 How would you design the seating for an Olympic stadium so that spectators can get the best view of events? This activity is designed to be accessible to both GCSE and A-level maths students (Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5). |
 Take a look at the amazing limits that athletes push themselves to in search of Olympic glory. Which events see the fastest speeds, furthest distances and highest forces? This activity challenges students to undertake some research, calculate with measurements and different units, and make comparisons, and has a number of different parts aimed at students across both Key Stages 4 and 5. |
 The use of performance enhancing drugs is the dark side of sport, and there are stringent measures in place to try to screen athletes. But what's the likelihood that an athlete who fails a drug test has actually taken the banned drug? What do you think is the fairest way to construct a drug-testing regime? This activity, aimed at A-level students, explores some of the mathematics involved. |
 These 10 questions encourage students to explore mathematical modelling in the context of several different sports including track and field athletics, shooting, football, tennis, basketball and gymnastics. This activity is designed to be accessible to A-level mechanics students (Key Stage 5). |
 If you are training seriously for any sport then you are in the business of optimisation - doing all you can to enhance anything that will make you do better and minimise any faults that hinder your performance. John Barrow takes a look at how mathematics helps athletes optimise their performance in the high jump and pole vault in this article aimed at older students (Key Stages 4 and 5). |
 What would be the ideal weather conditions for breaking the world record in the shot put? This activity encourages A-level mechanics students (Key Stage 5) to explore and discuss modelling assumptions. |
 Could the location of the Olympic host city have an effect on weightlifting events? This activity provides an interesting context in which to engage with weight, mass and gravitation, and is aimed at A-level students (Key Stage 5). |
 Does weight give shot putters an advantage? This activity encourages students to engage in statistical analysis, and is aimed at GCSE and A-level students (Key Stages 4 and 5). |
 What are the probabilities of winning at tennis? This challenging activity is designed to be accessible to students of A-Level Maths (Key Stage 5). |
 How would you write a LOGO program to approximately reproduce the Olympic Rings logo? This activity is designed to be accessible to students at all levels of secondary maths (Key Stages 3, 4 and 5). |
 This activity investigates the mechanics of the pole vaulting event, and is designed to be accessible to A-level maths students (Key Stage 5). |
 Could the altitude of the city hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games have an effect on performance in the long jump? This challenging activity encourages mathematical reflection, investigation and discussion as students explore how weight and g varies around the world. It is aimed at students of A-Level maths (Key Stage 5). |
 These project ideas explore moment of inertia and its consequences in a number of different sports including diving, gymnastics and cycling, and encourage investigation, experiment and discussion. This activity is aimed at higher level GCSE and A Level students (Key Stages 4 and 5). |
 Team games like football, hockey, basketball, handball and wheelchair rugby are played on pitches or courts of different sizes with different numbers of players. The density of players on the pitch plays a significant role in determining the nature of the game and how fast players need to react. This investigative activity challenges students to research information about a number of sports and to engage in mathematical modelling, and is aimed at higher level GCSE and A Level students (Key Stage 4 and 5). |
 This activity suggests a number of investigative projects, focusing on athletics and swimming, exploring some of the trends between performances in different sports at the same time in history and in the rate of improvement of records over time. These project ideas provide opportunities for mathematical modelling and for handling, processing and analysing data, and are aimed at GCSE and A Level students (Key Stages 4 and 5). |
 In the 2008 Beijing Olympics the UK finished 4th in the total medal count. How might we do in 2012, and does the country hosting the Olympics have an edge? |
 As London is heading for the 2012 Olympics, it's not just athletes who are gearing up for action. Engineers, too, are working hard to produce the cutting-edge sporting equipment that guarantees record performances. If you're a tennis player, your most important piece of equipment is your racket. Over recent decades new materials have made tennis rackets ever bigger, lighter and more powerful. So what kind of science goes into designing new rackets? |
These activities are based on maths normally encountered while studying at A-level in the UK (ages 16 to 18). KS5 students may also enjoy our articles.
