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Celebrating the Olympics

To mark the Olympic Games 2016, we have gathered together tasks in this feature which provide a sporting context for some interesting mathematics.

All the tasks will challenge learners to reason mathematically and some even involve taking part in their own Olympic events.

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Favourite

Half Time

Age

5 to 11

Challenge level

What could the half time scores have been in these Olympic hockey matches?

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Favourite

The animals' sports day

Age

5 to 7

Challenge level

One day five small animals in my garden were going to have a sports day. They decided to have a swimming race, a running race, a high jump and a long jump.

$Can you do \it too?$

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Favourite

Can you do it too?

Age

5 to 7

Challenge level

Try some throwing activities and see whether you can throw something as far as the Olympic hammer or discus throwers.

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Favourite

The Games' Medals

Age

5 to 7

Challenge level

Can you see who the gold medal winner is? What about the silver medal winner and the bronze medal winner?

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Favourite

Going for Gold

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Looking at the 2012 Olympic Medal table, can you see how the data is organised? Could the results be presented differently to give another nation the top place?

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Favourite

Olympic Starters

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Look at some of the results from the Olympic Games in the past. How do you compare if you try some similar activities?

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Favourite

Match the Matches

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Decide which charts and graphs represent the number of goals two football teams scored in fifteen matches.

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Favourite

Now and Then

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Have a look at the results for some events at past Olympic Games. Can you use these to predict the results at the next Olympics?

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Favourite

Olympic Turns

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

This task looks at the different turns involved in different Olympic sports as a way of exploring the mathematics of turns and angles.

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Olympic Cards

Design your own scoring system and play Trumps with these Olympic Sport cards.

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Games from around the world

Age

5 to 11

Challenge level

Here are a collection of games from around the world to try during the holidays or the last few weeks of term.

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Favourite

Olympic rings

Age

5 to 7

Challenge level

Can you design your own version of the Olympic rings, using interlocking squares instead of circles?

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Who can be the winner?

Age

5 to 7

Challenge level

Some children have been doing different tasks. Can you see who was the winner?

article

Performing beyond expectations - using sport to motivate students in mathematics lessons

In this article, Alan Parr shares his experiences of the motivating effect sport can have on the learning of mathematics.

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Sports Equipment

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

If these balls are put on a line with each ball touching the one in front and the one behind, which arrangement makes the shortest line of balls?

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Favourite

National Flags

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

This problem explores the shapes and symmetries in some national flags.