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TE Activity: Able Sports

Contributed by: K-12 Outreach Office, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Picture of a helmet and a baseball.

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Summary

This activity focuses on getting the students to think about disabilities and how they can make some aspects of life more difficult. The students are asked to pick a disability and design a new kind of sport for it.

Engineering Connection

Biomedical and mechanical engineers design and test various types of prosthetics to better the lives of people with disabilities. This activity focuses on getting students to design a sport for people with a particular disability.


Contents

  1. Learning Objectives
  2. Materials
  3. Introduction/Motivation
  4. Procedure
  5. Attachments
  6. Troubleshooting Tips
  7. Assessment

Grade Level: 8 (6-11) Group Size: 4
Time Required: 50 minutes
Activity Dependency :None
Expendable Cost Per Group : US$ 0
Keywords: Disability, sport, design
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Related Curriculum :

subject areas Problem Solving
Science and Technology

Educational Standards :    

  •   Massachusetts Science
    • 7.1 Explain examples of adaptive or assistive devices, e.g., prosthetic devices, wheelchairs, eyeglasses, grab bars, hearing aids, lifts, braces. (Grades 6 - 8) [2001]
    • 1.4 Apply scale and proportion to drawings, e.g., 1/4" = 1'10". (Grades 9 - 12) [2001]
    • 1.5 Interpret plans, diagrams, and working drawings in the construction of a prototype. (Grades 9 - 12) [2001]
    • 1.1 Identify and explain the steps of the engineering design process, i.e., identify the problem, research the problem, develop possible solutions, select the best possible solution(s), construct a prototype, test and evaluate, communicate the solution(s), and redesign. (Grades 9 - 12) [2001]
Does this curriculum meet my state's standards?       

Learning Objectives (Return to Contents)

At the end of this activity students will be able to understand

  • key problems with 4 types of disabilities and the current solutions available.
  • gain a basic knowledge of limited capabilities of people with certain disabilities and the compensating strength.

Materials List (Return to Contents)

  • Sheets of paper
  • drawing utensils as needed

Introduction/Motivation (Return to Contents)

You've been hired by AbleSports, a small start-up company that manufactures Game/Sports related Assistive Technology. A new department has been formed to "invent" new, active sports to be geared specifically toward individuals with disabilities. Your team of designers has been chosen to lead development on one of these new sports.


With the students

Market research surveys have shown there are certain criteria the general public associate with sports, and that in order for new sports to be potentially accepted by the populous, the game must incorporate the following:

  • Rules for play including:
  • Object of the game (e.g. in football, the object is to get the most points; in chess the object is to put your opponent in check-mate), scoring, beginning & ending the game.
  • A well-defined playing space.
  • Scoring - How is a score made? How much is a score worth?
  • An object that is passed around within the playing space.

Details of disability specific criteria for your design are listed on a separate sheet. Be as creative as possible! You have no monetary restrictions. This new sport should not be an adaptation of a currently played sport. Devices which are fictional or whose technology has not been fully developed, such as time traveling devices and personal jet packs, should not be included.

At the end of this class, you must produce the following to present to the other groups:

  • Drawing of your playing space
  • Rules of the game
  • Description of the playing surface (material it's made from and dimensions)
  • List of equipment required to play the game
  • Description of the teams

Troubleshooting Tips (Return to Contents)

A lot of students don't realise that people using crutches need them at all times to support themselves. Students choosing this disability should be advised that they cannot use the crutches as a part of the sport (like a tool to hit a ball etc.).

Evaluate the depth with which the students went into the activity. Were all the criteria met? Is the game safe?

Contributors

Bonniejean Boettcher, Project Manager, Project Lead The Way, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Copyright

© 2005 by Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Supporting Program (Return to Contents)

K-12 Outreach Office, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Last Modified: September 26, 2008
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