WINTER GOLD A NEWSPAPER-BASED STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL WINTER SPORTS

WINTER GOLD A NEWSPAPER-BASED STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL WINTER SPORTS

Test your international winter sports I.Q. 1. Name three events that use skis. 2. Which skating event uses skates with the longest blades? 3. Which event requires a target? 4. Which event has an off-side rule? 5. Name an event that uses artistic abilities. 6. Which event is the newest to the Winter Olympics? 7. Name a non-skating event that uses skating techniques. 8. Which event is won through tournament play? 9. Which skiing event uses the longest and widest skis? 10. Which winter sport uses an oval track? 11. Which event has compulsories? 12. Which event uses gates? 13. Which is the longest and fastest of the alpine events? 14. Which event uses brakes? 15. In which winter sport do competitors throw rocks? 16. In what events at the international level do women not compete? 17. In which international winter sport event do men and women compete together? 18. In which type of skiing is the pole the longest? 19. Which events use the most energy and burn the most calories? 20. Which event has either two-man or four-man teams? The first winter event to take place at an Olympic Games was figure skating at the 1908 Summer Games London, England. The first medals awarded for winter events were figure skating and ice hockey at the 1920 Summer Games.

Test your international winter sports I.Q. (answers) 1. Name three winter sport events that use skis. Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country (Nordic) Skiing, Ski Jumping and Biathlon 2. Which skating event uses skates with the longest blades? Long Track Speed Skating 3. Which event requires a target? Biathlon 4. Which event has an off-side rule? Hockey 5. Name an event that uses artistic impression. Figure Skating, Free Style Skiing 6. Which event is one of the newest to the Winter Olympics? Curling, Moguls, Snowboarding 7. Name a non-skating event that uses skating techniques. Cross-Country (Nordic) Skiing 8. Which event is won through tournament play? Hockey 9. Which skiing event uses the longest and widest skis? Ski Jumping 10. Which sport uses an oval track? Long and Short Track Speed Skating 11. Which event has compulsories? Figure Skating, Free Style Aerials 12. Which event uses gates? Alpine Skiing 13. Which is the longest and fastest of the alpine events? Downhill Skiing 14. Which event uses brakes? Bobsleigh, Luge 15. In which sport do competitors throw rocks? Curling 16. In what events at the international level do women not compete? Ski jump, Nordic Combined 17. In which event do men and women compete together? Pairs Figure Skating, Ice Dance 18. In which type of skiing is the pole the longest? Cross-Country (Nordic) Skiing 19. Which events use the most energy and burn the most calories? Biathlon, Cross-Country (Nordic) Skiing, Speed Skating, Hockey 20. Which event has either 2-man or 4-man teams? Bobsleigh

Newspaper scavenger hunt In your newspaper find an example of each of the following: the name of a sports reporter a headline about a American athlete competing in an international winter sports competition a story about the business of sport a reference to sports found on the front page an advertisement for sports equipment an item about fair play a story describing a game played yesterday an item about a World Cup event the name of a coach a comic strip character that you think is physically fit the name of a sport played in The United States, that originated in another country an opinion about national sports a nutritious food item for an athlete the name of a sports columnist a list of sports scores an article about an international sporting event Moose says The content of a daily newspaper is approximately equal to that of an average-size paperback novel.

International winter sports in the news In your newspaper find a news story about international winter sports. Read it carefully and answer the questions below. Who is the most important person in this newspaper story? What is the main idea of the story? Where does this event take place? Why is this news story of interest? How did this develop? How did it become news? Why does this matter to you? Moose says Get the facts.

That s just my style Choose a sports columnist who writes regularly in your newspaper and evaluate three of his or her columns. Examine the same factors for each time. Make a chart like the one below. Feel free to select your own headings for the areas to be evaluated. Heading Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Is the writing interesting? Is the writing clear? Is the writer s opinion supported by facts? Is the writer s style consistent? Is the writer objective? Generally, is the wording moderate, extreme or neutral? Are the writer's conclusions logical, supported and clear? Conclude your evaluation with a summary paragraph. Moose says It s my opinion.

Sportsmanship checklist Beside each statement write the number from 1 to 5 that indicates your opinion. 1. Strongly Agree; 2. Agree; 3. Partly Agree; 4. Disagree; 5. Strongly Disagree 1. Winning isn t everything; it s the only thing. 2. Nice guys finish last. 3. It s not whether you win or lose, it s how you play the game. 4. If you play your best, you re a winner every time. 5. In order for someone to win, someone else must lose. 6. Winning needs no excuse. Losing has all the excuses in the world. 7. Success is not in never failing, but rising every time you fall. 8. The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it. Write a sentence or two telling why you agree or disagree with two of the above statements. Success is not in never failing, but rising every time you fall.

A cultural comparison Compare the United States with another country participating in an international winter sports competition. Use newspaper coverage prior to the event along with any other information you can locate to help you discover the similarities and differences between the countries. Make a chart like the one below to help you organize your information. Use headings such as: language, educational system, political system, industry, transportation, employment, food, housing, recreation, entertainment, money and media. Point of comparison The United States Country of your choice Let s check this place out. Sure looks like they have some strange customs.

Athlete profile Athlete s name Event Birthdate Athlete s photo here. Height Weight Hometown Coach Additional information Competitive history Category Placing

Coming to compete Use your newspaper to find the names of countries participating in an international winter sports competition. Make a list of all participating countries. Mount a world map on a bulletin board. Leave a wide border around it. Locate each of the participating countries on a world map. Each day clip newspaper articles and photographs about the countries and their athletes. Place these clippings in the free space around the map. Use colored string to connect each newspaper item to the appropriate location on the map. Moose says Find out what countries are going to compete in the next international winter sports event. A world of money Find the world currency chart in the newspaper. Compare the value of the currency from five other countries to the currency of the United States. Convert the equivalent of $1,000 US into currency for each of five countries participating in an international winter sports competition. Share your findings. In your newspaper's display or classified ads, locate two items that your favorite athlete might be able to use. Calculate the cost of the item in all five currencies. Moose says Reporter W. O. McGeehan of the New York Herald Tribune, once described bobsledding as "the modern version of an ancient form of suicide."

A fact-finding mission Use the newspaper to find an example of each of the following: the name of the first event the name of the first person to win a gold medal a story about an athlete from The United States competing in any sport a story about the type of accommodation available for athletes at the Olympic Winter Games tourism information a story about the setting of a record a story about security at a competition a story about America s past performance in an international competition an article about fund-raising programs for National athletes a story about the rules of an international winter sports event a story about the physical training of a competitor a story describing disappointment for a competitor an article about weather conditions influencing an event a story about an injury suffered by an athlete an item about a World Cup or Olympic sponsor a story about a National Sport Organization a story about drug testing of athletes a photograph about an American National athlete Is he with us? Freestyle aerialists compete for 10 points - take off, height and fancy maneuvers.

What s in the weather Weather can have an adverse effect on international winter sports events. Chose an international sports event that is in the news today and imagine it was going to be held in your area tomorrow. Using the weather section of your newspaper, look at the predicted weather and list ways the weather could impact the event. Snowboarders earn points in the half pipe by grabbing their boards. Grabs have names, such as: stalefish, indy, and tail. Logo fever Look in your newspaper for pictures of logos or national emblems worn on the clothing or equipment of participating athletes. Which logos are most recognizable? Why? Cut out ten different logos and place each on an index card with the name of the company on the back. Survey your friends to see which ones are most recognizable. Chart your results. Using these logos as samples, design an emblem or logo for your classroom, school or family. Moose says

On the scene Watch a winter sports event on television. Assume that you are a newspaper reporter at the event. Take notes or tape your comments. Write a hard news story about the event. Be sure to answer the 5Ws and H (who, what, where, when, why and how.) Ask a classmate to edit your story. Display it in your classroom for others to read. Who? Snowboarders What? Earn points by grabbing their boards in fancy ways Where? In the half pipe When? During a competition Why? It is judged by experts. Be a good sport Using the newspaper, as well as other media, consider all the athletes at the event. Pick those you think deserve the following awards: Most Sportsmanlike Competitor Most Determined Competitor Greatest Overall Achievement Most Unexpected Success Find evidence in your newspaper to support your choices. Write a brief news article about the athletes accomplishments. Present your findings to a group of students. Moose says Try your best. Play fair. Don t fight.

Drawing a crowd Design a newspaper display advertisement for an international winter sports competition. Make sure that you: decide who your target market is think of ways to convince people to attend the event select words that will motivate readers design a display ad that will grab the reader s attention. Make a sketch of your advertisement. Produce the final copy of your ad on a larger sheet of paper. Look for the advertising rate in your news-paper. If you cannot find it, assume that advertising space in your newspaper costs $97 per column inch (1 column wide x 1 high). Figure the cost of your ad if it is 3 columns by 9 ; 2 columns by 10 inches. Moguls look like they came from giant ice cream scoops. Competition moguls are carved by snow moving equipment and stomped to perfection by course workers. It s about time In your newspaper, find the results of an international winter sports event for which the winner is declared by the best time. List the times for the five fastest finishers. Calculate the differences in the times among the top five finishers in the event. State the difference in numbers (minutes and/or seconds) and in percentages of time. Mogul skiers are judged for: how they ski through the bumps; their fancy stunts when they jump; their speed to the finish line.

Record it Select a chart or graph from the newspaper having to do with international winter games competition. Identify the type of chart or graph. Using this format, chart or graph a survey about a World Cup event. You might graph how many students watch the events or how many hours they watch. Display it so others can see your work. Racers ski AROUND the flags called gates. Corporate sponsors Corporate sponsors ask many top athletes to wear their logos at international competitions. Find and clip photographs and stories from your newspaper illustrating various sponsoring organizations. Why do you think athletes require sponsors? What do the athletes receive for wearing the logos? What do the sponsors gain? Present your findings to a group of friends in the form of an editorial.

International sport issues Collect evidence from your newspaper about a major issue affecting international sports. e.g. media coverage drug testing business in sports nationalism vs. professionalism. Select an issue. Consider both sides of the issue and write a paragraph explaining your views on the issue. Read your paragraph to a classmate. Choose another issue and with a partner write a point counterpoint column, with each of you taking a different side of the issue. Hat Trick - The scoring of three or more goals by a player in one game. A natural hat trick occurs when the same player scores three consecutive goals. Who is the big winner? Create a graph illustrating the medal winnings (gold, silver and bronze) of the top six countries at the Winter Olympics. Snowboarding is a classic also! It became a Winter Games event in 1998 at Nagano, Japan.

What would you do? Establish five-person committees for these problem-solving activities. Select one of the hypothetical situations below. Your group will present its solutions to the class for further discussion: Athletes from a country are found to be using a chemical substance that helps them win every event in which they participate. The weather is warm on opening day and all the snow melts. All the gold medals are stolen. There is a power blackout during a skating competition. It is discovered that a participating country is bribing two judges. Airports and roads are closed by a snowstorm and ticket-holders cannot get to the events. Many of the athletes get food poisoning and have to be taken to hospital. A medal winner makes a sign of protest during the awards ceremony. Performance enhancing drugs Collect newspaper articles about the use of drugs by athletes. Explain what is meant by performance enhancing drugs. Discuss and list reasons that you think some athletes take steroids. Think about the desire to win versus the long-term effects of taking drugs. What is your opinion about the use of drugs by athletes? Should athletes using drugs be suspended or banned for life? Why or why not? Moose asks What would you do if you were in charge?

International winter sports glossary Make your own glossary of winter sports terms. Word Meaning Read articles about international winter sports and underline or circle words that are new to you. Try to figure out the meaning of the words from the context. If you cannot get the meaning of a word, look it up in the dictionary. Use as many of these words as you can next week. Moose says The last word is yours.

Graphs From your newspaper collect graphs, tables and charts published in reports for international winter sports events. Glue them on a piece of paper and write a short paragraph explaining what each graph is showing. Popular sports Conduct a survey to establish the three most popular winter sports in your class. Present your findings in a pie or bar graph. How far is that? Use newspaper articles to find distances jumped in an international ski jumping event. What was the total distance covered by the top five competitors? Shapes Collect different sport photographs published in your newspaper. Using a felt pen outline and name the geometric shapes in the photographs. How much? Find out the cost of an entrance ticket to one World Cup competition or one Olympic Winter Games event. What was the total attendance for that event? Calculate the total amount of money taken in for that event. Plane calculation Use your newspaper to find out the number of athletes competing at one international winter sporting event as well as the number of spectators. Calculate how many planes would be needed to fly the athletes and spectators to the venue if the average jet holds 300 people. The next Olympic Winter Games begin in Vancouver, Canada on February 12, 2010. Moose asks How many days is that from today?

The SPORTS section will be packed with sports action during the Winter Games. As a class, make a list of all the sports mentioned in the SPORTS section. Each student will select his or her Top 10 favorite sports. Write them down. Combine all the results and make a bar graph that shows the Top 10 most popular Winter Game sports in your class. The way an athlete positions his/her body can affect how well they succeed in their chosen sport. Look through the SPORTS section for Winter Game action photos. Write a short paragraph describing what you see happening in the picture. Use details and visual clues from the photo to support your writing. Friction is a force used in many Winter Game sports. Look through stories and sports results from the Games and then write down how friction is used in various sports. Momentum is the strength or force that allows something to continue or to grow stronger or faster as time passes. Gravity is the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth. Which winter sports use the force of momentum and/or gravity? Motion is the action or process of moving or being moved. Look through today s stories and photos about the Winter Games and see how many examples of motion you can find. Think of yourself as a photographer who has been assigned to illustrate friction, momentum and motion. What would you shoot pictures of? How would your pictures show these laws? There are three basic body types among humans. Endomorphs (EN-doe-morfs) are solid, round and powerful. Mesomorphs (MESS-o-morfs) are muscular yet agile. Ectomorphs (EK-toe-morfs) are lean and long. Few people are purely one body type, though. Most people are a mixture of all three. Look through the Winter Game photos and stories and determine which body type generally fit which sport. Each person in your class has their own unique body type. Discuss which body type you are most like. Every athlete needs to know precisely how to land or fall in order to minimize injury. Look through the SPORTS section for how various winter sports need to land or fall. Then write a paragraph giving advice on how to fall or land correctly. Then do research to see if your suggestions are on target. Exercise builds strength and stamina. Look through the newspaper for photos or stories of athletes in action or people exercising. Write a list of what each is doing. Rank each activity in order of highest to lowest benefit. Then check an exercise website to find out if you were correct. Which activities burn the most calories or are best for building strength and stamina? All athletes have to master different skills for their sport. Look through the SPORTS section today and pick three athletes you like. For each one, list as many skills as you can that the athlete has had to master to do well. Snowboarding began as a game people made up for fun, combining skiing with surfing. Choose another sport featured in the newspaper; think about how it is played. Write down some ideas on how you think the sport may have begun. Research the history of the sport online or at the library. Were your ideas correct? Why or why not? Share your findings with your class. There is at least one sport still played today that was invented by Native Americans. Can you guess which it might be? Are there other sports that began in the United States? What are they? Research online or in the library to find as many as you can. Not all sports are performed best by someone who is big and massive. Which winter sports are best for smaller participants? Categorize each sport by whether larger or smaller people best play it or if it doesn t matter. For each sport, state a reason why you chose its category.