Using the Context of the Olympic

Games to enhance the learning of

Mathematics

Pam Hammond, Educational Consultant

[email protected]

MAV 2019
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Tokyo Olympics, 2020
July 24th - August 9th
https://www.olympic.org/tokyo-2020

Japan will host 50 disciplines across 33 sports,

including the debut of Sport Climbing competitions.

Of the 339 events:

165 are for men,
156 are for women,
18 are mixed.
http://www.olympic.org/olympic-torch-relay

The Olympic torch incorporates elements of Japanese culture, and reinforces

Tokyo 2020’s Olympic Torch Relay concept: “Hope lights our way”.
The concept is designed to bring the
Japanese together around messages of
support, acceptance and encouragement
of one another, while reflecting the
Olympic flame’s ability to promote
peace and hope to the world.
Japan’s famed cherry blossoms happen
to bloom in March, coinciding with the
start of the Olympic Torch Relay, and the
shape of the torch also resembles a
Japanese traditional “Sakuramon” cherry
blossom emblem.
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The Olympic Rings
According to most accounts, the rings were adopted by Baron
Pierre de Coubertin (founder of the modern Olympic
Movement) in 1913 after he saw a similar design on an artefact
from ancient Greece. The five rings represent the major regions
of the world: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania.  
Pierre de Coubertin never said nor wrote that the colours of the
rings were linked with the different continents.
The Olympic Flag made its debut at the 1920 Olympic Games
in Antwerp, Belgium. At the end of each Olympic Games, the
mayor of the host-city presents the flag to the mayor of the next
host-city. It rests at the town hall of the next host-city for four
years until the Opening Ceremony of their Olympic Games.
Every national flag includes at least one of the five colours.
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Australia at the Olympics
Australia has been represented at every Modern Olympics
since they started in 1896. Since 1908 Australian Athletes
have worn the Coat of Arms over their hearts and it has
been the organisational mark for 100 years. Synonymous
with Australia, it is beloved by both athletes and fans and
held with passion and reverence . It has undergone changes
over the years but is the enduring national symbol.
o The Boxing Kangaroo, BK, is the official mascot of the
Australian Olympic Team. He will be cheering on all
members of the Team in Tokyo.
 The anticipated final size of the
2020 Australian Olympic Team
is 450.

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Countries that have hosted Olympics
Students investigate where past Olympics have been held:
 Locate on world map – latitude & longitude

 Population of the country

 Which city or cities in the country?

 Climate during the Olympics

 Height above sea-level

 Language spoken

 …

How may the location and climate affect performances?

Explore methods of presenting their findings.
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Country Flags

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165 Countries at the 2020 Olympics
Students investigate the countries that are participating:
 Locate on world map
 Population of the country
 Size of Olympic team
 Events in which they are participating
 Medals won and/or their results

Explore methods of representing the data.

Analyse data
Are there trends in the data?
If so, what may be the reasons?

Population Reference Bureau http://www.prb.org

Sports in the 2020 Olympics – 339 different events
Archery; Artistic Swimming; Diving
Athletics; Badminton; Baseball-softball; Basketball
Beach Volleyball; Boxing; Canoe Slalom; Canoe Sprint
Cycling Bmx; Cycling Mountain Bike; Cycling Road; Cycling Track
Equestrian / Dressage; Equestrian Eventing; Equestrian Jumping;
Fencing; Football; Golf; Handball; Hockey;
Gymnastics Artistic; Gymnastics Rhythmic;
Karate; Judo; Marathon Swimming; Modern Pentathlon; Rowing
Rugby; Sailing; Shooting; Skateboarding; Sport Climbing
Surfing; Swimming; Table Tennis; Taekwondo; Tennis;
Trampoline; Triathlon; Volleyball; Water Polo
Weightlifting; Wrestling Freestyle; Wrestling Greco-roman 9
Medal count
 Keep a tally of all countries’ medals
 Graph results at various times to compare (bar graphs,
pictographs …)
 Focus on specific category and compare countries
(swimming, cycling, sprints, long distance …)
The following countries have won medals, how
many gold, silver and bronze has each country won?
China 30
USA 25
Australia 22
Japan 10
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Investigating a sport
http://www.olympic.org/sports

 Students select favourite sport – create class graph

 Research history and when it joined the Olympics
 Equipment needed
 Rules and Scoring
 Where it is played/conducted
 When it is scheduled at the Tokyo Olympics
 Results
 Olympic and World records

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Maths in swimming
o Pool measurements (8 lanes)
o Distances (number of laps)
o Timing including tenths and
Kareena Lee
hundredths of sec.
o Split times
o Statistics
o Personal best times
o …
4x100m freestyle relay gold medal.
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Maths in diving
o Pool measurements
(5m depth)
o Board heights
(spring board 3m &
platform 10m)
o Scoring
o Statistics
o Personal best scores
o … Matthew Helm winning silver
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Maths in basketball
o Court measurements
o Scoring
o Statistics
o Timing (length of game, time
in key, counting down, tenths
of seconds)
o Ladder, finals draw .

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Basketball Game
1. What is the final score?
The difference in final scores for a basketball
game was 12.
What might each team’s score have been?
See how many different scores you can find.

2. The final score in a basketball game was 126 to 104.

More than half of each team’s score came from 3 pointers.

How many 3 point goals, 2 point goals and 1 point goals

were scored by each team?
Record your answers and the strategy you used.
See how many different answers you can find. 15
Maths in tennis
o Speed of ball
o Scoring
o Statistics
o Court measurements
o Equipment
o …

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Maths in cycling
o Distances
o Gearing
o Equipment Anna
Meares
o Timing including tenths
and hundredths of sec
o Speed
o Statistics
o Strategic thinking
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Maths in sailing

o Distances
o Timing
o Size of boats, sails

o Speed
o Angles and
vectors
o …
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ATHLETICS WAS CONTESTED IN THE FIRST ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES,
AND CHAMPIONS HAVE BEEN RECORDED FROM AS FAR BACK AS 776 BC.
FIRST AND ORIGINAL
The first event contested in the ancient Olympic Games was the “stadium” race, a
sprint of about 192 metres. Winners have been recorded from as far back as 776 BC.
ANCIENT EVENTS
The ancient Olympic Games included a wide variety of track and field events,
including longer foot races, a race in armour, a pentathlon event that consisted of
the “stadium” race, long jump, discus throw, javelin throw and wrestling.
OLYMPIC HISTORY
Since 1896, athletics has been at each of the Games. This has allowed popularity to
increase across the world, strengthened by the creation of the IAAF in 1912.
Women’s events appeared for the first time at
1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, men’s
programme was standardised at 1932 Games
in Los Angeles. Today women’s programme is
almost identical to that of the men’s.
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Maths in athletics
o Distances, timing
o Height, length, mass
o Speed
o Equipment
o Strategies

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Modern Pentathlon
Olympic History
 Modern Pentathlon started in Stockholm in 1912, invented
by Pierre de Coubertin, who stated modern pentathlon
would result in “a veritable consecration of the complete
athlete”. The ancient Olympics had the pentathlon when
the victor was regarded as a true all-rounder competing in
horse jumping, discus, javelin, running and wrestling.
 Components of the modern pentathlon are based on skills
required by a military messenger (pre-mechanisation)
delivering vital orders in battle. He needed to ride a horse
over obstacles, defend himself using his sword and
revolver whilst needing to swim and run to avoid capture
and ensure the message reached its destination. 
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Modern Pentathlon
 In one day athletes fire 20 shots from an air pistol in
40 seconds;
 fence every other competitor in a round-robin format;
 swim 200 metres in seeded heats;
 show jump on a horse only known for 20 minutes;
 3000m run with pentathletes setting off at intervals
corresponding to their points so that the first person
across the line wins the gold medal.
 A women’s event was introduced in Sydney in 2000.

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Students select events and investigate:
 Distances – estimate, then measure and mark these
 Length of jumps – estimate, then measure and
mark
 Height of jumps – estimate, then measure and mark
 Distance between hurdles
 Mass of shotput, hammer, discus – distances they
can be thrown, area needed (40° sector),
safety issues
 Times – estimate (close eyes-hand up at 9/20...sec.,

how many claps, hold your breath etc) 23

Students select events,
for example

 How far can you run in the record times?

Mark out 25m, 50m, 100m …
Students time themselves and measure the
distance they have run compared with records.

Graph results – individually for different records

– class graph for each record
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Students select length/height
events:

o Students conduct trials for chosen

event/s, compare their results with records.
o Graph results – individually for different records
– class graph for each record

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Using Olympic Statistics in the Classroom
Develops concepts of:
 Measurement in mass, length, height, distance

 Time in minutes, seconds and parts of seconds

 Graphical representations e.g., students
develop questions to collect data on favourite
sports/games; sports played by students;
favourite event in the Olympics..
Explore ways of representing
data.
…
Using Olympic Statistics in the Classroom
Develops concepts of:
 Whole number – counting, ordinal, ordering
 Decimals – value, comparing, ordering

 Operating on decimals
 Average

 Speed
… Podcasts available
on many athletes:
https://www.olympic
s.com.au/news/tokyo
-unleashed-podcast
2020

2020

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Integrated units
 Investigate equipment/clothing/playing surfaces
design over time. Website for equipment:
http://www.olympic.org/athletics-road-equipment-a
nd-history

 Plan and conduct school games

- timelines/scheduling events
- space/shapes/measurements for events
- design of flags/logos/medals …
- fitness/training/skill development
- graph personal performances (training & event)
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Olympic Day - Move, Learn, Discover
⁰ Olympic Day brings together people from all over the world to
celebrate the Olympic Games and Values. This encourages
young people to participate in sport, lead active, healthy lives.
⁰ Olympic Day is internationally celebrated on 23 June each
year. In Australia, Olympic Day is celebrated throughout June
on a day convenient to participating schools. 
⁰ You are invited to organise an Olympic Day at your school
and the AOC encourages Olympians
to pay a visit to a local school .
Teacher Guide and Lesson Plans
are available in Resources.
Start planning 2020 Olympic Day.

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Syndal PS
Some further challenges
When might women athletes catch the men?
- select an event
- graph men’s and women’s results over time
- analyse and discuss findings.
How much better can future athletes perform?
- select an event
- graph results over time
- use graph to predict the future.
Why are performances improving?
Enjoy the Olympic Games yourself and encourage
your class to be involved, both vicariously and
genuinely – email athletes, chat online …
Get ready for 24/ 07/ 2020
http://olympics.com.au

https://www.olympic.org/news/tokyo-2020

https://www.olympic.org/about-ioc-olympic-movement

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