130 Rigorous Physics in Sports Document Based Questions – w/Answer Key

This resource includes 20 rigorous nonfiction selections connecting physical science and physics to sports using document based questions (DBQs) with a provided answer key. These highly interesting selections will capture the attention of students as they use guided questions to illustrate how properties of physics are involved in some of the most popular sports that they enjoy. This 57-page document includes 20 nonfiction sports selections with a total of 130 guided questions and answers. The resource includes several tiered selections for many of the sports and addresses elements of physics in each sport including:
• Newton’s Laws of Motion (First, Second, and Third Laws)
• Mass
• Inertia
• Trajectories, Angles, and Arcs
• Gravity
• Speed, Velocity, Acceleration, and Momentum
• Simple Machines (Levers, Fulcrums)
• Pressure and Buoyancy
• Friction, Drag, and Resistance
• Kinetic and Potential Energy and Force
• Torque, Rotation, and Spin
• Magnus Effect

The 20 challenging nonfiction selections include the following sports.
• Basketball (4 Nonfiction Selections)
• Football (3 Nonfiction Selections)
• Baseball (4 Nonfiction Selections)
• Tennis (2 Nonfiction Selections)
• Volleyball (2 Nonfiction Selections)
• Boxing (1 Nonfiction Selection)
• Swimming (1 Nonfiction Selection)
• Golf (1 Nonfiction Selection)
• Running (1 Nonfiction Selection)
• Bowling (1 Nonfiction Selection)

These resources help students to become more critical readers of informational texts and resources and teach students to evaluate resources for information while responding in writing. These learning materials also meet the Common Core State Standards’ emphasis on increasing students’ access to nonfiction texts. You will have a variety of texts that you can embed into your instruction in a physics or physical science classroom that can be easily implemented to complement course material while engaging students with high interest subject matter.


130 Rigorous Physics in Sports Document Based Questions – w/Answer Key by Dr. Joel C. Boyce is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.