Geometry and sports go hand-in-hand. It is evident in a sport like billiards, where players use angles to hit balls into pockets while setting up the next shot from the predicted ricochet. But geometry is just as important in team sports as a way to organize offense and defense. The highly successful Chicago Bulls famously ran the "triangle offense," featuring a constant rotation of triangle formations to overpower the defense. On the individual level, players make decisions based on angles and their relationship to the ball and their defender. There is constant processing using geometry to inform what the best decision is at the moment.

This simple yet fun tag and dodgeball-style game will help students review their basic geometric terminology. They will also get a concrete example of how geometry helps (or hurts) their ability to play defense against their opponent. Plus, if your students love scooters, this is the perfect game to get them rolling around the gym while having fun with geometry!

Materials:

• A gym setting

• Many soft dodgeballs

• Rubber disc dots

• Enough scooters for half your class size

Minimum Number of Students Needed: To get the full benefit of learning and reviewing geometric shapes, you need at least ten students to play the game. This game can be played with many more, especially if you have a large gym to accommodate them.

Age: All Ages