Bobsledding Or Bobsleigh Questions

Name Date

Bobsledding or Bobsleigh By Phyllis Naegeli Rewritten as a short reader by Mary Perrin

Do you like to go sledding? Imagine sledding at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. Now think about having one to three other people in the sled with you. You really need to work together. It is almost time for your team of four people to start. You will have one pilot, a brakeman, and two pushers. Your sled is just over twelve feet long. The total weight of the sled and your team must be less than 1,500 pounds. If you were a two-person team, you would have a pilot and a brakeman. A two-person sled is almost nine feet long. The maximum weight for a two-person team is 860 pounds. Your team stands at the starting line. The timer counts down - beep, beep, beep - and you're off!

Once you start, your team will have only 50 meters to push the sled as fast as they can. You want your sled to gain good speed. It is important to get the sled moving as fast as you can. A slow moving sled means a slower finishing time. The fastest team will win. Push, push, push - jump! Jump? Yes, jump into the sled and zoom down the course! Each Olympic course is different. Yet, there are some standards. A course must be at least 1,500 meters in length. It needs to have at least 15 icy twists and turns. The course also needs a slope. The bobsled race is a gravity run race. This means the course runs downhill.

The pilot will steer your sled down the slope. The brakeman will help you stop the sled when you reach the bottom. You will run four heats in two days. You will earn a score at the end of each heat, or race. The four race scores will be combined. The team with the best score will be awarded an Olympic medal. It all started with a love for sledding; now look where you are. You are an Olympic medalist. Sledwork, teamwork- you got the sled down the track!

Bobsledding or Bobsleigh Questions

1. Bobsleigh athletes can get their bobsleigh moving at a speed of nearly, if not more than, ______miles per hour. A. 80 B. 70 C. 90 D. 120 2. What happens in the first 50 meters of the course? A. pilots steer the bobsled around sharp twists and turns B. the brakeman stops the sled C. judges give the team a score D. pushers help get the sled moving as fast as possible 3. All Olympic bobsleigh courses are exactly the same. A. True B. Not enough information C. False Name Date

4. What difference in maximum weight is there between the two-person team and the four-person bobsleigh team? A. 1,500 pounds + 50 meters = 1,550 pounds B. 1,500 pounds - 860 pounds = 640 lbs C. 1,500 pounds - 50 meters = 1,450 pounds D. 1,500 lbs + 860 lbs = 2,360 pounds

You are a sled designer. What would your sled look like? Who would use it? How fast can it go? Be descriptive in your explanation, and then draw a picture of your sled design.

You have been accepted into the Winter Olympics as a bobsleigh athlete. You will be traveling to another country. Make a list of personal items you will need to take with you. Then make a list of all the things you will need to take with you to compete in your sport. Good luck! Math/ Olympics

Name ______Date ______

Winter Olympics

Fill in the chart below as you watch the winter Olympics. When the Olympics are over, use the results from your chart to answer the questions. You may need scratch paper for some of the problems.

SPORT GOLD SILVER BRONZE

Alpine Skiing

Biathlon

Bobsleigh

Cross-country Skiing

Curling

Figure Skating

Freestyle Skiing

Ice Hockey

Luge

Nordic Combined

Short Track Speed Skating

Skeleton

Ski Jumping

Snowboard

Speed Skating

Name ______Date ______

Winter Olympics

Answer the math problems below based on the chart you filled in.

1. Which country won the most gold medals? ______

2. Which country won the most silver medals? ______

3. Which country won the most bronze medals? ______

4. Which country won the most medals overall? ______

Show your work: If a gold medal is worth 3 points, a silver medal is worth two points, and a bronze medal is worth 1 point…

5. Which country has the most points?

______

6. Which country has the fewest points? (of the countries on the chart)

______

7. What is the difference in points between those two countries?

______

Compare your data.

8. Did the country with the most gold medals also have the best wins overall? Can you make any correlations between the number of medals and the overall score? Write your findings here:

______

1 2

5 6

Across Down 2. A symbol of the Olympic 1. This year's Olympic games games are held in______3. A person who is skilled in 2. A group of players competitive events competing in a sport 5. Winter sporting event 4. The season of snow and that happens every four ice years 6. A medal given to second 8. A medal given to third place athletes place athletes 7. A medal given to first 9. Given as an award place athletes

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bobsled ski ice skating snow luge snowboard medal winter