I am trying to put on a Math Olympics for K-5 students in my district. Any ideas? Resources? Suggestions?
Thanks, Kim

Hi Kim

You may wish to also contact the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics through their website: www.nctm.org. The Ontario (Canada) Assoc for Math Educators (OAME) have been running a province-wide Math Olympics for gr 7,8 students. The teams have 4 students, 2 Gr 7, 2 Gr 8, 2 male, 2 female. In our regionals we allow more than one team from a school. In our provincial championships we allow up to 3 teams from each of the 15 chapters of OAME. Clearly the questions would not be appropriate but some of the types of events are.
   They have some of the usual individual events where students work on problems individually. But they also have hurdle type events where each member of a team works individually on the same problem. When they all have handed in an answer then the team is given the hurdle question which they can solve co-operatively. When they hand that in they go back to a new individual problem, etc. The total score depends on number correct and time. There is also a co-operative geometry or topology event involving soving physical puzzles, geoboards, pattern blocks, etc. Sometimes we also run co-operative games where the team is made up of 1 member from each of 4 school teams.
   The finale is a relay race. Each team member stands at the start line at the back of the gym. At the whistle the 1st one runs up to the team station (a desk about halfway up the gym) where a stapled sheet of 4 problems sits. S(h)e solves the problem, hands it in, runs back to touch the 2nd member, etc. In our region we have not yet had a person competing who had a mobility problem so we, as of yet, have no policy for levelling the playing field.

I hope that this helps.
Jack