Water 1: Water and Ice
K-2 | Hands-OnIn this lesson, students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid and then back again.
Without realizing it, athletes also will compete to see who can best make use of science. Science — be it the physics of a snowboarder's flips, the engineering of a luge slider's sled, or the biochemical makeup of a speed skater's pre-race meal — serves as a common strand tying the various competitors together. Science even comes into play with more negative aspects of the Games, such as the continual testing to prevent the use of illegal biochemical substances designed to boost athletes' performance.
Science NetLinks offers these Olympics- and sports-related resources with the hopes that they will allow your students to see the excitement, hard work, and dedication that takes place not only on the snow and in the rink during the Games, but also in the laboratories and on computer screens beforehand.
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Lessons
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In this lesson, students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid and then back again. -
Reaction Time 1: How Fast Are You?
3-5 | Hands-On
This lesson identifies ways in which experience and practice allow humans to learn new skills, using activities that test reaction time as examples. -
Reaction Time 2: Zap!
3-5 | Interactive
This lesson shows how skills can improve through practice and awareness, using a game that focuses on both visual and auditory responsiveness. -
Extending Human Ability through Technology
6-8
In this lesson, students will explore various ways in which technology has enhanced human abilities. -
Putting the Ice in Hockey
6-8
In this lesson, students will explore a website to learn that what happens at the surface of ice to give it its slippery nature can be explained by molecular motion. -
Skin and Sports
6-8
In this lesson, students learn about the importance of proper protection from common skin conditions when they engage in sports-related activities. -
Snow Goggles
6-8 | Hands-On
This lesson illustrates how the use of scientific inquiry can solve different kinds of problems, like blocking unwanted sunlight.
Tools
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Careers in Sports and Exercise Science
6-12 | Website
This resource, created by Science Careers to coincide with the Athens Olympics in 2004, highlights a variety of careers related to exercise and sports science. -
Science of the Olympic Winter Games
6-12 | Video
Created by NBC and NSF, these videos feature interviews with athletes and coaches who explain the science behind the Olympic Winter Games. -
Science at the Olympics
9-12 | Website
This spread from Science magazine discusses questions about the intersection of scientific and technological innovation and the Olympics games.
Science Updates
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Fastest Swimsuit
6-12 | Audio
A team of scientists has developed what may be the world's fastest swimsuit. -
Sprinter Advantage
6-12 | Audio
In this Science Update, hear why Olympic runners closest to the start gun may get a slight advantage. -
Other Resources
Canadian Olympic School Program
Grade Band: K-12
Description:This program offers free downloadable lesson plans, interactive components, contests at various levels, and stories about Olympians.
Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Education Resources
Grade Band: K-12
Description: Developed to help Canadian teachers, these lessons focus particularly on Aboriginal culture and athletes.
Olympics Quest
Grade Band: 3-8
Description: This website invites students to nominate a city to hold the next Olympics and encourages them to back up their suggestion by considering a number of factors, including geography and climate. (The link to the rubric on the page is broken; the correct link is here.)
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games
Grade Band: 6-12
Description: The official site for the 2010 Winter Games offers general news about the games, video, in-depth information about winter sports, and daily updates about the various competitions.
International Olympic Committee
Grade Band: 6-12
Description: The official site for the International Olympic Committee, the governing body of the Olympic Games, shares highlights from past Olympics, includes photos and videos, and highlights online exhibits of the Olympic Museum.
Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games
Grade Band: 6-12
Description: The official site for the 2010 Paralympic Games includes video interviews with athletes, discusses the different competitions, and highlights inroads made into improving access for all disabled athletes around the world.
NBC Olympics
Grade Band: 6-12
Description: NBC Sports highlights the on-field and behind-the-scenes goings-on associated with the Olympic Games.
The Science of Sport
Grade Band: 9-12
Description: Two scientists with Ph.D.'s from the Exercise Science and Sports Medicine Research Unit at the University of Cape Town opine about the latest in sports-related science. This is a blog, so teachers should consider reading the entries ahead of time to make sure that the material is appropriate for students.
