Grade 6: Math in the Winter Olympics
What can the Winter Olympics teach sixth graders about rate?
A "rate" is a special ratio (numbers comparison) in which the two terms (measurements) are in different units.
For two weeks, while athletes from all over the world are competing in Sochi, Graland students are studying the importance of rate in winter sports. In a student-designed lesson, groups of four selected a sport to research and examine in terms of rate.
"We're talking about how speeds are getting faster and what is causing that," explains math teacher Laurie Chandler. "What is the effect of snow and ice, the uniform design and the technology of the equipment and course?"
Ski jumping came under the scrutiny of Anna Bock, Wyatt Cirbo, Haley Harnisch and Cody Heselton. Some of their research included information about how the sport is scored and how men and women are scored differently.
After gathering and analyzing their data, students will give a presentation of their findings. Together, the classes developed the rubric for their project grade.
"It's a chance for students to learn about different sports like curling and to get involved in current events," Laurie says. "They're already so excited about the Olympics, and we were already studying rate, so it's a perfect fit."
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
