Challenge 2 - Introduction for Teachers

Do you have a team of pupils that can help design an adidas glove for canoeing, sailing or rowing? If so, they could be in with the chance of spending the day with an Olympian.

What's more, the winning glove design could even make it to the prototype stage with adidas.

This challenge provides an opportunity for any Key Stage 3 student from any school to be a part of London 2012. The challenge should amount to no more than eight hours of work, from which students create a ten minute presentation.

Success criteria

Success is not simply measured on the final design and quantity of work completed in the time available. Significant credit is given to the students’ own thoughts and ideas, and their approach to tackling the challenge.

Quality is of utmost importance. Although a plethora of materials are available, students could focus on just one aspect.

Listen, test, modify

The way students learn to work in Design and technology (responding to briefs, applying knowledge of materials, planning, designing, making and evaluating) and Science (hypothesising, designing, testing, analysing and interpreting) can be directly related to the adidas listen, test, modify approach.

What the students do

Students choose from canoeing, sailing or rowing, and design a new adidas glove for use in their chosen sport.

Students should work in project teams of three to six people. Teams will need to manage their time effectively, perhaps sharing out different tasks.

They must make sure they meet the challenge brief, but not take on more than can be realistically completed in the time available. Careful planning is required.

The challenge brief provides some points for students to think about.The teams do not need to consider all of these; neither do the points cover all considerations.

A selection of tests, activities and factsheets are available. Students must decide what are the most important properties to include in the design of their glove. Students can then choose what activities and research to do accordingly.

They may also think of their own experiments or research to carry out, as well as exploring the aesthetic aspects of design.

The Challenge is an opportunity for students to explore, experiment and innovate. The STEM Challenges form part of the Get Set Programme, which is about involving children and young people in the excitement and inspiration of the London 2012 Games.

Note: Where possible, encourage students to look at the resources online. Only print sheets that are strictly necessary.

Framework and APP
This challenge also provides opportunities to cover many aspects of the Science and Design and technology programmes of study for key stage 3.The challenges and test procedures have been mapped against the Framework for Secondary Science and associated APP.

Glove Curriculum And App (259 KB).