Classroom Olympics
Grade Levels: 3 - 8
Objectives
- Students will practice measuring distance.
- Students will appreciate the accomplishments of Olympic athletes.
Materials
- Stopwatch or watch that measures seconds
- Meter stick
- Walking measurement wheel (or other device to measure multiple yards)
- Gold medal results from Summer Olympics
- Paper and pencils
Procedures
Select Olympic track events that you would like to measure.
Set up the race courses. Use the 2004 Gold Medal results below, or more recent results if available. Have students mark a starting point and then measure the distance of the event. Label the finishing point (or the relay points) with stakes which identify the distance, the winning results, and the Gold Medal winner's name and country.
Have students participate in the events and compare their results to the Gold Medalists'.
Assign math problems comparing the student and medalists' results. Potential activities include: calculating the difference between the student and medalists' results, average the students' results, calculate the percent improvement students would need to achieve the results of the medalists.
2004 Men's Gold Medals
| 100-meter dash | Justin Gatlin, USA | 9.85 sec. |
| 200-meter dash | Shawn Crawford, USA | 20.05 sec. |
| 400-meter relay (4X100) | Great Britain | 38.07 sec. |
| Long jump | Dwight Phillips, USA | 28 ft. 2.19 in. |
| 16-lb Shot-Put | Yuriy Bilonog, Ukraine | 69 ft. 5.07 in. |
| Discus Throw | Virgilijus Alekna, Lithuania | 229 ft. 3.57 in. |
2004 Women's Gold Medals
| 100-meter dash | Yuliya Nesterenko, Belgium | 10.93 sec. |
| 200-meter dash | Veronica Campbell, Jamaica | 22.05 sec. |
| Long jump | Tatyana Lebedeva, Russia | 23 ft. 2.35 in. |
| 16-lb Shot-Put | Yumileidi Cumba, Cuba | 64 ft. 3.26 in. |
| Discus Throw | Natalya Sadova, Russia | 219 ft. 10.58 in. |
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