Sport Collection

Here is a nice collection of NRICH activities related to sport, ideal for the English sporty summer of 2012.

You can also find lots of lovely activities on the sport.maths.org pages.

Remember that our stages roughly refer to the English Key Stages in which the mathematical content is likely to be found and the number of stars indicate how difficult is is likely to be to get into the problem. All our problems are likely to contain enough depth to satisfy the most enthusiastic problem solvers!

10 Olympic Starters

Stage: 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

10 intriguing starters related to the mechanics of sport.

Alternative Record Book

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

In which Olympic event does a human travel fastest? Decide which events to include in your Alternative Record Book.

Angle of Shot

Stage: 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

At what angle should you release the shot to break Olympic records?

Any Win for Tennis?

Stage: 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

What are your chances of winning a game of tennis?

Can You Do it Too?

Stage: 1 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

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

David and Goliath

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Does weight confer an advantage to shot putters?

Decathlon: the Art of Scoring Points

Stage: 3, 4 and 5

How do decisions about scoring affect who wins a combined event such as the decathlon?

Half Time

Stage: 1 and 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

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

High Jumping

Stage: 4 and 5

How high can a high jumper jump? How can a high jumper jump higher without jumping higher? Read on...

Light Weights

Stage: 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

See how the weight of weights varies across the globe.

Medal Muddle

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Countries from across the world competed in a sports tournament. Can you devise an efficient strategy to work out the order in which they finished?

Now and Then

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Look at the changes in results on some of the athletics track events at the Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948. Compare the results for 2012.

Nutrition and Cycling

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Andy wants to cycle from Land's End to John o'Groats. Will he be able to eat enough to keep him going?

Olympic Cards

Stage: 1 and 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

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

Olympic Logic

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?

Olympic Measures

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

These Olympic quantities have been jumbled up! Can you put them back together again?

Olympic Records

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Can you deduce which Olympic athletics events are represented by the graphs?

Olympic Starters

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

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

Olympic Triathlon

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Is it the fastest swimmer, the fastest runner or the fastest cyclist who wins the Olympic Triathlon?

Olympic Turns

Stage: 2 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3 Challenge Level:3

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

Opening Patterns

Stage: 1 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Look at some of the patterns in the Olympic Opening ceremonies and see what shapes you can spot.

Performing Beyond Expectations - Using Sport to Motivate Students in Mathematics Lessons

Stage: 2, 3 and 4

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

Pole Vaulting

Stage: 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Consider the mechanics of pole vaulting

Secondary Sport Collection

Stage: 3, 4 and 5

This is our secondary collection of favourite mathematics and sport materials.

Speed-time Problems at the Olympics

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to race against Usain Bolt?

Stadium Sightline

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

How would you design the tiering of seats in a stadium so that all spectators have a good view?

The Fastest Cyclist

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Andy is desperate to reach John o'Groats first. Can you devise a winning race plan?

The Olympic Torch Tour

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

Imagine you had to plan the tour for the Olympic Torch. Is there an efficient way of choosing the shortest possible route?

Track Design

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Where should runners start the 200m race so that they have all run the same distance by the finish?

Training Schedule

Stage: 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

The heptathlon is an athletics competition consisting of 7 events. Can you make sense of the scoring system in order to advise a heptathlete on the best way to reach her target?

Weekly Challenge 20: the Olympic LOGO

Stage: 3, 4 and 5 Short Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

A weekly challenge concerning drawing shapes algorithmically.

What's the Point of Squash?

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Under which circumstances would you choose to play to 10 points in a game of squash which is currently tied at 8-all?

Who Can Be the Winner?

Stage: 1 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

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

Who's the Best?

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

Which countries have the most naturally athletic populations?

Who's the Winner?

Stage: 3 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

When two closely matched teams play each other, what is the most likely result?

Little Little G

Stage: 5 Challenge Level: Challenge Level:2 Challenge Level:2

See how little g and your weight varies around the world. Did this variation help Bob Beamon to long-jumping succes in 1968?

The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice. More information on many of our other activities can be found here.
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