Perhaps our students don’t think so, but it’s unfortunate that the summer Olympics happen when most of the schools here in the U.S. are on break. There are many ways to show the connections between science concepts and sports that will have to wait until classes resume.
As described in a previous NSTA blog, Science of the Summer Olympics has resources to help you students understand the science behind sports.
There are other topics in the series, which includes related lesson plan ideas:
NSTA’s SciLinks database has reviewed websites on topics related to sports and athletics:
- Health Benefits of Sports (5-8 and 9-12)
- Energy and Sports (5-8 and 9-12)
- Sports and Conditioning (5-8)
One of my favorites on the topic is Sport Science from the Exploratorium. Let the Games begin!
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremywilburn/2859958331/
I saw a great Olympics commercial the other night about “thanking science” when athletes win a medal. It thanked things like velocity, acceleration, and coefficient of friction (among other things). It was a great commercial, but I am unable to find it online. Does anyone have the link for it or at least know who sponsored the commercial?