London olympic games.cwk (dr)

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

THE BIG IDEA:

• 6 balls of varying size and weight; tennis ball, small rubber ball, rubber ball, soft foam ball table tennis ball, squash ball.1 metre ruler ( folding type is best)

1. You are to measure the bounce height of each of the balls to find out which ball is the bounciest.2. Before you start any testing, place the balls in order of least bouncy to bounciest. Say why you have put the balls in the order you have.3. Each ball should be dropped from the same height on to the same surface to make your test “fair”.4. Using the metre ruler measure and record the bounce height of each of the balls. Measure the ball when it is at the top of its bounce and record each measure. 5. Make sure you you bounce and measure each ball at least 5 times. Average your measurements to get one result.6. Graph your results on a bar graph.

N.B. This activity could be used as an assessment activity on designing and carrying out a fair test (see Teachers’ Choice of NEMP Tasks No.14)

BALL BOUNCEThe bounce depends on the ball’s construction, the material it is made from, the surface that the ball hits, and even its temperature.

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Prepared by Warren Bruce and Jim Wilde - Adviser in Science

WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

•1.5m Length of guttering.• Water• Four hull shapes• String• Weights• Stopwatch or equivalent timer

THE BIG IDEA: The shape of a boat’s hull determines how fast it will travel through water.

HULL SHAPES

1. Set up the spouting length as a water trough.2. Weight the string so that it moves smoothly through the hole so that it will pull the boat evenly through the water.3. Before testing the hull shapes, predict the one that you think will move the fastest through the water.4. Hook the string to the hull to be tested.5. Pull the hull back to the end of the trough.6. Record the time taken for each hull to travel the length of the trough.7. Repeat your test at least four times for each hull shape.

Hull Shape TestHull ShapeTest 1Test 2Test 3Test 4Average Time

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• A ruler• Measuring stick sheets totape to ruler.

THE BIG IDEA:

Which of you has the fastest reaction time?Compare your time with the team’s average.

1. One person holds the ruler.2. The second person places their thumb and index finger either side of the ruler near the bottom of the ruler.3. At the moment the ruler is dropped the second person grabs the ruler between their two fingers.4. Note the time taken to catch the ruler.5. Draw a table of results.

Quick reaction times are very important to bea good athlete.

REACTIONS LON

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• One table tennis ball • An experimental ‘hockey stick’• A ruler

THE BIG IDEA: Where you hold the handle of the bat can increase speed of the bat when hitting the ball.

HIT THAT BALL!

In some sports players use a bat, hockey stick or golf stick to hit the ball. They want to use their stick to get the maximum force so that they can hit the ball a long way.

1. Set up experimental ‘hockey stick’ using the top holes.2. Decide on a method for pulling the ‘stick’ back to the same point each time.3. Place the golf ball in the same position for each test.4. Gather some data by first testing the swing of the stick from the top set of holes.5. Now carry out the same tests of each of the lower holes.6. Can you notice any trends or patterns in your gathered data?

LON

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Some cotton balls• Ruler

THE BIG IDEA: Scientists often make estimations before carrying out the activity and taking more accurate measurements.

COTTON BALL SHOT PUT

1. Stand at the tape line on the floor. 2. Estimate how far the cotton ball will go. Place a marker where you think the cotton ball will land. Measure how far you think it will go using the tape measure.3. Throw one cotton ball as far as you can and mark where it landed. 4. Measure the distance your cotton ball travelled. 5. Record the results on your recording sheet.

LON

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Paper plates• Ruler

THE BIG IDEA:

PAPER PLATE DISCUS THROW

1. Estimate how far you think the plate will go. Place a marker where you think the plate will reach. Measure how far you think it will go using the tape measure.2. Throw the paper plate from the throw line and mark where it landed. 3. Measure the distance the plate travelled. 4. Record this distance on your recording sheet

Scientists often make estimations before carrying out the activity and taking more accurate measurements.

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Whiteboard• Whiteboard marker

THE BIG IDEA:

HIGH JUMP

1. Stand next to the whiteboard. 2. Stretch your arm up while keeping both feet flat on the ground. 3. Mark the highest point at which you can reach.4. Predict where you think you will reach when you jump to make another mark.5. Jump as high as you can and make a chalk mark on the board. 6. Measure the distance between the two marks. 7. Record this height on your recording sheet.

Scientists often make estimations before carrying out the activity and taking more accurate measurements.

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Large glass jar (half gallon)• Large bowl• Two small blocks of wood or pieces of brick• Length of plastic tubing

THE BIG IDEA: For athletes to compete in any event they need to breathe in lots of air.

LUNG CAPACITY

Many athletes are fit people who have developed big lungs.

1. Fill a large jar with water.2. Cover the mouth of the jar with a piece of cardboard or lino tile and turn it upside down.3. Place the jar upside down in the bowl in the bowl which should be half filled with water.4. Stand the jar on two half bricks or blocks.5. Poke a piece of tubing into the jar.6. Mark the water level in the jar (if it is not completely full).7. Take a deep breath. Hold your nose.8. Blow steadily (one lungful).9. Mark the jar.10. Measure the difference between the two marks.11. Measure the size of your chest.

12. Compare gathered data from the lung tests and corresponding chest measurements.13. Can you see any trends and patterns beginningto appear?

LON

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Straws• Ruler

THE BIG IDEA:

STRAW JAVELINScientists often make estimations before carrying out the activity and taking more accurate measurements.

1. Estimate how far you think your straw javelin will travel. Place a marker where you think the ‘javelin’ will reach. Measure the distance you have marked using a tape measure.2. Throw a straw as far as you can using an overhand motion. 3. Have a partner watch for and mark the place where your straw first hits the ground. 4. Measure the distance between the throwing line and this point. 5. Record this distance on your recording sheet.

LON

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• 6 Film Canisters filled with different amounts of sand.• A balance

THE BIG IDEA: Scientists often make estimations before carrying out the activity and taking more accurate measurements.

FIND THE MASS RACE!

1. Place the canisters in order from the lightest to the heaviest.2. Use the letters on the canisters to describe their order from lightest to heaviest. 3. Now use the balance to find the mass of each canister. 4. Record your measurements. 5. You have only one minute to complete this event.

LON

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Bowl• Sponge• Scales

THE BIG IDEA:

THE SPONGE SQUEEZE!

Scientists often make estimations before carrying out the activity and taking more accurate measurements.

• Place a sponge in a bowl of water and let it soak up lots of water. • Using only one hand, squeeze the water from the sponge into a balance pan. Get as much water out that you can with only one squeeze. • Measure the mass of this water using the unit of measure that is provided. • Record this measurement on your recording sheet.

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

THE BIG IDEA: Gravity pulls the shuttlecock towards the Earth. Air resistance acts on the shuttle cock slowing its fall.

SHUTTLECOCK

WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Corks• Feathers• Collection of shuttlecocks• Stopwatch• Rubber bands

THE BIG IDEA:

1. Construct a shuttlecock using a cork, feathers and a rubber band. Test your shuttlecock by timing its drop rate. Make some changes by spreading the feathers, using more or fewer feathers, making it heavier, etc.

A modern shuttlecock has 14 to 16feathers. These are still fixed into acork base. Today nylon and plasticare used to make shuttlecocks. Theyare cheaper and last longer. Compareyour home-made shuttlecock witha bought one.

2. Carry out an investigation into the drop time for different shuttlecocks.3. Time the drop rate by dropping each of the different shuttlecocks, one at a time, from as high as possible.4. Make the test fair by dropping each shuttlecock from the same height.5. Which shuttlecock drops the slowest?6. What other differences between the shuttlecocksdo you observer? 7. Try other ways of dropping.

Air ResistanceForce

GravitationalForce

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Marked out beam 5m long and 10 cm wide with masking tape on the floor.• 2 plastic bottles filled with sand.• Sheet of figures• Scissors• Paper clips

BALANCING

Gymnasts need strength and balance. A beam is 10 cm wide and gymnasts twist and turn, jump and somersault in it.

1. Walk along the marked out beam with your arms held to your sides.2. Turn around and when half way along the beam jump and land on one foot.3. Look where your foot is. Would you have fallen off?4. Do the same thing again but this time with your arms outstretched. What do you notice when walking the beam?5. Try it once more. This time hold the filled bottles of sand in each hand. You do not need to jump this time!6. Did this help you balance?

One way to balance is by moving outstretched hands or loads. The tightrope walker uses this method.

7. Cut out one of the figures on the sheet and put some paper clips on each of the arms.

8. Balance the figure by the nose on the tip of yourfinger.

THE BIG IDEA: Objects balance more easily when the centre of gravity is below the support point.

LON

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

THE BIG IDEA:

• A hair dryer• Cotton reel (the ‘cyclist’)• Piece of cardboard 15 cm x 6 cm folded in half to represent the ‘pacer’.• A ruler

In some cycle races pacing is allowed. A pacer is another cyclist that gets out in front for the others to follow closely. By getting in close the cyclist that is following gets into the slipstream created by the front cyclist.1. Use a cotton reel to represent the cyclist.2. Tape the piece of cardboard in a V shape to the table about 10 cm from the edge, this represents the ‘pacer’.3. Use the hair dryer to create the rushing wind. Hold the hair dryer level with the table and about 10 cm in front of the cardboard ‘pacer’.4. Place the ‘ cyclist’ (the cotton reel) 20 cm behind the cardboard (the ‘pacer’).5. Gradually move the ‘cyclist’ 1 cm at a time nearer the ‘pacer’.6. Observe what happens. At what distance behind the ‘pacer’ does the slipstream take effect?

7. Does the size of the ‘pacer’ make a difference?

THE CYCLISTThe cyclist often uses the slipstream created by the cyclist in front to help them go faster.

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Marbles• Container

THE BIG IDEA:

RIGHT- HANDMARBLE GRAB

1. Estimate how many marbles you think you will be able to grab in one hand.2.With the right hand only, grab a fistful of marbles from the container.3. Count the number of marbles that you have managed to grab.4. Repeat three times.

Hand size can be an advantage in many sports.

LON

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Bathroom scales• Triangular block of wood

THE BIG IDEA:

SPRINT STARTSAND THRUST

You are going to find out if you get more thrust using a sprint start to a standing start. You will need to work with a partner.1. Stand with your left foot only on the scales. Without moving your right foot push down as hard as you can with the left. DO NOT JUMP ONTO THE SCALES. Record your results.2. Now repeat step A, but with your right foot on the scales. Record your results.3. Rest the scales on an angle against the wall.4. Now take up the sprint position(as in the diagram) with your leftfoot on the scales. Push backwardsas hard as you can. Get your partnerto read the result. Repeat with yourright foot.

5. Get your partner torepeat the activity.

Runners will start in a position that gives them maximum thrust as they take off.

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• Bathroom Scales

THE BIG IDEA:

MUSCLES & MOVEMENT

1. You are going to carry out each step, 2 to 6. In each step ask your partner to read the scales and record the results.2. Put the scales on thetable. Push your fists firmlydown on the scales. Themuscles that are workingare triceps.3. Put the scales under theedge of a table. Push upwards on the scales,hands flat. You are nowtesting your biceps.4. Grip the scales in yourhands. Squeeze. Thefinger muscles are nowworking.

5. Hold the scales betweenthe palms of your hands.Push them together. Youare working your pectoralmuscles.6. Stand the scales against a wall. Push the scaleswith both legs. You are now using your thighmuscles.

Different muscles are used for different movements.

2.

3.

5.

4.

6.

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CURVE BALL

WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

• 1 table tennis ball with a vivid marker line drawn around the circumference• 2 cardboard tubes, 60 cm in length and wide enough to allow the tt ball to pass through• 1 sheet of medium grade sandpaper

THE BIG IDEA: The friction between air and a spinning ball causes a the ball to curve as it moves through the air.

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1. Roll up a sheet of sand paper (rough side facing inside) and slide it into one of the tubes ensuring that a table tennis ball will still roll through.

2. Glue the sandpaper in place, positioning it so that it is level with one end.

3. To throw tennis ball curves:• hold the tube with your throwing hand at the

opposite the sandpaper.• drop the ball into the tube and quickly swing the

tube horizontally through the air.

4. The ball will shoot out of the tube and curve through the air as it flies forward.

5. Try again, but this time use the tube with no sandpaper. Does it curve as much?

6. Repeat with both tubes, using you other hand to throw the ball so that it spins in the opposite direction. What about an overhead throw?

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THE BIG IDEA:

FLIGHT ANGLE

WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

THE BIG IDEA:

1. Set up the launching device.2. Set the the ramp at the required angle.3. Release the marble down the ramp.4. Repeat this four times, noting each result.5. Average each set of results.3. Increase the angle of the launcher and repeating steps 2 to 5.

Does the angle that an object follows make a difference to the distance it travels?

The speed and angle that a ball is launched at will determine the distance that it will travel.

• ramp• marble • board• paper with angles marked on it

Sloping Board

Ramp

Paper with angles

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WHAT YOU NEED:

WHAT TO DO:

THE BIG IDEA:

IS BLACK COOL?Dark surfaces absorb heat more readily than light ones.

• test tubes painted white, black, yellow and one unpainted to act as the control• thermometers• stand to hold test tubes• light bulb (mounted)• stop watch

1. Insert one white, black, yellow and clear test tube into the stand.2. Fill each test tube with tap water.3. Put the thermometers in the test tubes. Measure the temperature (record this as Time 0)3. Make sure the test tubes are equal distance from the heat source (the bulb). Turn on the light.4. Take the temperature every minute, for 10 minutes.5. Record the results on a table similar to the one below.

Temperatures in the Test TubesTimeBlackWhiteYellow

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6. Test other colours as appropriate.

Clear

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