With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics upon us, now is the perfect time to take a closer look at the secret behind the sports: science and math! Lessonopoly has created student activities and lesson plans to support the video series, Science of the Olympic Winter Games, created by NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation. Featuring exclusive footage from NBC Sports and contributions from Olympic athletes and NSF scientists, the series will help teach your students concepts like friction and angular momentum.

Each video is complemented with lesson plans which include fun classroom activities. The lesson plans were written by teachers at Academic Business Consultants for grades 6-9 and are aligned with California State Standards.

Like what you see? Rate and write a comment on the lesson plan itself, or post a comment on the wiki. If you're using any of these lesson plans in your classroom, we'd love to hear from you! Please contact us at amy [at] svefoundation.org.

Aerial Physics: Aerial Skiing

Behind the breath-taking twists and turns of Olympic Freestyle Aerials is the science of angular momentum and moment of inertia. NSF-funded physicist Paul Doherty and Olympic aerialist Emily Cook show how these jumps actually come from three basic twisting techniques that you can try yourself.

Lesson Plans:

Aerial Physics & Aerial Skiing (Grade 8): Through several simulations and demonstrations, students will explore a variety of concepts involved with aerial skiing including angular momentum, torque, and friction.

Aerial Physics: Aerial Skiing (Grade 9): Students will investigate aerial skiing by exploring practical examples of Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Students will also create an Aerial Skier Flip Book to demonstrate each motion involved with an aerial jump.

Slapshot Physics: Hockey

The slapshot is the fastest shot in ice hockey--and an excellent illustration of elastic collisions and momentum exchange, as NSF-funded scientists Thomas Humphrey and Kathy Flores, with U.S. Olympic hockey player Julie Chu, explain.

Lesson Plans:

Momentum And The Physics Of A Slapshot (Grades 6-8): Students will begin this lesson by investigating a fun and memorable elastic collision. After watching the NBC Learn Video, Slap Shot Physics: Hockey, they will use dynamics carts (or skateboards) to investigate and develop a conceptual understanding of the conservation of momentum.

Slapshot Physics: Hockey (Grade 6): Students will learn about hockey, the slapshot, and techniques such as force, weight, and speed. Students will play a simulated game of hockey and try to make a slapshot. Students will also practice the scientific method by designing and conducting their own experiment with the materials used in the simulation.

Slapshot Science! (Grade 6): Students will learn about the slapshot, which is the fastest, hardest shot in ice hockey. Students will investigate elastic collisions, energy transfer and momentum exchange and will conduct an experiment which simulates making a slapshot.

Internal Athlete: Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiers train to increase their ability to take up and use oxygen--a maximum aerobic capacity measured by a VO2 Max test. Two NSF-funded scientists explain the biomechanics, assisted by members of the U.S. Cross-Country Ski Team and a trainer.

Lesson Plans:

Lung Power (Grade 9): Students will learn several important characteristics about how athletes increase the amount of oxygen they take in to supply energy to their legs and arms. Students will learn about different types of breathing and create a flow chart about the body’s process of taking in oxygen and converting it to energy and movement.

The Internal Athlete: Cross Country Skiing (B) (Grade 9): This lesson is designed to strengthen the student’s abilities in taking data measurements and interpreting such measurements. This activity involves an endurance test with heart rate, breath, and “effort� measurements made for a test student. Students will make inferences using the measurements they made and the information provided in the lesson.

The Internal Athlete: Cross Country Skiing (C) (Grade 9): This lesson is designed to explore the factors that affect the rate of oxygen an athlete uses in his/her lungs by making a simulated model of “burning� oxygen in the lungs of athletes. Students will also create a skit to summarize the oxygen-to-energy conversion process.

Olympic Motion

The Olympics are a chance to marvel at the physical abilities of the athletes. But what makes these athletes so unique from the rest of us? Dan Fletcher, an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley, explores how the organization of human cells through training, exercise and "muscle memory" produce the fantastic range of Olympic motion.

Lesson Plans:

Muscles and Motion (Grade 7): Students will learn several important characteristics about muscles and how muscles and bones work together to produce motion. Students will learn about the role of practice in strengthening muscles and muscle memory.

Olympic Motion (C) (Grade 7): Students will learn about motion and their body at two different levels: cellular and muscular. Students will examine human blood to identify its basic components and will conduct a test to determine their reflex reaction time. Students will also create a flow chart to show the role of cells in muscle contraction.

Olympic Motion (Grade 7): Students will investigate how long it takes to master solving a maze puzzle. Solving these puzzles puts demands on mental perception skills along with eye-hand coordination skills. Such skills, just like muscular skills, can be improved with training and practice. Students will also illustrate and label the human body’s muscular system.

Competition Suits

The chemistry and materials science used to create aerodynamic competition suits is described by NSF-funded scientists Melissa Hines, Troy Flanagan of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Assoc., and Olympic speed skating, luge and ski jump competitors.

Lesson Plans:

Competition Suits (Grade 8): To explore the topic of competition suits for the Winter Olympics, students will conduct an experiment to test the effects of air drag over the surface. Students will also create a new winter sport for the Olympics and design a competition suit for that sport.

Awesome Aerodynamics!(Grade 6): Students will learn about the role of scientific research in the design of competition suits for athletes in the Winter Olympics. Students will explore and research the concept of aerodynamics, and conduct their own scientific experiment to gain an understanding of this concept.

Competition Suits For The Twenty First Century (Grades 6-8): Students will learn about aerodynamic suit technology. They will choose a sport and propose gear design and material changes to enhance performance. They will give a 2 minute presentation to the class on their design ideas.

Mathletes

Math--from simple arithmetic to calculus--is part of every jump, spin, and move Olympic athletes make on snow or ice. NSF-funded mathematician Edward Burger explains where you can see math counts in the Winter Olympic games.

Lesson Plans:

Olympic Metric Conversions (Grades 6-10): Students will practice their skills in unit conversions by converting dimensions and speeds found in various Olympic competitions. They will also calculate average speeds of gold medal winners in certain 2006 Olympic events. Students will have extension activities in creative writing and creating scale drawings.

Mathletes (Grade 6): This activity helps students recognize that math is important in all aspects of their life. In the Winter Olympics, math is everywhere. From the formulas to calculus, math is part of every Winter Olympic event and every move Olympic athletes make on snow or ice. This activity is intended for a class assignment after the viewing the NBC MATHLETES video clip. It presents an opportunity for students to experience the process of how some Olympic events are scored.

The Science of Skis

Skis used by Olympic skiers are engineered by materials scientists to have the flexibility, stability and torsional rigidity. NSF-funded scientists Melissa Hines and Kathy Flores, and three U.S. Olympic skiers explain.

Lesson Plans:

Ski Technology and Composite Materials (Grades 6-9): Students will learn the basic engineering issues related to ski design. They will learn about composite materials and polymer materials. Also, students will create and test a composite material.

The Science of Skis (Grade 8): Students will conduct an experiment to test the elasticity and slipperiness of two kinds of ski materials. Students will also research the history of skis and create a PowerPoint presentation with information they have summarized.

The Science of Skates

Skates used by Olympic speed skaters, figure skaters and hockey players are engineered by materials scientists for those particular athletes. NSF-funded scientists Melissa Hines and Sam Colbeck, and three Olympic skaters, explain.

Lesson Plans:

Mastering the Ice (Grade 9): Students will learn about Le Chatelier’s principle by studying the effect that pressure has on ice. Students will also learn about characteristics of ice through analyzing the boots and blades used by Olympic athletes in three different skating sports: speed skating, figure skating, and hockey.

The Science of Skates (Grade 8): Students will conduct an experiment to understand the following concept: Designers of skates create blades using the scientific fact that pressure increases temperature. Students will also use their knowledge to “invent� a new type of skate.

The Science Of Skates, Friction Friend And Foe (Grades 6-9): Through discussion, demonstrations, and a writing assignment, students will investigate the helpful and hindering roles of friction in various sports and present their findings to the class.

Figuring Out Figure Skating

How do Olympic figure-skaters do triple axels and quadruple toe loops? It's all about conservation of angular momentum and vertical velocity. NSF-funded sports scientist Deborah King uses video of Olympic hopeful Rachael Flatt to explain.

Lesson Plans:

Figure Skating And The Conservation Of Angular Momentum (Grades 6-7): Students will create an apparatus which will enable them to whirl a stopper on a string and while simultaneously reducing the radius of the circular motion. Using this apparatus, students will investigate concepts of conservation of angular momentum and centripetal force. Students will then describe and explain other situations, both in sports and elsewhere, where the conservation of angular momentum can be observed.

Figuring Out Figure Skating! (Grade 9): Students will learn about the science behind figure skating in particular Newton’s Laws of Motion, angular momentum, vertical velocity, and conservation of angular momentum. Students will engage in several practical, hands-on activities that will help promote an understanding of these concepts.

Safety Gear

Most Winter Olympic sports are high-speed and dangerous, requiring athletes to wear protective gear, especially helmets. NSF-funded scientists Melissa Hines and Kathy Flores explain how helmets work to dissipate and absorb energy.

Lesson Plans:

Designing Safety Gear (Grades 6-8): Students will learn the basic engineering issues related to helmet design, specifically, they will learn about the physics of collisions and the biomechanics considerations of design. After learning about the basic principles, students will identify and solve a design challenges, create a poster representation of their solutions, and present them their peers. Finally students will learn about the dangers of not wearing a helmet in certain sports, and explore the reasons that people do not wear helmets.

Experimenting with Safety Gear (Grade 8): Students will learn several important characteristics about the process of creating safety gear. Students will create a device to protect an egg from cracking if dropped. Students will learn about the concept of dispersing energy, and learn how safety helmets and other safety gear help keep Olympic athletes alive.

Safety Gear (Grade 8): Students will consider the design factors that impact safety gear by creating their own “helmet� for an egg. Students will experiment with shape, materials and design in this hands-on project. Students will use their experiences and additional research to debate the topic of having a mandatory helmet law for bicyclists.

Banking on Speed: Bobsled

An Olympic bobsled run, from starting push to the finish line, is used to illustrate acceleration, velocity, gravity, and drag. NSF-funded scientists Paul Doherty, Deborah King, and George Tuthill, along with bobsled designer Bob Cuneo, explain.

Lesson Plans:

Air Drag and Friction Effects on the Bobsled (Grades 6-9): Through discussion and the use a physics simulation program students will investigate kinetic friction and air resistance (air drag) on an object going down a hill and then design build and test different miniature “bobsled� designs.

Banking on Speed (Grades 8): Students will learn about the Olympic bobsled run, from starting push to the finish line, to explore concepts about acceleration, velocity, gravity, and drag. Students will conduct an experiment to learn about the acceleration of gravity on objects of differing mass.

Downhill Science: Alpine Skiing

A downhill ski race is a tour de force--emphasis on force: from the force of gravity to friction and air resistance. NSF-funded scientists Paul Doherty and Sam Colbeck explain the physics of alpine skiing, with help from four members of the U.S. Ski Team.

Lesson Plan:

Air Lift: Ski Jump

Ski-jumping--hurtling down a ramp, then soaring through the air--is an excellent illustration of the aerodynamic forces of lift and drag. NSF-funded scientists George Tuthill and Paul Doherty, and two members of the U.S. Olympic ski team, explain.

Lesson Plan:

The Variables Of Ski Jumping (Grades 6-7): Students will watch the NBC Learn Video: Ski Jump. They will discuss and list the variables that might affect the distance traveled by a skier. Students will then build and test tiny rockets that can be launched from drinking straws in order to better understand the effects of some of the variables listed earlier.

Air Lift: Ski Jump (Grade 6): Ski-jumping--hurtling down a ramp at speeds of 60 mph, then soaring through the air--is an excellent illustration of the aerodynamic forces of lift and drag. Students will learn about the ski-jumping competition in the Winter Olympics, to explore concepts about gravity, drag and lift. Students will create their own version of a ski jump complete with jumpers.

Science of Snowboarding

The physics behind the gasp-worthy tricks snowboarders do in the half-pipe? Gravity, friction, energy (potential and kinetic), as explained by NSF-funded scientists Paul Doherty and Deborah King.

Lesson Plans:

Snowboarding and the Conservation of Energy (Grades 6-9): After reviewing basic energy concepts, students will design a new snowboarding event through the use of the free physics simulation program “Skateboard Park.� Students will investigate the energy dynamics their course and explore the conservation of energy principle.

The Science of Snowboarding (Grade 8):Students will explore the physics behind the amazing tricks snowboarders do in the half-pipe, specifically the concepts of gravity, friction, and energy (potential and kinetic). Students will also analyze factors, through a simulation, that make snowboarders go faster and higher on the half pipe.

Science Friction: Curling

Curling--sending the heavy curling stone down the ice toward the center of a bull's-eye target--is all about friction and surface physics, as NSF-funded scientists Sam Colbeck and George Tuthill explain, with help from Olympic hockey player John Shuster.

Lesson Plans:

Curling and Inertia (Grades 6-8): Through class discussion and a fun demonstration, students will review what they know about inertia. Students will then set up collisions with marbles and a stationary cup to explore the relationship between mass and inertia.

Exploring Friction (Grade 6): Students will learn several important characteristics about friction. Students will also learn why athletes who curl in the Winter Olympics try to understand and control friction.

Science Friction: Curling (Grade 9): Students will conduct an experiment to explore the concepts of kinetic energy, speed, travel distance, collisions, conservation of momentum, transfer of momentum, and two dimensional transfer. Students will relate these concepts to playing pool as well as curling, which is one of the Winter Olympic sports.

Blade Runners: Short Track Speed Skating

Short track speed-skating, the fastest self-propelled sport in the Winter Games, illustrates all of Newton's First Three Laws of Motion. Using video of Olympic short track skater J.R. Celski, NSF-funded physicist George Tuthill explains.

Lesson Plans:

Blade Runners: Short Track Speed Skating (Grade 9): Students will participate in several activities to learn about the science behind speed skating, specifically Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. Students will also write and illustrate booklets showing practical examples of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion.

Making Motion! (Grade 9): Students will learn about short track speed skating and how this sport involves Newton’s first three laws of motion. Students will create balloon racers to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Students will also explore practical examples of the three laws of motion with a culminating activity that will require them to create a poster to educate and motivate other students to wear safety belts while in a car.

Short Track Speed Skating And Newton’s Laws Of Motion (Grades 6-10): Students will review Newton’s Laws of Motion through discussion and watching the NBC Learn Video: Blade Runners: Short Track Speed Skating. They will build a Newton Car, and use the laws of motion to analyze the behavior of the apparatus.