Statistics are widely used in sports to analyze patterns, predict trends and evaluate players and teams. Being able to analyze data and craft evidence-based arguments are critical skills for students to develop as well. Our goal is to help students investigate data about a topic that interests and motivates them. We think that basketball is a rich context for students to test hypotheses, make claims and construct logical arguments backed up with data.
Attention Teachers: The K-12 Analytic Challenge is an opportunity for students to engage in the Mathematical Practices outlined in the Common Core Math Standards. The first six practices are particularly well-aligned to the steps students will take as they develop a response to the challenges.
The K-12 Analytic Challenge can be used in schools in many different ways. For example, the challenges can be used as:
- a context for whole class instruction
- individual student enrichment projects
- extra-credit assignments
- an option for statistics unit final project
- the focus of after-school sports analytic clubs
- a way to get basketball fans interested in mathematics
- an opportunity for writing and math teachers to collaborate in helping students develop persuasive, data-based arguments
If you would like more ideas about how to use the K-12 Analytic Challenge in your classroom or you would like to be notified when your students submit responses, please email us at analyticchallenge@gmail.com.
We encourage any student to submit a response, regardless of their experience with sports statistics. We expect to receive all different types of submissions from simple and straightforward to relatively complex. It’s not a competition, just a challenge to learn, practice and have fun with sports statistics. Please encourage your sons, daughters, grandchildren or pupils to respond to our challenges. Feel free to forward the challenge to other parents or teachers who might know students who would be interested.
