Scoring
in the Olympics
One of the most important components of the Olympics
is
scoring! Scoring determines who wins the Gold, Silver, or Bronze
medals. In
order to hold a successful Olympics, you have to crack the mathematical
code that has evolved throughout the centuries.
History of Scoring:
The first Olympic Games were held in Greece. People from all
over
the country (and some neighboring countries) would come to compete
against one another. Instead of assigning one judge to score the
competitions, (due to possible bias) the decision was made to have 4
judges. The judges would score each competition on a scale from 1
to 5 points. Then, all the scores would be added across the table
for a final score.
Example: Judge 1
- 3.5 points
Judge 2 - 4.0 points
Judge 3 - 3.9 points
Judge 4 - 4.2 points
Final Score - 15.6 points
However, problems rose when the Olympic Games were
open to
all
countries. Nations were offended if they did not have a judge
representing them; athletes believed this scoring policy to be
unfair. So, once again, the Olympic Committee was put to the test
to come up with an alternative way of scoring. One young man came
up with the idea to incorporate methods from Central Tendancy.
His theory was to find an average score between those given; he also
wanted to come up with a way to determine what was the most common
score given to each athlete. The Central Tendancy Methods he used
were Mean and Mode. Here are their
definitions:
Mean = The average between a
group of numbers. To find the mean - add all the numbers in the
group together and then divide by the amount of numbers represented in
the group.
Mode = Most common number
represented within a group of numbers.
To find the mode - simply look for the most commonly repeated
number.
Examples:
Mean: 8.5 8 8.6
8.2 9 Mean
(Average) = 8.46
Mode: 8.5 7.9 8
8.5 9 8.5
Mode (Most Common Number) = 8.5
Finally, scoring in the Olympics was heading in the right
direction! Not only were they going to incorporate Central
Tendancy (Mean and Mode), but they also increased the possible top
individual score from 5 to 10. Countries and athletes were
excited about the change and
looking forward to a long and prosperous athletic tradtion.
Present
and Futuristic
Scoring
Now, it's your turn to master the art of Olympic Scoring. In
order to hold a successful Olympics, you need to be able to complete
this Central Tendancy Competency Test!
Test #1:
First, you must understand the Olympic scoring from the past.
Complete the chart below using the mathematical methods used
during Ancient Olympics. Record your answers on a separate
sheet of paper. In order to pass this test, all work will need to
be shown, organzied, and accurate! Remember, there were only 4 judges
and the scoring range was 1 to 5. If you have questions, review
the information at the begining of this page before you ask your
instructor.
Test #2:
Your final test uses the same data from your previous test;
however, this time you will score the athletes using the latest
mathematical method - Central Tendancy. Note the difference in
scoring between past and present Olympics! Remember - you're looking
for the Mean and the Mode this time! The chart
below has all the information you need to complete this portion of
the test. Again, record your work and answers on a separate
sheet of paper.
**
Hint** Creating a chart
similar to the one below could be VERY helpful!
Judges:
|
USA
|
Germany
|
China |
Greece
|
France
|
Japan
|
Australia
|
Athlete
#1
|
8.5
|
9.0
|
9.2
|
8.3
|
7.9
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
Athlete
#2
|
7.6
|
8.3
|
7.6
|
7.9
|
7.6
|
7.8
|
9.2
|
Athlete
#3
|
9.2
|
9.5
|
9.4
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.4
|
9.4
|
Athlete
#4
|
10
|
9.9
|
9.8
|
9.7
|
9.6
|
9.5
|
9.4
|
Athlete
#5
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
Time allowing, print off this worksheet to have
further development on the Central Tendancy Methods. Complete the
worksheets and keep them as a resource for your presentation.
Some Discussion: On your own, read the following questions and
write down your answers. After everyone in your group has
answered the questions, collaborate and discuss your outcomes!
1). How were the 2 ways of scoring
athletes different?
2). How did their outcomes compare? Contrast?
3). Which method do you think is fair for the athletes?
4). Why do you think the IOC requires a "mode" to be determined?
5). Which method did you like working with the most?
After your group has discussed and answered the previous questions,
write down your final answers and attach them to your tests; you'll
need all this
information when you are presenting to the IaOC.
Well done! You've made it here. Hand in your material to
your teacher so they can look over it. While your teacher is
making any necessary corrections, it is time to prepare yourself for
the biggest presentation of
your lives! Become familiar with the information you have just
learned! You are now the "Masters of Central Tendancy!"
Collaborate with your whole group (the large group) and together -
prepare the finest and most professional presentation so Cedarloo will
be chosen to host the Olympics!!
