Although golf is a game that is often thought of as elitist, it has many egalitarian aspects, such as the handicapping system! Find out more about it in Science of Golf: Handicap Index. Haven’t been golfing long? Or, like me, enjoy walking the course but don’t take time to practice? No problem in this sport. The handicapping system allows me to still fare somewhat reasonably in competition with my senior-tour-wanna-be golfer husband and college golfer daughter. And it allows us all to feel good about our game when we play on more challenging courses than our skills might be ready for.

The video is just one of the Science of Golf series produced by NBC Learn in partnership with the United States Golf Association (USGA) and Chevron. This one gave NSTA a chance to develop a math inquiry-based lesson plan that will help fortify your STEM efforts. The lesson plan provides you with ideas and guidance on how to highlight NGSS Science and Engineering Practices as well as address Common Core Standards for Mathematics.

The videos are available cost-free on www.NBCLearn.com. Spend some time with them now as your thoughts about how to spice up your fall lesson plans begin to take shape. And leave us a comment about how you see these working in your classrooms!

–Judy Elgin Jensen

Image of Valhalla Golf Club courtesy of Dan Perry.

Video

SOG: Handicap Index a good example of how mathematical procedures can evolve as new needs are discovered and people create solutions to address these needs.

STEM Lesson Plan—Adaptable for Grades 7–12

The lesson plan provides ideas for STEM exploration plus strategies to support students in their own quest for answers and as well as a more focused approach that helps all students participate in hands-on inquiry.

The SOG: Handicap Index lesson plan describes how students might explore math applications and investigate a question the handicap index and its role in golf competition.

You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans: [contact-form 2 “ChemNow]