots, some observers think the line should be moved further
back!
Like in other sports, the rules of basketball are constantly changing to keep the game well rounded.

STUDENT WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 2

uA CTIVITY 2: GAME STATISTICS
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the United States defeated Serbia 96 to 66, thanks
in part to small forward Kevin Durant and center DeMarcus Cousins, whose statistics in the final were
as follows:

Field Field Free

Points
goals goals throws Rebounds Assists Fouls Turnovers Blocks Steals
scored
(2 pts) (3 pts) (1 pt)

Kevin
5/8 5/11 5/6 3 4 2 2 1 2
Durant

DeMarcus
3/5 - 7/9 15 2 3 0 0 1
Cousins

Note: “5/8” in the “Field goals (2 pts)” column means that the player attempted eight two-point shots
and scored five.

1) H
 ow many points did Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins score?

2) The U.S. team scored 96 points. What percentage of those points was scored by Kevin Durant and
DeMarcus Cousins? Round to the nearest whole number.

3) Calculate the success rate of both players in free throws as a percentage, rounding to the nearest
whole number. Which of player had the better success rate?

4) In basketball, an efficiency rating is used to determine a player’s contributions during a game.
The following formula is used to calculate efficiency:
Efficiency = Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks – Missed Field Goals – Missed Free
Throws – Turnovers
Calculate Kevin Durant’s efficiency rating during the game.

STUDENT WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 3

b FIND OUT MORE:
A number of statistics can be calculated after a basketball game. In the United States, besides
efficiency, the offensive production rating is calculated by dividing the number of points scored by the
number of possessions, as well as the true shooting percentage, with the formula “points scored /
(field goal attempts + 0.44 × free throw attempts)”.
Those statistics help to identify a team’s playing style. There are also a number of different records,
such as “most defensive rebounds in a game” and “most missed free throw attempts in a game”.

uACTIVITY 3: THE FRENCH BASKETBALL TEAM AT THE RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES
There are 12 players on a team, but only five players from each team are on the court at a given time.
Here’s the list of players for the French basketball team at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, in 2016.

NAME AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT

Rudy Gobert 24 2.15 m 108 kg

Kim
28 2.10 m 93 kg
Tillie

Tony Parker 34 1.88 m 81 kg

Joffrey
25 2.08 m 109 kg
Lauvergne

Florent
36 2.02 m 107 kg
Piétrus

STUDENT WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 4

 Nando
29 1.95 m 85 kg
de Colo

Antoine
28 1.92 m 87 kg
Diot

Thomas
27 1.89 m 81 kg
Heurtel

Nicolas
28 2.03 m 91 kg
Batum

Boris
34 2.03 m 110 kg
Diaw

Mickaël
33 2.01 m 98 kg
Gelabale

Charles
30 1.96 m 100 kg
Kahudi

STUDENT WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 5

 1) How many players on the team are at most two meters tall?

2) What percentage does that represent? Round to the nearest whole number.

3) What is the average height? Round to the nearest centimeter.

4) Calculate the team’s weight range.

5) What is the median age? Explain your answer.

b FIND OUT MORE:

A timeout is a temporary pause in the game that ranges from 30 seconds to a few minutes.
Halts in play and timeouts are an opportunity for each team to replace one or more players.
The coach can only call two timeouts in the first half of the game, and three in the second half.

REVIEW

• The formula for the area of a circle is π × r². The answer is never a whole number, so it should be
rounded up or down. Don’t confuse that formula with the perimeter of a circle (2 × π × r), and make
sure that you’re working with the circle’s radius and not the diameter before using the formula.
•T he answer can be divided by 2 to find the area of a semi-circle, or added or subtracted to find the
area of more complex shapes.
•S ome documents contain a lot of information, and not all of it is useful. To solve a math problem
involving those kinds of documents, try to read the question while highlighting any relevant
information. Problems with a lot of information often involve fairly simple mathematical concepts.
•T he median is used to divide a series into two groups that are the same size. Specifically, at least
half of the values in a series are less than or equal to its median, and at least half of the values are
greater than or equal to the median. Don’t confuse median and mean, since they don’t mean the
same thing in a statistical series.

STUDENT WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 6

 NOW, TAKE ACTION!

• Watch a game and take notes. Choose a team and write the players’ numbers on a sheet of paper,
then decide which actions to watch for during the game (number of passes, field goals, missed shots,
changes, etc.) and write them in columns. Then make a note in the right box every time a player does
one of those things. That’s how you get the game stats for a team.
• Apply what you’ve learned to other sports. Use the formulas you’ve learned to calculate surface
areas in football, handball, volleyball, etc. For example, you can calculate the area of the center circle
or penalty area in football.
• Try to improve your own stats. Run laps (or a set distance) and make a note of the time it takes you
to do each lap. Do that over several days and see if you improve, and if you’re better at the beginning,
middle, or end of the session. Apply that statistical data to the other sports you play, to try to improve
your performance.

STUDENT WORKSHEET I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 7

 CYCLE PROGRESS WORKSHEET
CYCLE 4 • MATHEMATICS

DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS

IN BASKETBALL
The concept of central tendency in a statistical series is introduced at the start of the cycle. Students
study the concept of dispersion around age 13.
Work on measurable quantities and units of measurement, introduced in Cycle 3, is developed
throughout Cycle 4, drawing on other disciplines and from everyday life.

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT:

– Activity 1 (area) by calculating other areas using addition and subtraction.

– Activity 2 (statistics) by having students calculate and interpret other player or team statistics. The
purpose of those statistics (are they all relevant?) could also serve as a topic for discussion.

– Activity 3 (statistics) by expanding work on a given series in a table or bar chart, using cumulative
frequency to determine the median.
 IT’S YOUR TURN!
CYCLE 4 • MATHEMATICS

DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS

IN BASKETBALL
PUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST

1 WHAT IS THE AREA IN WHICH AN OFFENSIVE PLAYER CANNOT STAY FOR MORE THAN THREE
SECONDS?

 The bar  The key  The handle

2 WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN A BASKETBALL PLAYER’S
EFFICIENCY RATING?

 Points  Blocks  Speed

 Three-pointers  Assists

3 HOW TALL WAS THE TALLEST PLAYER ON THE FRENCH TEAM AT THE RIO OLYMPIC GAMES?

 2.15 m  2.20 m  2.25 m

4 WHAT IS THE FORMULA FOR THE AREA OF A CIRCLE?

 π × r²  π × r  π² × r

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE FURTHER

1 HOW LONG IS AN OLYMPIC BASKETBALL GAME?

 40 minutes  45 minutes  60 minutes

2 HOW MUCH TIME DOES A TEAM HAVE TO TAKE A SHOT AFTER TAKING POSSESSION OF THE
BALL?

 20 seconds  24 seconds  28 seconds

3 THE KEY’S SHAPE HAS ONLY BEEN RECTANGULAR SINCE 2010. YOU CAN STILL FIND COURTS
WITH THE OLD KEY. WHAT WAS THE KEY’S SHAPE BEFORE 2010?

 Square  Arc  Trapezoid

 4 HOW MANY MEDALS HAS FRANCE WON IN BASKETBALL IN THE HISTORY OF
THE OLYMPIC GAMES?

 1  2  3

5 WHY ARE BASKETBALLS ORANGE?

KICK OFF THE DISCUSSION... GIVE YOUR OPINION!

Amateur athletes vs. professional athletes.
For a long time, only amateur athletes could compete in the modern Olympic Games, which is what
Pierre de Coubertin wanted. The International Olympic Committee changed that rule for the 1984
Games in Los Angeles, California, when professional athletes were also allowed to compete.
At the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain, famous players with the National Basketball Association (NBA)
were allowed to represent the United States for the first time. The international media dubbed them
the Dream Team.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PROFESSIONALIZATION IN THE SPORT?

IT’S YOUR TURN! I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 2

 IT’S YOUR TURN!
CYCLE 4 • MATHEMATICS

DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS

IN BASKETBALL
PUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST

1 WHAT IS THE AREA IN WHICH AN OFFENSIVE PLAYER CANNOT STAY FOR MORE THAN THREE
SECONDS?

 The bar ✔The key

  The handle

2 WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN A BASKETBALL PLAYER’S
EFFICIENCY RATING?

✔ Points
 ✔Blocks
  Speed

 Three-pointers ✔Assists


3 HOW TALL WAS THE TALLEST PLAYER ON THE FRENCH TEAM AT THE RIO OLYMPIC GAMES?

✔ 2.15 m
  2.20 m  2.25 m

4 WHAT IS THE FORMULA FOR THE AREA OF A CIRCLE?

✔ π × r²
  π × r  π² × r

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE FURTHER

1 HOW LONG IS AN OLYMPIC BASKETBALL GAME?

✔ 40 minutes
  45 minutes  60 minutes

2 HOW MUCH TIME DOES A TEAM HAVE TO TAKE A SHOT AFTER TAKING POSSESSION OF THE
BALL?

 20 seconds ✔24 seconds

  28 seconds

3 THE KEY’S SHAPE HAS ONLY BEEN RECTANGULAR SINCE 2010. YOU CAN STILL FIND COURTS
WITH THE OLD KEY. WHAT WAS THE KEY’S SHAPE BEFORE 2010?

 Square  Arc ✔Trapezoid


 4 HOW MANY MEDALS HAS FRANCE WON IN BASKETBALL IN THE HISTORY OF THE OLYMPIC
GAMES?

 1  2 ✔3


5 WHY ARE BASKETBALLS ORANGE?

To be clearly visible to players and spectators.

KICK OFF THE DISCUSSION... GIVE YOUR OPINION!

Amateur athletes vs. professional athletes.
For a long time, only amateur athletes could compete in the modern Olympic Games, which is what
Pierre de Coubertin wanted. The International Olympic Committee changed that rule for the 1984
Games in Los Angeles, California, when professional athletes were also allowed to compete.
At the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain, famous players with the National Basketball Association (NBA)
were allowed to represent the United States for the first time. The international media dubbed them
the Dream Team.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PROFESSIONALIZATION IN THE SPORT?

IT’S YOUR TURN! I CYCLE 4 I DIMENSIONS AND STATISTICS IN BASKETBALL 2