Primary News
(Year 3 to Year 6)
The 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games begin this week with the Opening Ceremony on July 26 2024. The Olympic Games are always an exciting time for the students and teachers with only 2 of these massive events happening within a student’s primary schooling. With the Olympics just around the corner, there’s a fantastic opportunity to turn this global event into a fun and educational experience for your child. The excitement of the games can be a powerful tool to help develop their understanding of numbers and various mathematical concepts. Here are 6 activities you can complete with your child throughout the Olympics that can assist in developing their Mathematical understanding:
1. Tracking Medals
- Activity: Create a medal tally chart.
- Skills: Counting, addition, and subtraction.
- How: Track the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals won by different countries. Encourage your child to add up the totals and compare the results daily.
2. Time Calculation
- Activity: Calculate race times.
- Skills: Time measurement, addition, and subtraction.
- How: Look at the timings for various races and events. Ask your child to calculate the differences between the first, second, and third place times.
3. Distance Measurement
- Activity: Measure and compare distances.
- Skills: Units of measurement, comparison, and multiplication.
- How: Discuss the distances in long jump, triple jump, and javelin throw. Have your child convert meters to centimeters and compare the lengths.
4. Statistics and Probability
- Activity: Predict outcomes and analyse results.
- Skills: Probability, statistics, and data analysis.
- How: Before an event, ask your child to predict which country might win based on past performance. After the event, compare the prediction with the actual results and discuss the outcomes.
5. Understanding Graphs and Charts
- Activity: Create graphs and charts.
- Skills: Data representation, graphing, and interpretation.
- How: Help your child to plot medal counts on a bar graph or pie chart. This visual representation can make it easier for them to understand and compare data.
6. Geometry in Sports
- Activity: Explore shapes and angles.
- Skills: Geometry, angles, and spatial awareness.
- How: Discuss the geometric shapes found in different sports fields and equipment. Measure the angles in a soccer goal or the shape of a basketball court.
By incorporating these activities into your daily routine during the Olympics, you can help your child see the practical applications of Mathematics in the real world. Plus, it’s a great way to bond and enjoy the games together!