Event: Paper Straw Javelin Assessment: Length

Metric Measurements Olympics

Event: Paper Straw Javelin Assessment: Length

Objective: You will measure length by throwing a plastic straw as you would a javelin.

Participation Level Directions:

1.  Select a straw and stand at the taped throwing line.

2.  Using your best javelin throw, toss the straw as straight as you can. Your body cannot go past the taped line!

3.  Record your throw in centimeters on the participation level line.

Time to Medal! Select a Medal level below. Record your answer (showing your work) on the lines on your laboratory sheet.

/ Bronze / Toss your javelin straw again 3 times. Take the average of your score in centimeters.
/ Silver / Toss your javelin straw again 3 more times as far as you can. Using materials at your station, devise a method to measure your distances. Take the average of your score in centimeters.
/ Gold / Toss your javelin straw again 3 more times as far as you can. Using materials at your station, devise a method to measure your distances. Take the average of your score in kilometers.

Metric Measurements Olympics

Event: One Hand Sponge Squeeze Assessment: Volume

Objective: You will measure volume by squeezing water out of a sponge.

Participation Level Directions:

1.  Using your left hand, submerge the sponge in water tub for 5 seconds.

2.  Pick up the sponge and holding it over the plastic tub, wring out the sponge with your left hand only as best as you can.

3.  Replace the sponge back in the water tub and carefully pour your squeezed water into the graduated cylinder using a funnel.

4.  Record your squeeze in milliliters on the participation level line.

Time to Medal! Select a Medal level below. Record your answer (showing your work) on the lines on your laboratory sheet.

/ Bronze / Squeeze the same sponge again 3 times. Take the average of your score in milliliters.
/ Silver / Repeat the squeeze test with 3 different sized sponges. Using materials at your station, devise a method to measure your volumes. Record your 3 sponge volumes in milliliters.
/ Gold / Repeat the squeeze test with 3 different sized sponges. Using materials at your station, devise a method to measure your volumes. Record your 3 sponge volumes in liters.

Metric Measurements Olympics

Event: One Hand Grab Assessment: Mass

Objective: You will measure mass by grabbing as many beans as you can with one hand.

Participation Level Directions:

1.  Using your right hand, try to grab as many beans as you can with one fist.

2.  Place the beans onto a triple beam balance and find their mass.

3.  Record your grab in grams on the participation level line.

Time to Medal! Select a Medal level below. Record your answer (showing your work) on the lines on your laboratory sheet.

/ Bronze / Grab the beans again 3 times. Take the average of your score in grams.
/ Silver / Grab the beans again 3 times. Take the average of your score in grams. Then, find the average mass of one bean in grams.
/ Gold / Grab the beans again 3 times. Take the average of your score in grams. Then, calculate the total number of beans you would need for every student at Chapel Hill High School (~ 1500 students) to grab in kilograms.

Metric Measurements Olympics

Event: Cotton Ball Drop Assessment: Time

Objective: You will measure time by measuring the amount of time it takes a cotton ball to fall from one meter above the lab bench.

Participation Level Directions:

1.  Take a stopwatch and climb up on the counter. (Be careful!)

2.  Using the provided meter stick, drop the cotton ball from 1 meter from the top of the lab bench. Record the time it takes for it to hit the ground.

3.  Record your drop in seconds on the participation level line.

Time to Medal! Select a Medal level below. Record your answer (showing your work) on the lines on your laboratory sheet.

/ Bronze / Drop your cotton ball again 3 times. Take the average of your score in seconds.
/ Silver / Drop your cotton ball again 3 times. Take the average of your score in milliseconds.
/ Gold / Drop your cotton ball again 3 times. Take the average of your score in seconds. Using the materials at your station, calculate the Kinetic Energy of your cotton ball using this equation: KE = ½mv2 (Note: v = m/s)

Metric Measurements Olympics

Event: Hand Trace Race Assessment: Area

Objective: You will measure area by measuring a drawn perimeter of your hand.

Participation Level Directions:

1.  Using your non-writing hand, splay out your fingers (like the picture) on a sheet of graph paper. Trace the outline of your hand with a pencil.

2.  Remove your hand and count the number of blocks your hand takes up.

3.  Record your hand area in centimeters on the participation level line.

Time to Medal! Select a Medal level below. Record your answer (showing your work) on the lines on your laboratory sheet.

/ Bronze
/ Hold the block provided and trace the block. Calculate the surface area of the block using the following formula: SA = 6a2
/ Silver
/ Hold the ball and string provided and trace the ball. Calculate the surface area of the ball using the following formula: SA = 4 pi r 2
/ Gold
/ Hold the can provided and trace the can. Calculate the surface area of the cylinder using the following formula: SA = 2(pi r 2) + (2 pi r)*h