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Teacher’s Guide to

The Science of the Winter Olympics

KNOW #25, January/February 2010


This Bill Beats the Heat (page 3)

Classroom Link: Biology

Infrared photos of a variety of animals showing temperature variation within their bodies can be seen here.

Students may enjoy watching a short video clip showing the infrared imagery of a live toucan.

Activity: What Are Bird Beaks For?
Heat dissipation is just one use for bird beaks. Beaks can also be used in mate selection and, of course, for gathering food. This activity is a great way to investigate different kinds of bird beaks and how they are used to gather food.


Glowing Green Bombers (page 4)

Classroom Links: Biology

This video shows the “green bomber” worms in action and introduces the viewer to the scientist, the techniques used to discover the worms, and the relevance of this discovery.


Sound Wars (page 4)

Classroom Links: Biology

In this video, students can hear the echolocations of the bat and the moth. In this version, the moth’s ability to send sounds has been impaired.

Activity: Bat and Moth
This fun, active game is a great way to introduce echolocation to children.


Hubble: The Orbiting Eye (page 5)

Classroom Links: Space Science, Technology

The Hubble Space Telescope has an excellent web site with sections for children and educators.


Mind Games (page 5)

Classroom Links: Language Arts, Physical Education

Activity: Have students write their own riddles about a piece of sports equipment.


Winter Jackets (page 6)

Classroom Links: Physics

This information sheet from The Exploratorium gives a brief description on the physics of outerwear.

Activity: Keeping Warm
Students often think that the insulative property of clothing comes from the clothing itself. In fact, the air spaces in the clothing provides insulation, just as the air between fur or feathers creates an insulative layer. Have students try this experiment to test the insulative properties of different materials.

What you need:
4 glass jars
A thermometer
An empty shoebox (or other small box)
Newspaper
2 elastic bands
1 wool scarf or small wool blanket

What to do:
1. Fill the four jars with hot tap water. Measure and record the temperature.
2. Put one jar in the box and fill the space around the jar with crumpled newspaper.
3. Wrap several sheets of newspaper tightly around the second jar and secure with elastic bands.
4. Wrap the scarf or blanket around the third jar.
5. Leave one jar without any insulation.
6. Leave the jars for 30 minutes then take the temperatures again.

Extension: Have students devise their own experiment that tests the insulative properties of different materials.


Gulls (page 8)

Classroom Links: Biology

This site shows some of the diversity of gulls in the world.

Activity: A New Gull in Town
Bring bird field guides for your region into the classroom. With students, review the guides to determine some of the gull species in your region. Have students choose one gull species and prepare a small identification card for it. Include information such as leg and bill color, approximate size, coloration, and any other identifying features.


Theme Section: The Winter Olympics (pages 9 to 18)

Classroom Links: Physics, Physical Education, Technology

On-line References:

Official site of the Winter Olympics

The Vancouver Sun has published a series, Deconstructing the Games, which provides great information on how the sport works, equipment, and athletes to watch.

American Chemical Association’s excellent site on Winter Sport and Snow


Skiing Fast and Free; Up, Up, and Away (pages 10-11)

International Ski Federation

More on drag from NASA.

Activity: What a Drag
Playing with parachutes is a great way to experiment with drag. A parachute slows a fall because of drag. Gravity pulls a parachute down, but air resists its descent. The larger a parachute’s surface, the greater the resistance, or drag, and the slower it falls.

What you need:
Paper of different weights (construction, writing, airmail, etc.)
Plastic bags
Squares of cotton fabric
String/Thread
Tape
Metal washers

What to do:
1. Show students the basic plan of a parachute: a piece of paper, plastic, or cloth with one end of a string attached to each corner (or more) and the other ends attached to the “cargo” (the metal washer).
2. Have students design and build their own parachute.
3. Test the parachutes.
4. Observe how the following things affect flight:
* Length of strings
* Type of material used for parachute.
* Size of parachute.
* Weight of cargo.

Activity: Get a Lift
This easy experiment helps explain lift.

What you need:
A sheet of paper

What to do:
1. Hold the edge of the paper between your thumb and index finger (with the thumb on top). The paper will droop over the other fingers.
2. Bring the paper to your mouth and blow hard across the top of the paper. Observe what happens.

What's Happening?
The paper lifts. This is similar to what happens when ski jumpers try to soar or planes fly. The faster the air moves, the lower the air pressure. The air under the paper is at a lower pressure and thus pushes up.

Students may enjoy this video, Physics in Ski Jumping, which was created by a Vancouver high school student.


Going the Distance (page 12)

International Biathlon Union

Students may be interested to watch a video showing the differences between skate skiing and classic skiing. This video explains the sports. (The explanation of the difference between the two styles begins at minute 1:45.)

A video explaining biathlon can be found here.


Jump, Spin, and Spiral (page 13)

International Skating Union

The science of jumping and spinning from the University of Montana.

Students keen on learning more about the science of figure skating might enjoy How Figure Skating Works, by Keltie Thomas (Owlkids Books).


Super Sliders (page 14)

International Skating Union

In this video athletes describe speed skating, how it affects their bodies, and also their equipment such as clap skates and specially-fitted racing suits.

Students may enjoy this video, The Science of Speed Skating, created by a high school student in British Columbia.


The Puck Stops Here (page 15)

International Ice Hockey Federation

The Exploratorium has an excellent site on the science of ice hockey.

Activity: Levers
Levers work by increasing the pushing force underneath an object so that a large load can be moved with a small effort. For instance, think of how you would use a crow bar to lift a heavy load. You push down on one end, and this translates into a lifting power at the other end. A hockey stick is a type of simple machine, called a lever.

Demonstrate to students how you can use a shovel to lift a stone (or a broomstick to lift a desk). By pushing down on one end of the shovel, the other end can lift a heavy object. Levers pivot on a fulcrum. Often, a lever rests on a fulcrum (such as in a teeter-totter). In the shovel or a hockey stick, the hand that is along the stick is the fulcrum.

Have students try this activity to see how changing the position of the fulcrum can change the amount of lift in a lever.

What you need:
1 ruler
1 eraser
1 coin

What to do:
1. Balance the ruler on the eraser so that it is even. (Like a teeter-totter.)
2. Place the coin on one end of the ruler. Push down on the ruler close to the fulcrum. Watch how high the coin goes.
3. Repeat step 2 but, with each trial, push down farther from the fulcrum. On the last test, you should push at the very end of the ruler.

What's Happening:
Levers lift objects most easily when the fulcrum is close to the object and the pushing point is as far away as possible.

You can read more about the science of hockey sticks and pucks in Issue 1 of KNOW (January-February 2006).


Curling: A “Rock-ing” Sport (page 16)

World Curling Federation

If students have not completed the You Try It!, do it as a class demonstration. For a variation, test the experiment with other objects or with a breadboard.

In this video from Dragonfly TV students will meet a young team of curlers who explain their sport (and the science behind it).


Sliding Sports (page 17)

International Luge Federation
International Federation of Bobsleigh and Skeleton Sports
International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation

Luge in action.

Skeleton in action.

Bobsleigh in action.

Classroom discussion: Your students will naturally know how to streamline their bodies; they do it all the time when they are riding a bike, sledding, or sliding down a waterslide. Discuss these experiences with your students. What makes them slide faster? How do they slow down?

Feedback
We are interested in making this guide as useful as possible. Please let us know if we've provided enough, too much, or not enough information. Any other thoughts or comments are appreciated.

Email: teacher@yesmag.ca

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