Lifted by Legacy, Moving with Meaning

Pass out the attached Station Guide handout to each student. Place students into groups of 3–4. Tell students that they will participate in six different stations. Additionally, explain to them that the first station will be completed as a class, but they will rotate through the remaining stations in their groups. 

Display slide 8 and direct students' attention to their Station Guide handout and tell them that they will complete “Station 1: Native Youth Olympic Games 2024” as a whole class. Review the S-I-T instructional strategy with students. Explain that as they watch a video about the Native Youth Olympics, they should pay close attention to what stands out.

Move to slide 9 and play the following video: 

• Native Youth Olympic Games 2024

While students watch the video, they should complete the S-I-T activity on their handout and write down what they found to be surprising, interesting, and troubling. Encourage students to record anything that catches their attention such as facts, actions, or ideas.  

Invite students to share their S-I-T responses with the class. Make sure to actively listen and respond to any strong or interesting points made by students. 

Transition to slide 10. After completing Station 1 as a class, explain the expectations or instructions of each station. Make sure the students follow along with their Station Guide handout during the explanations. 

At this time, direct student groups to the remaining five stations and allow 7–8 minutes for groups to participate in each station, rotating after the time is up. Students are to complete each station and fill out their station guide as a group. Make sure to walk around the room and be available to support students as needed. 

Station 2: Inuit Stick Pull

Have students first watch NYO’s demonstration of the Inuit Stick Pull.

After watching the demonstration, encourage two students from each group to try the Inuit Stick Pull. The students should sit facing each other, legs extended, and the soles of their feet touching. They should hold the short stick between them. One student should place their hands on the outside of the stick, and the other should put theirs on the inside of the stick. The task is to try and pull the stick away from the opponent or pull them off the floor, using only your hands. Players may not jerk or twist the stick, and if their hands begin to slip, they are not allowed to re-grip.

The students are expected to record the characteristics of each participant (muscular, tall, short, lean—anything that would contribute to winning the match). They also should record which participant moved (lost) and the direction of the force. Since you won’t measure the distance traveled of the losing participant, their observations should be qualitative.

Questions to answer: 

1. What happened when both students pulled on the stick with equal force?

2. Who moved more, and what does that tell you about force and mass?

3. How is Newton’s Third Law demonstrated in this activity? 

Station 3: Seal Hop

Watch NYO’s demonstration of the Seal Hop.

Afterward, two students from each group should try the seal hop. This activity involves the students “hopping” forward while in a push-up position with flat palms or balled up fists only. To explore the impact of mass, one participant should wear a weighted backpack (filled with textbooks). 

Set up the station by marking the distance that the students should “seal hop” between. Each student should be timed, and the time should be recorded. Compare the time it takes the weighted student (the one wearing the backpack) to complete the task and the time of the unweighted student. 

Questions to answer:

1. How did adding mass affect the motion of the seal hopper?

2. What force(s) were acting against the participants during this movement? 

3. What can you infer about the connection between mass and acceleration? 

4. What can you infer about the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration?

Station 4: Scissor Broad Jump

Watch NYO’s demonstration of the Scissor Broad Jump. The students should draw a diagram showing the jumper in mid-air. The diagram should include labeled force arrows that are acting on the jumper such as gravity, the push-off force, air resistance, etc.  

After watching the demonstration, the students may attempt the activity and work together to answer the questions below:

1. What forces are at work when the athlete jumps forward?

2. How does the direction and strength of the jump affect distance?

3. How would adding mass change the jump?

Station 5: Kneel Jump

Watch NYO’s demonstration of the Kneel Jump event, where an athlete launches themselves forward from a kneeling position. The students are to produce and label a diagram showing the action-reaction force pairs. Students will need to identify the direction of the push and the direction of the resulting motion.

After the demonstration, students should work together to answer the questions below:

1. What is the action force in the movement? What is the reaction force? 

2. How is Newton’s Third

   Law shown when the athlete leaves the ground?

3. What role does body position play in maximizing force?

Station 6: Wrist Carry

Instructions: Watch NYO’s demonstration of the Wrist Carry event, where one student is lifted off the ground while gripping a stick held by two others.

The students need to observe the differences in effort required to lift each type of student and discuss how mass affects the amount of force needed. 

Students should review the images provided on the attached Wrist Carry Images handout. 

Questions to answer: 

1. Which body type would require the most force to lift and why?

2. How does this connect to Newton’s Second Law? (F=ma)?

3. What variables could be adjusted to increase or decrease the difficulty?