Winter break is just around the corner! And there’s a good chance that some of your students will be watching or participating in winter sports during the break or over the next few months. Engage students with examples of scientific concepts in action! Teach about the science of skiing, ice hockey, snowboarding, ice skating and more with the following multimedia resources.
- Science of the Olympic Winter Games (NBC Learn)
NBC Learn, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, delves into the physics, chemistry and engineering behind various sports of the Winter Olympics. A collection of 16 videos covers topics including the connection between speed skating and Newton’s Laws of Motion, the engineering of skis for different ski-based sports and the physics of ski jumping. - Inside the Action (The New York Times)
This collection of six videos, created for the 2010 Winter Olympics by the New York Times, uses video footage, animation and graphics to break down and analyze various “tricks.” Discover how snowboarders, skiers and figure skaters execute their winning moves and runs. - The Science of Hockey (Exploratorium)
This site from the Exploratorium incorporates video and text to examine the sport of ice hockey. It explores questions like, “Why is ice slippery?,” “What’s in a puck?” and “How do you hit a puck 100 miles per hour?” - How It’s Made: Snowboard (Discovery)
Learn the process of making a snowboard in this video from Discovery. A great opportunity to investigate the crucial role of science in the manufacturing of materials.