Elaine Baribeau - Library Media Specialist - Marinette Middle School

Ann Hawley - H.S. Math and Computer Teacher - Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School

Michael LaFave - M.S. Math (7-8) and Science (6) Teacher - Lena Middle School

[Introduction] / [Task] / [Process] / [Internet Resources] / [Evaluation] / [Conclusion] / [Teacher Notes]

Due to recent financial problems, the Olympic Committee is considering dropping one summer and one winter sport. You are part of a team of past medalists in your sport selected from a variety of countries to report to the Olympic Committee. You love your sport and do not want your sport dropped from the Olympics! As a team member, you have a unique role. After members gather information and statistics, your team will prepare a multimedia presentation on the history, statistics, and the future of your specific sport for the Olympic Committee.

 Task:

Your team needs to convince the Olympic Committee that your sport, along with the Olympics in general, has a rich history.

Using a spreadsheet and graphs, demonstrate that your sport has many participants (both male and female) from a variety of countries.

Have gold medalist results shown improvement in time or distance since 1928? You will want to demonstrate that your sport is not static.

Conduct your own class Olympics!

Is the Olympic Committee really in poor financial condition? Use music, graphics, information from the Internet, a detailed multimedia presentation, and personal opinion on what you feel is the future of your sport (anything but bribery please!) to convince the Olympic Committee (the rest of your class) that your sport should remain in the Olympics.

 Process:

1. You will be assigned to teams of five. Within each team you will study a specific sport from the summer or winter Olympics. Teams will be randomly assigned to one of the following sports. (If your class is smaller, choose at least two from each category.)

Summer Sports	Winter Sports
Discus	Ski jumping
Shot put	Luge
Javelin	Alpine Skiing/ Giant Slalom

 

2. The following are the team member assignments:

Team Leader

Historian

Statistician

Most Recent Olympic Participant

Futurist and Cheerleader

• Team Leader and Graphic Artist / Technician: Designs Title Page and checks work of teammates.
• Historian: Investigates the history of the Olympics and the history of the individual sport: Designs History Page(s).
• Internet Statistician: Collects the necessary data on number of participants, rate of increase in number of countries involved, and change in gold medal distances or times over the years: Designs pages on Internet data graphs. (This position may be divided into two positions if necessary.)
• Most recent Olympic Participant : Collects data from class on individual hands-on activities or Internet game scores: Designs class data graph. Determines mean, median, mode and range of class data. Asks for comments from "class medalists" on why they liked the sport.
• Futurist and Money and Measurement Conversionist (so all Olympic Committee members will understand the data): Designs future predictions page and checks International Olympic Committee budget. This person is also the "cheerleader" and encourages other team members to stay on task.

3. Project: Prepare a multimedia presentation to present to your class, which will include slides that demonstrate the following elements:

• A brief history of the Olympics and your individual sport.
• A pie graph of medal winners in your sport from the most recent Olympics detailing which countries received the most medals.
• A line graph showing the time or distance of the gold medal winner in your event for the following years: 1928, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, and 1996. Graph men's and women's scores (different color for each) on the same graph.
• A stacked bar graph demonstrating the increase or decrease in total number of participants and total countries in your sport. Determine the rate of increase or decrease (change/original number) from 1948 to 1972 to 1996.
• A line graph using data you have collected in your classroom with your own math Olympics (hands-on activities for discus, shot put, and javelin and electronic games for the luge, ski jumping, and alpine skiing/giant slalom). Determine the mean, median, mode, and range for your class in each sport. Is there a high interest among students who try your sport for the first time? Ask the ones with the best times or distances to give their opinion on why your sport should remain in the Olympics so they could possibly be a future medalist.
• A projection for the future. What will your sport be like in the future? What new sports might be added? How might results change and why?

4. Which sports will remain in the Olympics? Have your class (the Olympic Committee) vote after all presentations are complete.

  Internet Resources:

Ancient Olympic Games Virtual Museum

Olympics Through Time

CBS Sportsline History

Winter Olympics

The Context of the Games and the Olympic Spirit

CBS Sportsline KidZone

The Historical Stuff

The Olympic Movement (Winter Games)

Olympic Statistics-Medal Counts

Olympic Almanac

IOC Financial Indicators (at this site, click on IOC Financial Indicators)

CBS Sportsline Arcade

Ask Dr. Math

Ask Jeeves

Common Equivalent Weights and Measures

Currency Exchange Calculator

Definition of Mean, Median and Mode

How to Make a Graph

Measurement

Percent of Decrease

Percent of Increase

CESA 8 Home Page (graphics)

 Evaluation/Assessment

Click here to see a rubric of how you will be graded.

  Conclusion

In your journal or notebook, write a paragraph telling why you liked or did not like this activity. List new things that you learned (possibly team skills, Internet skills, making a multimedia presentation). List the number of ways that you used math in this Math Olympic WebQuest. (Be sure to use correct punctuation and complete sentences. You know how important good communication skills are! You might really have to present to the Olympic Committee--or to your company committee in the future!)

  Teacher Notes

Click here for a timetable, materials needed, a form to use for Class Olympics, math standards, and an additional math activity site.

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