Skater in Motion: x-y Plots of Movement

In elementary school, math students learn the graph-reading skills. How often do these same students enjoy applying math to real-life data? In books from Schottenbauer Publishing, students have the opportunity to decode graphs showing movement during popular sports.

The graph below (Copyright 2014, All Rights Reserved), excerpted from the book series Glide, Spin, & Jump: The Science of Ice Skating from Schottenbauer Publishing, shows an ice skater in forward motion.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the range of each variable in each graph? Include x, y, and t as variables in your analysis.
2. In this sample, which leg is used for pushing off? Which leg moves forward first? 
3. Use the information from the graph to draw the body in physical space, at a minimum of 4 time points.
4. Is the right knee ever in front of the right hip? Is the right ankle ever in front of the right knee or right hip? Describe the sequence of motion.
5. Is the left knee ever in front of the left hip? Is the left ankle ever in front of the left knee or left hip? Describe the sequence of motion.

Additional free graphs are available in a free pamphlet from the publisher's webpage. 

The following books from Schottenbauer Publishing contain similar types of graphs and data pertaining to the science of ice skating, figure skating, and hockey:

Graphs & Data for Science Lab: Multi-Volume Series

• The Science of Ice Skating 
• Volume 1: Translational Motion
• Volume 2: Rotational Motion (Curves)
• Volume 3: Rotational Motion (Spins)
• Volume 4: Jumps
• Volume 5: Ice Hockey
• Volume 6: Biophysics
• Volume 7: Video Analysis
• Volume 8: Reference Manual
• The Science of Hockey
• Volume 1: Force, Acceleration, & Video Analysis of Pucks & Balls
• Volume 2: Force & Acceleration of Sticks, plus Biophysics
• Volume 3: Video Analysis of Ice, Field, & Street Hockey Sticks

Anthologies of 28 Graphs

• The Science of Figure Skating
• The Science of Ice Hockey
• The Science of Winter Olympic Sports

In addition, the following books are suitable for younger children learning geometry:

Geometry Workbooks

• The Geometry of Figure Skating
• The Geometry of Winter Olympic Sports 

Additional Information

Schottenbauer Publishing

Free Education Resources