You can find all our current 'Maths and Sport: Countdown to the Games' project resources below. There are two types of content - activities for Key Stages 1 through to 5 (ages 5 to 18) and articles aimed at older students and the interested general reader:
We'll be publishing new content throughout the run-up to the 2012 Games. Join our mailing list for our regular email newsletter, or receive project updates by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
Activities
Key Stage 1
Olympic Rings This activity explores shapes and circles by encouraging children to look really hard at something they will see very often in the run-up to London 2012, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils at Key Stage 1.
The Games' Medals Who could have won the gold, silver and bronze medals? This activity could be used as a starter for class or group discussions and is designed to be accessible to primary school children at Key Stage 1.
Key Stage 1 and 2
Half time What could the half-time scores have been in these Olympic hockey matches? This activity encourages systematic working and discussion, and is designed to be accessible to primary school children (Key Stages 1 and 2).
Swimming pool We're investigating the number of steps we would climb up or down to get out of or into the swimming pool. How could you number the steps below the water? This activity uses the familiar environment of a swimming pool to introduce negative numbers, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils (Key Stages 1 and 2).
Key Stage 2
Jumping After training hard, Ben and Mia have improved their performance in the long jump and high jump. Can you work out the length and height of their original jumps? This activity explores multiplication, division and fractions in the context of sports training, and is designed to be accessible to primary school pupils (Key Stage 2).
Match the matches Decide which charts and graphs represent the number of goals two football teams scored in fifteen matches. This data handling activity is designed to get children talking meaningfully about mathematics, presenting and justifying arguments, and is aimed at primary school pupils (Key Stage 2).
Going for Gold Looking at the 2008 Olympic Medal table, can you see how the data is organised? Could the results be presented differently to give another nation the top place? This activity encourages children to develop their skills in data analysis, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils at Key Stage 2.
Our Sports What events are there in your school sports day, and in the Olympic Games? What are your favourite races and sports? This activity encourages discussion and decisions about how to collect and display data, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils at Key Stage 2.
Sports Equipment Sports such as hockey, football, basketball and tennis use balls of different sizes. Can you arrange a selection of different balls in a line each touching the next to make the shortest line? This activity offers opportunities for creative thinking and problem solving and helps pupils to understand the properties of circles. It can be presented using your school's own sports equipment and is aimed at primary school pupils (Key Stage 2).
National Flags During the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games many national flags will be on display, celebrating the Olympic Value of friendship. This activity explores 2D shapes, angles and symmetries in the context of flag designs, and is designed to be accessible to primary pupils at Key Stage 2.
Key Stage 2 and 3
The Olympic Flame: are you in the 95%? The organisers of the Olympic Torch Relay hope that the planned route means that the Torch will come within 10 miles of 95% of the population of Britain. Has this worked? This activity can be approached at different levels by a wide range of ages from older primary school pupils to GCSE students (Key Stages 2, 3 and 4).
Key Stage 3
Olympic records Can you work out which Olympics athletics event each anonymised graph of Olympic records data represents? This activity encourages you to use your own knowledge about athletics to interpret graphical data, and is designed to be accessible to younger secondary maths students (Key Stage 3).
Reaction timer Whether you're responding to a starting pistol or hitting a ball served by your opponent, reaction times are enormously important in sport. This activity includes both an interactive computer test of reaction times and suggestions for a hands-on experiment, and encourages younger secondary maths students (Key Stage 3) to make and test hypotheses and to collect and analyse data.
Who's the winner? What is the most likely score in a hockey match between two equally-matched teams? This activity gives an opportunity to investigate probability in the context of sport, and is designed to be accessible to younger secondary maths students (Key Stage 3).
Triathlon and fitness The triathlon is a physically gruelling challenge. Can you work out which athlete burnt the most calories? This activity provides a real-life context for working with proportionality, speed, rates, and units of measurement and is aimed at Key Stage 3 students (age 11-14).
Archery Use our interactivity to simulate picking up a bow and some arrows and trying to hit the target a few times. Can you work out the best settings for the sight? This activity gives an opportunity to gather and collate data, and to test hypotheses, and is designed to be accessible to younger secondary maths students (Key Stage 3).
Olympic Logic Four sporty brainteasers in the context of fencing, hockey, football and international medal tables. This activity is designed to be accessible to younger secondary maths students (KS3).
Medal Muddle Can you work out which order these thirteen nations finished in after competing? This activity presents an exercise in strategic thinking, accessible to lower secondary students (but hinting at the more advanced mathematics of sorting algorithms that they might meet if continuing to study maths at A-level). It is aimed at younger secondary maths students (Key Stage 3).
Key Stage 3 and 4
Charting success Sports statisticians, trainers and competitors create graphs, charts and diagrams to help them to analyse performance, inform training programmes or improve motivation. This activity encourages students to consider and analyse representations of data from a number of sports, and to discuss whether the right representation has been chosen for the purpose. It is aimed at secondary students (Key Stages 3 and 4).
Charting more success This activity follows on from Charting success above, and encourages students to consider and analyse representations of data from the world of sport, to make sense of the stories they tell, and to analyse whether the right representation has been chosen for the purpose. It is aimed at secondary students (Key Stages 3 and 4).
Who's the best? Can you use data from the 2008 Beijing Olympics medal tables to decide which country has the most naturally athletic population? This activity encourages mathematical investigation and discussion and is designed to be accessible to secondary maths students at Key Stages 3 and 4.
The Olympic LOGO How would you write a LOGO program to 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).
The Olympic Flame: are you in the 95%? The organisers of the Olympic Torch Relay hope that the planned route means that the Torch will come within 10 miles of 95% of the population of Britain. Has this worked? This activity can be approached at different levels by a wide range of ages from older primary school pupils to GCSE students (Key Stages 2, 3 and 4).
Key Stage 4
Training schedule The heptathlon consists of 7 athletics events. Looking at a heptathlete's current performance in these events, how should she plan her training schedule? This activity examines the maths behind the heptathlon's scoring system, and is aimed at GCSE students (Key Stage 4).
Track design You are designing and marking out the running track for a new Olympic stadium. Where should the staggered starting positions be marked for the 200m and 400m events? This activity is aimed at GCSE maths students (Key Stage 4).
The Olympic Torch tour Can you find the best route for the Olympic Torch to take on its tour around the UK? This more challenging activity is designed to be accessible to GCSE maths students (Key Stage 4).
Speed/time problems at the Olympics By what length would Usain Bolt beat you if you raced him in the 200m? This activity presents 8 speed/time problems from Olympic athletics, rowing and cycling and is aimed at GCSE students (Key Stage 4).
Stadium Sightline How would you design the seating for an Olympic stadium so that spectators can get the best view of events? This slightly more challenging activity is designed to be accessible to GCSE maths students (KS4).
Speed and accuracy This activity investigates the importance of accurate measurement in competitive sport, looking at examples from athletics and swimming. It is aimed at secondary maths students (Key Stage 4).
What's the point of squash? Squash isn't an Olympic sport (yet!) but it has an interesting scoring system. If you reach 8-all in a game of squash, when should you decide to play to 9 points rather than 10? This activity is designed to be accessible to students of GCSE maths (Key Stage 4).
Key Stage 4 and 5
David and Goliath 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).
The speed of the game 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 project 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 Stages 4 and 5).
Project ideas: World Records - Correlations and Predicting the Future 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).
A question of balance These investigative project ideas explore 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).
Key Stage 5
Model Solutions 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.
Light weights 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).
Pole vaulting Can you analyse and describe the mechanics involved in the pole vault event? This activity provides an interesting context for applied mathematics and physics investigation, and is designed to be accessible to A-Level students (Key Stage 5).
10 Olympic starters 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).
Little little g 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).
Any win for tennis? 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).
Drug testing 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 - game theory and probability - involved.
Articles
Leaning into 2012 This article explores the Velodrome, the first of the London 2012 venues to be completed. With its sweeping curved roof and beautiful cedar clad exterior the Velodrome is a stunning building. But what the athletes are most excited about is the elegant wooden cycle track enclosed inside. How does its geometry contribute to speed?
How the Velodrome found its form The Velodrome, with its striking curved shape, was the first venue to be completed in the London Olympic Park, and has been shortlisted for the 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize, the UK's most prestigious architectural award. This article interviews structural engineers Andrew Weir and Pete Winslow, part of the design team for the Velodrome, to discover how mathematics helped create its iconic shape.
High Jumping 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).
No limits for Usain Usain Bolt, the "fastest man on the planet", aims to get his 100 metre world record of 9.58 seconds down to 9.40 seconds. But is there an ultimate record limit which no runner can possibly break? In this article, aimed at the general public and older students, Tony Crilly looks at whether mathematics can give us the answer.
The answer to runnin' in the wind Runners and cyclists can tolerate heat and cold but the thing they dislike most is wind. They know it produces slower lap times on loop courses. John Barrow explores whether mathematics can provide the answer why in this article aimed at older students and general readers.
Blast it like Beckham? What tactics should a soccer player use when taking a penalty kick? And what can the goalkeeper do to foil his plans? John Haigh uses Game Theory to find the answers in this article aimed at general readers and older students.
Power Trip How long will football managers stay with their team, and does talent matter? Marc West investigates how mathematical power laws can shed light on predicting managers' tenure in this article aimed at general readers and older students.
If you can't bend it, model it How can mathematical models help us understand the beautiful game? Playing ball games often involves modifying the ball's flight to gain tactical advantage by hitting or kicking it in a particular way. Ken Bray investigates aerodynamics in football in this article, aimed at older students and the general public.
A fly walks round a football... What makes a perfect football? Anyone who plays or watches the game can tell you that the ball must be round, retain its shape, be bouncy but not too lively and, most importantly, be capable of impressive speeds. This last point is all down to the ball's surface: in this article Ken Bray explores how mathematics contributes to understanding this ultimate goal in ball design.
Anyone for tennis (and tennis and tennis...)? The epic Isner-Mahut match at Wimbledon in 2010, where the fifth set lasted for three days, may have sent shivers down the spine of Olympics schedulers. How freakish an event was it, and what's the probability that a similar situation might arise in 2012? This article, aimed at older students and the general public, investigates.
"Ping Pong is coming home" Table tennis first became an Olympic sport in 1988, but changed its scoring system in 2001 to make matches more exciting for spectators. But how does the new system compare to the old one in terms of your chances of winning? This article, aimed at older students and the general public, investigates.
A question of tactics - How should you decide which leg of the 4x400 metres relay the team's fastest runner should run? In this short article, aimed at older students and the general public, Professor John D Barrow looks at some of the tactical choices team captains and coaches face and how randomness might help.
What's the link between a spectacular gymnastic routine and a rollercoaster? What goes up must come down, a short article aimed at older students and the general public, explains.
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? Our article The Home Advantage, aimed at older students and the general public, takes a look.
Harder, better, faster, stronger After every Olympics, there is speculation about which country performed best. Should we really be surprised when China, with its huge population, and the US, with the world's highest GDP, top the medal table? Can we take a look at the medal tables and see which countries did indeed perform better than expected? Examine the facts with this article aimed at older students and the general public.
The maths of gold medals: four Olympic thoughts The Olympic and Paralympic Games are a global celebration of excellence, determination and effort, but perceptions of success often focus on each country's tally of gold medals. This article by Rob Eastaway and John Haigh explores some mathematical questions about Olympic gold. How well did Britain really do in 2008 in Beijing? Are some gold medals worth more than others? And are there even some sports the Olympics should drop?
Making gold for 2012 For this article Plus, our free online maths magazine, interviewed leading researchers in sports technology and engineering to learn more about their work with Olympic and Paralympic athletes in a range of sports. Improvements to equipment or clothing may save only a few hundredths of a second, but that can mean the difference between a silver or gold medal.
When errors snowball - Accuracy matters when it comes to building Olympic sports venues. This short article, aimed at older students and the general public, looks at why small errors can have large consequences for record-breaking sporting performance.
Swimming in mathematics One of the most impressive features of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was the beautiful aquatics venue, known as the Water Cube. Looking as if it was sliced from a giant foam of bubbles, the design was based on an unsolved maths problem. This article, first published in 2008 and aimed at older students and the general public, shows how, although the bubbles looked completely random, the underlying structure was highly regular and buildable.
Making a racket: the science of tennis — 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? Find out with our article aimed at older students and the general public
IT project manager - Olympic Games — Travel, money, meeting new people, living in new cultures, and a whole lot of sport — that's where maths has taken Jamie Clarke, an IT project manager who specialises in international sport projects such as the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. In this interview, originally published on our Plus website, Jamie tells how he went from engineering to the Olympics.
Find more articles on maths and sport beyond the Olympics, from the football World Cup to Formula One, in the Plus Mathematics in Sport package.
We'll be publishing new resources throughout the run-up to the 2012 Games. Join our mailing list to receive email notifications when new resources are published.
