Designing a Fair Test

Reading: Olympic Rules on Swim Suits

Duration: Approximately 25 minutes

Student relate a real-life situation to the principles of fair testing including objective measurements, controlling variables, and multiple trials. In this passage, students read about the controversy during the 2008 Olympics in which swimmers were setting new records due to an unfair advantage from new bathing suits.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Student apply fair testing principles to an actual sporting event.

Teacher Tune-ups

• In science, what do we mean by fair?

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

1. Set the context (5 min)
2. Reading the passage (15 min)
3. Class discussion (15 min)

Identify the main controversy: Ask students to identify the controversies introduced in this article. Students turn and talk with partner about the main controversy of the article.

The main controversy concerns the fairness of outlawing the LZR bathing suit given a historical pattern of more technologically advanced swim suits resulting in faster times.

Students may identify other more interesting controversies; however they should understand that those other controversies, such as the revealing bathing suits, are in the passage to show the historical pattern of more advanced bathing suits improving swimmers’ performance.