In a sport where just fractions of a second can separate a winner from also-rans, engineering makes a big difference. Speed skating, for instance, once depended on endurance and brute force. Now, it’s as much a feat of science and technology as strength.

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Filed under: Special Features | 2 Comments »

Tags: Amazing Engineering, Feature Story, Olympics, Sports Engineering

Advance Placement courses are tough and failure rates are high. But last year, Christopher Bruhn, an AP physics teacher at the Dallas School of Science and Engineering, challenged his 24 students: If they all passed, they could shave his head. The incentive worked.

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Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on A Heady Experience All Around

Students build a simulated luge track and make predictions about the impact of surface type, wind resistance, size of slope, and shape of luge on their track; test their predictions by conducting several simulated luge runs; and make conclusions about the effects of physical forces on the sport of luging.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 6 Comments »

Tags: Class Activities, Curriculum, Grades 3-8, Lesson Plan, Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources

This website informs students about engineering’s role in helping Olympic athletes increase speed, accuracy, and strength in their respective sports.

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Filed under: Web Resources | Comments Off on Engineering the Winter Olympics

Tags: Olympics, Sports Engineering

From the hinge in the slap skate to the texture of the swift suit, engineering enhances athletic achievement. Challenge your students to test their knowledge of the technology used in this exciting Olympic sport with a fun crossword puzzle for grades 6-12. Clues can be found in this week’s feature on speed skating, and in the answer key.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 | 1 Comment »

Tags: Crossword Puzzle, Fun & Games, Olympics, Sports

A recent profile of Education Secretary Arne Duncan describes him as a centrist with the potential to wield unique influence.

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Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on Duncan: Both Activist and Centrist

Where would the Olympians be without their carefully engineered hockey sticks, skates, and helmets? Have your students grades K-3 try their hand at this quick and fun matching game, as a way to prompt discussion on sports equipment. A Spanish version is also available.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Olympics Matching Game

Tags: Fun & Games, Grades K-3, Olympics

“Why do we have to learn this stuff?” Job Shadow shows students how the knowledge gained in class is needed and used in the workplace. Here’s what a few schools did on the first day of this year’s program.

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Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on An Up-Close Look at the Workplace

At the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop, students of all ages build things and experiment. Eli Whitney offers many programs for teachers and students, including a 2010 winter program for the Olympics, Feb. 15-17. Visit the museum and the museum website to learn about Eli Whitney himself, as well as other inventors.

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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comments Off on Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop, New Haven, Conn.

Tags: Grades 3-6, Programs for Students, Programs for Teachers, Summer Camps & Programs (Students), Web Resources, Workshops