5 Olympic Activities

Check out my post at We Are Teachers: 5 Olympic Activities that Integrate Core Subjects!

Bubble Gum Exploration

Cross-curricular learning with bubble gum:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MNYQ30GsdJD1oSyImNqL73bFqz-HYGfS/view?usp=sharing

Math:
Graphing - Who can blow a bubble?
3D Solids - Comparing gum shapes
Measuring - Pre-chewed vs. chewed (stretched) vs. blowed bubble on wax paper
Mean, Median, Mode and Range (optional) - Using data for measuring
Area/Perimeter - Gum wrapper design (and real gum wrappers - optional)

Science:
States of Matter - Investigating the process of bubble blowing / physical changes of gum chewed and placed in ice water

English Language Arts:
Writing - How-to blow a bubble / Recipe for new flavor / Math word problem

Social Studies:
Economics - Cost of their gum
History - Inventor Research

Design:
Logo & Packaging - Design for their new flavor of gum

Raisin Math

This activity comes from Learn NC!

Give each student a small box of raisins.
First, kids estimate the number of raisins in their box.
Then, they count up their raisins and write down the number.
They graph their answer on a line plot.
You can create a line plot with post-it notes or have kids use round stickers to plot their number. Check out Teaching to Inspire to see kids in action!
Once all the numbers are on the line plot, find the mean, median, mode, and range!
How many raisins are more likely to be in a mini box?!
Then, observe your raisins! Do some boxes have plumper raisins? Why do some boxes have less?

Compare Raisins

Divide students up into teams of 2. One member gets one brand, the other gets a different brand.

First, kids estimate the number of raisins in their box.

Then, they count up their raisins and write down the number.

How did the brands compare? 

They graph their answer on a line plot (use 2 different colored stickers or post-its to keep track of each brand).

Lego MMMR

Hand each student a baggie of various Legos and explore mean, median, mode, and range!

Array Studs

1. Have kids classify bricks by number of studs.

2. Then, have them figure out the total number of studs for each group (ex:).

3. Once they have their numbers, they figure out the m,m,m,r.

Number of Bricks with Same Number of Studs

1. Kids classify bricks by number of studs.

2. Then, they count how many they have in each group (ex:).

3. Then, they figure out the m,m,m,r.

Lego Colors

You could also build Lego Towers and classify bricks by color. Then, have kids figure out the mean, median, mode, and range. Set a timer and have kids build the tallest tower they can before the time runs out! They take their tower apart and classify their bricks by color. Using their data (ex: 19 red,  10 blue, etc.), they figure out the m,m,m,r for their Lego colors.

World's Largest Lego Tower - photo via Read N Rock

Lego Stud Structure

You could also have students build towers with various studded Legos. The only rule is their structure must balance on its own. Students try to use as many bricks as possible! When the time is up, they take it apart and classify their bricks by the number of studs. Then, they figure out the m,m,m,r.

1 minute

What Can You Do In One Minute? This activity is from Mixing in Math! When introducing time to kids, explore 60 seconds. Have them choose three activities (example: drawing stars, jumping jacks, hopping on one leg, etc.) Then, have them estimate how many they can do in one minute. Did anyone choose the same activity? How did their score compare? What activity could they do the most of? Which activity did they do the least of?

For older kids, have them do 5 activities. Then, have them find the mean, median, mode, and range. They use their score for each activity. (Example: 60 hops, 50 stars, 40 jumping jacks, etc.) They find the m,m,m,and r of 60, 50, 40.....

- or - Choose one activity for the entire class to do in one minute. Then, write their scores on the board and have them figure out the m,m,m, and range.

Paperclip Math

1. Hands on Math: Paperclip Equations (also can be done with fact families)
2. The Longest Chain - First, have students estimate how many paperclips they think they can link in a certain amount of time. Then, set a timer and have students make a chain as quickly as possible! Measure the paperclip chains. Who created the longest? Who's guess was the closest to their actual number? 
3. Just my size - Have kids estimate how many paperclips it would take to create a chain the same height as them. 
4. Mean, Median, Mode, Range - Race to make a chain! When time is up, kids count how many clips they linked. Write down the number of clips they linked on the board from lowest to highest. Next, find the mean, add up all their scores and divide the sum by how many teams there were. Then, circle the number that falls in the middle (median). Mode - did anyone have the same number of paper clips on their chain? Finally, find the range: subtract the lowest score from the highest.
5. Paperclip patterns: link colors to create a pattern.
6. Floating Paperclip! - Visit Science Bob for a paperclip science experiment about surface tension.

Stacked!

1. M, M, M, R - Learn about mean, median, mode, and range through a stacking competition, no nesting cups allowed! Teams of two race to stack as many cups as they can in one minute. When time is up, kids count how many cups they stacked. Write down their numbers on the board from lowest to highest score. First, find the mean, add up all their scores and divide the sum by how many teams there were. Next, circle the number that falls in the middle - median. Mode - did anyone stack the same number of cups? Which number is repeated more often than the others (the most popular score). Finally, find the range: subtract the lowest score from the highest.

2. Measure - For younger kids, you can have them race to stack cups for a measuring competition! Pair kids up into teams of two. Teams stack as many cups as they can in one minute, no nesting cups allowed! Have them measure their stacked sculpture (height and width). What team will have the tallest castle? Who's will be the widest? Count the cups, what team stacked the most in one minute. Did any teams get the same score?

3. Estimate - have kids estimate how many nested cups it will take to build a tower the same height as them.

4. Revolving Math - Click here for place value and greater than, less than, or equal to cups!

5. Area and Perimeter and Arrays: Give students styrofoam cups. They flip them over and create a square or rectangular shape and figure out the area and perimeter or create arrays! (see image)