Story
Unfortunately, there was a nasty accident during the warm-up for the Olympic shot-putting event (use your imagination, but not too much!). So, the umpires have changed what the athletes are throwing. Instead of heavy shot-puts, you have been given pompoms. Don't worry - if your arm strength is the strongest, you will still come out on top. Good luck (and watch out when you cross athletics fields in the future).
Tools
Pompoms.
Measuring tapes.
Estimation benchmark tools (1m rulers, 30cm rulers, base-10 MAB blocks for 10cm).
For the STEM bonus, recyclable construction materials.
Main event
1. Toss the modified shot-put.
2. Estimate the length of your throw.
An estimate is a thinking guess - it should not be accurate. If it is always spot on, chances are you are cheating!
Pro tip: Use estimation tools to help you visualise. This includes a 1m ruler (don't lay it down, just use it to try to imagine how many 1m rulers you need to reach your throw). Also try using 10cm sticks (MAB/base-10 block tens or similar). A 30cm ruler is also a brilliant benchmark tool, as you have been using a ruler for quite some time at school and might be able to visualise it.
3. Measure your throw and consider how close your estimate was. Do you tend to overestimate, underestimate, or it is pretty reasonable?
4. Record the distance in metric units in multiple ways:
metres and centimetres: 10m 5cm
metres: 10.05m
centimetres: 1005cm (because 1m = 100cm, so 10m = 1000cm, then an extra 5cm)
as a decimal fraction (wholes and parts out of 100):
simplified fraction:
Pro tip: Remember that 1m = 100cm. Record the metres and centimetres first (10m 5cm format), which is the most helpful format, but remember, 10m 50cm is different to 10m 5cm - one is written as 10.5m and the other as 10.05m.
STEM bonus: Try shot-putting different types of balls - tennis balls, table tennis balls, basketballs. Which one travels the furthest and why?
STEM bonus: Build a catapult! The umpires have said due to the decreased weight of the shot-put, you can use more than just your arm strength. The team that creates the most effective catapult will win the medal instead!
Support: Focus on estimating whether the throw is more or less than 1 metre, or 10 metres. Use a measuring tape that does not require re-setting (a 10m measuring tape).
Extension 1: Work out the difference between your and your teammate's throw, or your throw and the world record for javelin.
Extension 2: Convert the distance to other metric units (metres, kilometres).
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