Tennis and Fractions

Curriculum Area and Standards

Mathematical Standards: Grade 2 (Alignment with Common Core State Standards for Mathematics - US)

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.5: Fluently add and subtract within 100.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.OA.C.4: Use addition to find the total number of objects arranged in rectangular arrays (an introduction to multiplication).
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.G.A.3: Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, or four equal shares (basic fractions).

This tennis-themed lesson combines movement, visual aids, and storytelling for an engaging introduction to fractions, addition, subtraction, and multiplication.

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Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand the concept of halves, thirds, and fourths with tennis-themed visuals.
2. Solve simple addition and subtraction problems using tennis scores.
3. Explore the idea of repeated addition as an introduction to multiplication through tennis practice scenarios.

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Materials

1. A small whiteboard/blackboard or poster paper with tennis illustrations.
2. Pre-made paper "tennis court" grids (rectangles split into 4 equal squares) for hands-on work.
3. "Tennis balls" (cut-out colored paper circles or small objects) for manipulatives.
4. Printable activity sheets for independent practice.
5. A plush tennis ball or similar object for a small toss game.

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Lesson Plan

Warm-up Activity (10 minutes)

1. Icebreaker:
   • Explain that today's class is all about tennis and math. Ask if they have ever seen a tennis game or know how scorekeeping works. Briefly share a fun fact about tennis (e.g., the scoring system starts at love/zero!).
2. Visual Fractions with Tennis Balls:
   • Draw a large tennis ball on the board and divide it into two halves. Say, "This tennis ball got cut in half! What happens if another friend comes to play and cuts it into thirds or fourths?" Show and explain dividing the circle into 3 or 4 equal pieces.

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Activity 1: Fractions on the Court (15 minutes)

1. Hand each student a paper tennis court divided into 4 equal sections.

   • Ask, "What fraction is one section of the tennis court?" Introduce the idea of 1/4 (one-fourth).
   • Add simple storytelling: "Imagine Serena and her friends share the tennis court. Each person needs a section. What happens if two friends leave? How many equal parts are left?"
   • Encourage hands-on interaction by letting students mark off sections or physically place their "tennis balls" in each section.

2. Introduce more fractions with storytelling:

   • "If we only play on HALF the court, how many sections do we need to cover?”
   • Ask them to shade half (2/4) of the rectangle.

3. Reinforce understanding with terminology: halves, thirds, and fourths. Adjust the visual "tennis court" to show varying sets of equal shares.

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Activity 2: Add and Subtract for Match Points (20 minutes)

1. Story-based Problems:
   Present quick scenarios using addition or subtraction with a tennis theme:

   • Example: "In the first game, Emma scored 15 points. Then, she scored 20 more points in the second game. How many points in total?" Write the equation: 15 + 20 = ?. Use manipulatives or allow mental math.
   • "Carlos had 30 points. He lost 10 points in the next match. Now how many points does he have?" Write 30 - 10 = ? and ask the student to solve.

2. Interactive Toss Game (for movement):
   Use a plush tennis ball to engage the student with real-life scorekeeping:

   • Ask a question (e.g., "If you win this rally, you'll score 10 more points! What will your total be?”). Toss the ball to the student to answer, and catch it again as they share their solution. Use small numbers like 10, 20, or 30 that are easy to add and subtract.

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Activity 3: Introduction to Multiplication (10 minutes)

1. Repeated Addition with Tennis Balls:
   Use tennis teams to introduce the concept of multiplication:
   • "Each tennis player brings 2 tennis balls to practice. If there are 3 players, how many total tennis balls are there?" Write 2 + 2 + 2 = 6 on the board and explain how this can be more quickly written as 2 x 3 = 6.
   • Use small groups of paper tennis balls to guide understanding visually.
   • Extend the idea: "What if there are 4 players, each with 3 tennis balls? How many tennis balls total?" Encourage them to figure this out with repeated addition and introduce the multiplication notation (3 x 4 = 12).

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Wrap-up and Reflection (5 minutes)

1. Quick recap: Ask questions to review:
   • "What is a half? A fourth?"
   • "Can you give an example of when we use addition? What about subtraction?"
   • "What’s a faster way to add repeated groups of numbers?"
2. Exit ticket: Provide a simple worksheet or ask a verbal question:
   • "If we cut this tennis ball into 2 pieces, what is each piece called?"
   • "How many tennis balls are there if 2 players each bring 4?"

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Assessment

• Observe how well the student interacts with visuals and manipulatives during activities.
• Use discussion and independent problem-solving for formative assessment.
• Check accuracy on exit ticket tasks or verbally confirm understanding.

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Differentiation

• For advanced students: Introduce halves of larger numbers (e.g., If you score 32 points, what’s half?). Discuss basic properties of multiplication, such as the commutative property (e.g., 3 x 4 = 4 x 3).
• For students needing additional support: Provide hands-on reinforcement with manipulatives and extra visuals. Pair each problem with a step-by-step guide (e.g., drawing fractions or grouping tennis balls for multiplication).

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Homework (Optional)

Create an at-home "Tennis Match Scorecard." Use simple addition, subtraction, or fractions to create fun math problems to share with parents. For example:

• "The first player scores 10 points, and the second player scores 5. What is the total?"
• "If we cut a tennis ball into three equal parts, what do we call one part?"

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This lesson creatively integrates tennis into mathematics while aligning with second-grade US standards. Its multisensory, movement-based approach keeps young learners engaged while fostering foundational skills in fractions, addition, subtraction, and multiplication.