Basketball Game for Solving Two Step Equations

When teaching my Algebra 1 students to solve two step equations, I used a basketball game that I found online to motivate my students to do some extra practice. These were the same types of problems that I could have written on the Smart Board, but because they were in a game, my students did a lot less complaining.

The idea of the game is simple. You get the question right, you get to try to make a basket. To shoot the basket, you click the mouse twice. I’m sure there is some advanced strategy to making the virtual basket, but I could never figure it out. I watched five different classes play this game over the course of a day, and I still couldn’t figure out why some shots went in and others didn’t.

I let the students take turns coming up and shooting the baskets. It served as a small break between solving equations. The students really got into trying to make as many baskets as possible. It was fun to watch. The bell would ring and the students would want to hurry and solve one more equation so they could attempt just one more basket.

Now, if we ever have a few minutes left at the end of class, students will occasionally ask if we can play the basketball game again.

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