STEM Faster, Higher, Stronger
Set of resources linked to all elements of sport.
Classroom Olympics
Performing the “How far can you …?” events in the classroom will engage pupils, enable data collection and motivate data investigations.
Classroom Olympics also allows pupils to voice their opinion on their preferred Olympic sports in schools.
Cotton wool shot put and triple jump from a standing start are the focus of the class activities together with measuring foot length and pupil height.
Possible investigations include:
• Girls shot put further than boys?
• Boys triple jump further than girls?
• Which hand is best for shot put?
• What percentage of the triple jump distance is the hop?
• Which is the most loved Olympic sport at school?
• Which Olympic sport do pupils want to do more of?
Design a sports glove
In this resource, students design a new glove for use in a sport of their choice. Students may find it helpful to talk with local people who partake in their chosen sport. The P.E. Department may be able to suggest suitable contacts.
A selection of tests, activities and factsheets are available for the students to use. They must decide what are the most important properties to include in the design of their glove. Students can then choose what activities and research to do accordingly. They may also think of their own experiments or research to carry out, as well as exploring the aesthetic aspects of design.
Curriculum links include: properties of materials, abrasion resistance, colour fast, dyeing, fabric friction and grip, gloves for protection, lightweight fabric, shrinking, tensometer, water repellant fabrics, waterproof fabrics, wetting, washing and drying, designing and making, creativity, critical evaluation, design, make and evaluate task, sport science, iterative processes, prototypes.
Maths and science challenge 2012
This challenge asks teams of students to plan a major sporting event in their local area. The resource provides an opportunity for students to explore their ideas in a creative environment. Teams can define their own goals and priorities, but may want to focus on three main areas of planning an event:
• Choosing a sport and a venue or location
• Infrastructure and accessibility
• Sustainability and legacy
There is a factsheet accompanying each of these three key areas to provide support and information for the challenge.
World records
Working with elite athletes means understanding how prowess in sport changes over time. The world record time provides a vital benchmark of performance against which all athletes may aspire.
Wetsuits for paratriathletes
This challenge is an opportunity for students to explore, experiment and innovate whilst designing a specialised wetsuit for paratriathletes.
Paratriathletes need specialised equipment to allow them to compete. Whilst the development in technology of prosthetic limbs, racing wheelchairs and handcycles has been substantial, no such developments have been made with wetsuits for paratriathletes. At the moment, paratriathletes have to adapt their wetsuits themselves. They splint their legs by inserting poles inside the wetsuit. They strap their legs to keep them together. Some even stitch the legs of the wetsuit together.
The students may think about designing a kind of ‘mermaid’ suit, with both legs fitting into one ‘leg’ (like a sleeping bag). They might include additional zips, allowing the wetsuit to be removed like a banana skin. Further considerations may be given to the legs of the wetsuit, incorporating extra buoyancy and built-in splints (or pouches, a bit like putting up a camping tent).
The factsheets provide information that the students may find helpful when planning what to do and developing their design ideas. The information may help the students to decide what the most important properties are to include in the design of their wetsuit. They also provide some suggestions for tests and activities (buoyancy and streamlining factsheets).
Curriculum links: buoyancy, streamlining, materials, mass, weight, force and pressure, density.designing and making, creativity, critical evaluation, design, make and evaluate task, sport science, iterative processes, prototypes.
