Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Olympic Triathlon

For Students 9th - 10th
Do you think the triathlon will be won by someone who is very strong in one event and average in the other two, or someone who is strong in all three disciplines? This activity challenges students to analyse real-life data and use their...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: The Home Advantage

For Students 10th - 12th
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics the UK finished 4th in the total medal count. How might we do in 2012, and does the country hosting the Olympics have an edge?
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Little Little G

For Students 10th - 12th
Could the altitude of the city hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games have an effect on performance in the long jump? This challenging activity encourages mathematical reflection, investigation and discussion as students explore how...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Who's the Best?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Can you use data from the 2008 Beijing Olympics medal tables to decide which country has the most naturally athletic population? This data-handling activity encourages mathematical investigation and discussion and is designed to be...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Stadium Sightline

For Students 9th - 10th
How would you design the seating for an Olympic stadium to give spectators the best view of events? This geometry and modelling activity is designed to be accessible to both GCSE and A-level maths students (Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5),...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Angle of Shot

For Students 10th - 12th
At what angle should you release the shot to break Olympic records? This activity gives students the opportunity to investigate projectile motion in a real-life context, and is aimed at A-level students (grades 10, 11, and 12).
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Light Weights

For Students 10th - 12th
Could the location of the Olympic host city have an effect on weightlifting events? This activity provides an interesting context in which to engage with weight, mass and gravitation, and is aimed at A-level students (grades 10, 11, and...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Making a Racket: The Science of Tennis

For Students 10th - 12th
As London is heading for the 2012 Olympics, it's not just athletes who are gearing up for action. Engineers, too, are working hard to produce the cutting-edge sporting equipment that guarantees record performances. If you're a tennis...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Track Design

For Students 9th - 10th
You are designing and marking out the running track for a new Olympic stadium. Where should the staggered starting positions be marked for the 200m and 400m events? This activity is aimed at Key Stage 4 students (age 14-16).
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Alternative Record Books

For Students 9th - 10th
Take a look at the amazing limits that athletes push themselves to in search of Olympic glory. Which events see the fastest speeds, furthest distances and highest forces? This activity challenges students to undertake some research,...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: What's the Point of Squash?

For Students 9th - 10th
Squash isn't an Olympic sport (yet!) but it has an interesting scoring system. If you reach 8-all in a game of squash, when should you decide to play to 9 points rather than 10? This activity is a starting point for mathematical...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Can You Do It Too?

For Students K - 1st Standards
Can you throw a beanbag as far as the Olympic hammer or discus throwers? This activity introduces children to informal measures to compare distances, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils at Key Stage 1.
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Going for Gold

For Students K - 1st
Looking at the 2008 Olympic Medal table, can you see how the data is organised? Could the results be presented differently to give another nation the top place? This activity encourages children to develop their skills in data analysis,...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Half Time

For Students K - 1st
What could the half-time scores have been in these Olympic hockey matches? This activity encourages systematic working and discussion, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils at Key Stages 1 and 2.
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: National Flags

For Students K - 1st
During the Olympic and Paralympic Games many national flags will be on display. This activity explores 2D shapes, angles and symmetries in the context of flag designs, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils at Key Stage 2.
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Now and Then

For Students K - 1st Standards
Look at the changes in results on some of the athletics track events at the Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948. What will the results be in 2012? This slightly more challenging activity encourages children to examine data and consider...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Opening Patterns

For Students K - 1st
As excitement mounts ahead of the start of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, take a look back at the opening ceremony for the 2008 Games in Beijing. What shapes and patterns can you see? This activity is aimed at young...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Our Sports

For Students K - 1st Standards
What events are there in your school sports day, and in the Olympic Games? What are your favourite races and sports? This activity encourages discussion and decisions about how to collect and display data, and is designed to be...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Sports and Math: Will Women Athletes Ever Catch and Surpass

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Explore, explain and make conclusions based on graphs of scatter plots of the Olympic records for men and women in the same event over the same years. Plot x- and y-values, and create linear equations from the data.
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: 10 Olympic Starters

For Students 10th - 12th
These 10 questions encourage students to explore mathematical modelling in the context of several different sports including track and field athletics, shooting, football, tennis, basketball and gymnastics. This activity is designed to...
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Maths and Sports: Olympic Rings

For Students K - 1st Standards
This activity explores shapes and circles by encouraging children to look really hard at something they will see very often in the run-up to London 2012, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils at Key Stage 1.
Activity
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Nctm: Figure This: Can You Run as Fast as a Car?

For Students 5th - 8th
During the 100 meter dash in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Florence Griffth-Joyner was timed at 0.91 seconds for 10 meters. At that speed, could she pass a car traveling 15 miles per hour in a school zone?

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