Introduction

This unit was developed at San Diego State University in EDTEC 596, Interdisciplinary Teaching with Technology, Donn Ritchie, Instructor.

This unit is about the pursuit of excellence and the on-going drive to extend the limits of human achievement. Specifically, this unit focusses on physical athletic performance, the nature of competition and what it is that drives people to out perform those before them, and the ways that science and technology have been employed to achieve new levels of performance.

Content Areas and Grades

This is a parallel unit that ties together the curriculum of high school Physical Education, English, and Physics. This material may also be very appropriate for a Physical Science class, or it may be adapted for lower grade levels.

Curriculum Standards

Science Standards Addressed

• Develop in students a strong sense of the interrelationship between science and technology...
• Foster each student's ability to act as an independent investigator and thinker, rather than a "recipe follower"
• Provide an expanded view of science related careers.

Physical Education Standards Addressed

• Proper nutrition demanded by athletic competition
• Development of motor skills
• Improving aerobic and anaerobic performance

English Standards Addressed

• Students will think critically about themselves.
• Students will explore the obstacles of athletes (specifically: gymnist Keri Strug).
• Students will determine what they want to pursue to the point of excellence.

Organizing Theme and Guiding Questions

The Olympics provides just one example of an arena in which we see an on-going pursuit to extend the bounds of human performance. The ideas explored within that context are then broadened to include other human endevours.

Guiding Question	Knowledge	Comprehension	Application	Analysis	Synthesis	Evaluation
What is the role of the Olympics in our world society?	When, where, and why were the Olympics begun?			Does the competetive nature of the Olympics bring unity or division among nations? -among people of one nation?		What are some of the ways that this international event may benefit and/or hinder global relations?
How has science and technology played a role in the Olympics?	What technologies have been used to improve athletic performance?	What principles of physics do these technologies address? (ie. frinction, drag, mechanical advatage, momentum, etc.)	How has an understanding of these priciples been employed to overcome obstacles to performance?	How have the techniques and equipment of various sports changed over the last fifty years?	Based on the progress that's already been made, what further research would you suggest for further improvements?	Is it fair for the nations with the most advanced scientific resources to use their latest technologies to improve their performance?
How do performance enhancing techniques carry over into other sporting events?			What sports may still benefit the most from some of these techniques? (Identify sports that have not yet taken advantage of these techniques.)	In what sports outside the olympics have you seen techniques or improvements that were developed from olympic competition?
Will there ever be a point where humans reach the maximum of their potential?	Currently, what are some of the longest held records?		Have you ever felt you couldn't do any better? (faster, stronger, farther, higher, etc.)	How do records motivate people to achieve more?	How do you think some of these records will ever be broken? What obstacles stand in the way?	Is is good for records to be broken every so often?
In what other areas (apart from athletics) do people push themselves to achieve more?	Give some examples of these.	In what ways do they push themselves?	In what areas of your own life have you pushed yourself to achieve more?
How do our goals influence our performances? (academically, emotionally, physically, etc.)			What goals do you hold for your own accomplishments?			What makes a goal worth achieving?

Implementation Overview

This is a five day unit that is intended to be taught in parallel in separate P.E., English, and Physics classes. However, one of these days will be spent off campus as a single group at an olympic training center.

Material Resources Needed

• Computers with internet access
• guest speaker (athlete)
• TV and VCR
• Video of training techniques/ improvements
• Classroom copies of "Think Big" by Ben Carson
• Field trip transportation

Human Resources Needed

This unit will be taught by three teachers who are cooperating with each other. For the field trip, it will require a bus driver, chaperones, and a guide for our tour of the training center. Parent involvement, especially in the role of chaperones, is encouraged.

Entry Level Skills and Knowledge

It is expected that students will have prior knowledge of the Olympics, the sports involved, and an understanding of the basic use of the computer. Likewise, the teacher need only to be familiar enough with the internet to assist students in a self-guided exploration. However, this unit is easy enough for a novice teacher.

Outline of Activities

The following table describes the focus of each of the five days that this unit is intended to cover in the three classes. In the table are links to individual lesson outlines.

Physical Education	English	Physics	Description
Day 1 - P.E.	Day 1 - English	Day 1 - Physics	Day 1 is used to provide an introduction to the Olympics as an international endevour that integrates the expertise of many different fields.
Day 2 - P.E.	Day 2 - English	Day 2 - Physics	Day 2 is spent on a field trip to a local olympic training center.
Day 3 - P.E.	Day 3 - English	Day 3 - Physics	Day 3 deals with how we approach competition and the drive for us as people to further our accomplishments.
Day 4 - P.E.	Day 4 - English	Day 4 - Physics	Day 4 will provide an examination of the various techniques or approaches that have been employed to improve performance and explore the possibilites of future improvements.
Day 5- P.E.	Day 5 - English	Day 5 - Physics	Day 5 will focus on assessing the success of these approaches.

Evaluation

Students will demonstrate their learning through a written essay, a physical performance improvement evaluation that incorporates new techniques, an oral presentation of ways that science and technology have been applied to the improvement of one component of a single sport, and participation in a physics design competition.

Conclusion

This unit deals with the pursuit of excellence on a variety of levels and from a variety of approaches. This is a theme that should capture the interest of students who come to our classes with their own set of hopes, dreams, and aspirations. This material is presented in the context of both athletic competition and personal goal setting in order to make it interesting and relevant to our learners.