Sixth graders took on a March Madness themed STEM challenge in the Jr.-Sr. High School gymnasium on March 24th. The goal was to switch up how a free throw is shot, and calculate how that impacts a player’s overall shot percentage.

Students started by attempting ten normal free throws to get a baseline shot percentage. Then, they chose one way to change how they shot their free throws. Those switches included shooting with a higher arc, while standing on one leg, or while having their partner try to distract them. Then, they calculated their shot percentage with the variable. 

The free throw challenge was a fun way to incorporate college basketball’s current March Madness tournament into a science lesson. Students learned the difference between independent, dependent, and controlled variables. 

Check out some photos from the class below!