A Running Start and Frames of Reference Teacher Notes

Concepts Explored Running Starts, Frames of Reference

How Do They Do That?

Key Idea What good is a running start?

Consider this. Many things that happen in sports are affected by the amount of
running start or initial speed that the athlete can produce.

Use your journal and answer the following questions. Be prepared to discuss your
answers with your small group and the class: You may consider showing clips of
different examples of these sporting events. Feel free to change the examples to
better represent your classs interests.

http://www.metatube.com/en/videos/30351/Amazing-2010-NBA-Slam-Dunk-Contest/
basketball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN1Umj3_bPc skateboarding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2W3Qm1YTFc hockey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6X7qFDiscE gymnastics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_RfK2rp2To pole vaulting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlMln5h3IQk horse jumping

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMK_jVy5ZuI long jumping

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcasDOq71kU hang gliding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccpczbJw5w0 lacrosse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1fXK33ZqrM cricket

What determines the amount of horizontal distance a basketball player

travels while hanging in the air for a slam dunk?

How do hockey players keep moving across the ice at high speeds without
pumping their skates?

Why do the best long jumpers have to build up so much speed before they
jump?

To Run or not To Run

Key Idea Does a running start help?

Use your journal and make a prediction about the following:

Can you jump farther from a standing, still position or if you have a running start?

Check it out. Tape a small piece of masking tape on the floor (or make a jumping
line outside). Standing on two feet, and without moving before the jump, leap as
far as you can from the starting line. Have your partner tell you the distance,
design a chart and record in your journal (see below). Repeat three times and find
the average. Now take a running start then leap from the starting line. Again,
your partner should tell you the distance, record in your journal. Repeat three times
and find the average.

Your chart might look something like this:

Standing Still
Running Start
Going Further

Answer the following in your journal:

1. Does a running start help? Explain your results.

2. Is there anything else you can do to improve your distance? Try it out.
Record what you tried and your results in your journal.
3. As you watch your partner jumping (either from two feet or with a running
start), describe two ways the jumper has changed their position. You
might consider making comparisons to them and objects that cannot
move.