Summary
The students will research and learn about a variety of sports in the Winter Olympics. They will start by researching what sports involve a downhill movement. After that they will decide what type of movement is involved. They will have already learned about force and motion so they will use that background knowledge to decide the types of motion different sports include. Different groups of students will research more about specific sports through a variety of resources. We will have a ski expert come in to talk to the students about the science and preparation that is involved in preparing skis. The students will come up with questions for the presenter as well as questions while researching. Once the students have developed a good understanding of what makes skis go faster and slower downhill, they will then be presented with a challenge. They will need to design a ski that successfully moves on a downhill slope. The students will write a brief summary as to why they think their ski will be successful in going down the slope. They will be able to reflect on their first design and change things as needed for a second trial. The students will post their designs on blogs to let people vote which ski they think will be the most successful and why. They will have the choice of how they will present their final product.
TIPC Ratings
Student brainstormed questions about downhill sports. Students watched Olympic science videos and teacher created resources to research about different downhill sports.
Students were able to choose groups for research based on their sport preferences they were researching. They had a choice between filming themselves or using Pixie to explain their reasoning for their products. Students participated in a workshop given by a local ski coach where they could ask questions.
Students used the knowledge they gained from a variety of digital and print resources, to build their skis. They needed to use problem solving skills to create their skis and make it better for the second trial run. Through their videos and design brief they justified why their chose the materials that they selected and then how and why they made the necessary changes.
Students created their own products based on the assignment parameters by choosing the necessary materials. The students were able to make predictions and notice trends from the knowledge gained through the ski instructor, trial runs, print resources, and digital resources.
Download Files
7044_Olympic_Sports-2014-04-03
Contents:
- Lesson Plan
- Student Artifacts
- Graphic Organizer
- Rubric
