Hurdles+Commentary

The competitors are readying themselves for the race. The race is about to begin. All three racers stop stretching and approach the beginning point of the racing track. Chris is looking very confident about the race, he’s pumping his arms up towards the crowd, the crowd doesn’t care. Bec is looking very nervous and is looking at his feet. Ang is looking very bored and not nervous at all. Chris, Bec, and Ang take their marks, the crowd goes quiet. “On your marks! Get s…” The race organiser trails off as a streaker runs across the track. The crowd bursts into laughter as the streaker starts yelling out in drunken confusion. “Get that guy out of here” he yells and three security guards chase down the streaker. “Lets try this again” the race organiser announces to the racers in a flustered manner. “On your marks. Get set. Go!” He yells.

All three of the racers take off without a problem, they are zooming along the track. Chris is pulling ahead leaving Ang and Bec behind. The streaker breaks free from the security guards and starts leading them on a chase towards the racers. Chris tries to swerve around the streaker but is grabbed instead and tumbles to the ground wrestling the streaker and yelling in frustration. Chris is going nowhere fast as Ang and Bec pass him Ang is now in the lead and furthering the gap from Bec. The security guards catch up to where Chris and the streaker are struggling. They manage to pull the streaker from Chris and lead him away. Chris briefly thanks the guards as he starts to run again, but he appears to have been injured during the tussle. He is limping along the track at a steady pace. Meanwhile Bec is starting to close the gap between him and Ang. Ang is starting to lose speed and is showing signs of fatigue. Only about 100 metres left in the race. Chris is falling further and further behind, he looks in no shape to start a sprint, he must be out of the race, its between Ang and Bec now. Ang is still losing speed, Bec passes Ang as he begins his sprint. Bec is pulls way ahead now, with only metres left, Ang has no hope. Bec wins the race! Ang trails behind only a few seconds later. Chris is only about 200 metres around the track, he really looks hurt but seems determined to finish the race. Chris finishes the race and collapses at the race organiser’s feet. The crowd still doesn’t care. Chris receives the bronze medal, Ang receives the silver medal and Bec receives the gold medal!

//Written By Andrew Whitman//

   2.3: Can demonstrate knowledge of key mathematical ideas. || 2.5: Can judge the appropriateness and limitations of solutions in given situations. || 2.6: Can understand and communicate effectively using the language notation and symbolism of mathematics. || 3.2: Can demonstrate written, visual and digital literacy’s to communicate ideas and information. ||  || 6.3: Can, select interpret and compare information from a range of sources. || 4.7: Can contribute to a team achieving its desired goals. || ||
 * __Commentary __**
 * Eddy: ** And now it’s time for the final competition, and what a day of athletic ability it has been, right Kenny?
 * Kenny: ** That’s right Eddy, today has been one action packed event after another. Just moments ago, young Ang beat his other two competitors to take the winning spot in the leader board with his fantastic acrobatic skills.
 * Eddy: ** Or lack thereof!
 * Both: ** *Corny laughter*
 * Eddy: ** Oh sometimes I just crack myself up.
 * Kenny: ** That you do Eddy, that you do.
 * Eddy: ** And it looks like the three competitors are ready to start the 400m hurdle race down at the back oval.
 * Kenny: ** Yes indeed, they are Eddy, the guns about to be pulled with the race getting underway.
 * Eddy: ** And what positions are these three running in this time Kenny? From what I heard, Bec has refused to be in the centre lane, claiming having the other runners on either side ‘makes her dizzy’.
 * Kenny: ** That is right Eddy, that is right. Instead she will be running in the inner lane, while Chris takes the centre position—and there goes the gun, and there off and racing.
 * Eddy: ** Chris is taking an early lead within the 20m run up, and he reaches the first hurdle first.
 * Kenny: ** Reaches, greets and decides to stay for tea it seems with that spectacular fall…
 * Both: ** *Corny laughter*
 * Kenny: ** Ang is running up and over taking the fallen Chris, with Bec hot on his heels.
 * Eddy: ** That she is Kenny, she sure is. And how fast can this girl go to keep up with both these boys?
 * Kenny: ** I don’t know Eddy, but it may have to do with her cheerleading friends along the side of the track. And Chris is back on his feet and trying to make up for lost time.
 * Eddy: ** Lost time, that will have cost him everything if he can’t get back to his previous speed.
 * Kenny: ** And I don’t think that’s going to happen any time today Eddy, not today. He’s limping on his left leg, which was the first to hit the bar.
 * Eddy: ** Ooo, that got-ta hurt Kenny, must hurt a lot.
 * Kenny: ** What’s this?! Ang’s slowing down, and Bec’s getting even closer to him.
 * Eddy: ** She is indeed; I think those cheerleaders’s did their job for her.
 * Kenny: ** Ang’s dropping behind as both Bec and Ang leap the last hurdle before they sprint together.
 * Eddy: ** And we saw earlier today how nimble Bec is on her feet, what with that 100m sprint. There’s no chance for Chris now, he’s too far behind.
 * Kenny: ** He is indeed, and there she goes! Bec crosses the finish line in just two seconds over school record. Just two seconds Eddy.
 * Eddy: ** That’s a darn shame for her, but at least she’s won, and Ang pulls in just seconds after her, with Chris yet to reach the final hurdle.
 * Kenny: ** Yes, he does seem to be struggling, but his pace suggests he won’t surrender and quit that easily.
 * Eddy: ** Indeed, it does Kenny, that it does. Looks like he’s still going to try his hardest, even with that limp.
 * Kenny: ** Now that’s good sportsmanship being displayed by both Bec and Ang, going back into the lanes to complete the race with him.
 * Eddy: ** It sure is, you don’t see that kind of sportsmanship much these days do you?
 * Kenny: ** No, you don’t, and he’s finally across the line, a whole 30 seconds behind the winner.
 * Eddy: ** But what matters is he made it across and earned himself another point on the scoreboard.
 * Kenny: ** Yes, he has, along with Bec getting her rightful 3, and Ang gain 2.
 * Eddy: ** Well this day been full of ups and downs so far, but we’ll take a momentary break for these athletes to take a breather before the next competition.
 * By using the graph shown, I was able to draw upon previous knowledge of hurdle racing and come up with realistic and fictional occurrences which would correlate to the graph within the commentary. ** ||
 * Through evaluating and making informed calculations, I was able to judge the appropriateness of the fictional events I came up with, such as the reasoning behind 'Chris's stop. I could have written he was abducted by aliens, yet that wouldn't be appropriate to the event, where as tripping over a bar after a sprint (which is a common occurence in hurdling) would be appropriate.... The limitations of the fictional characters involved were able to be judged and found through previous experience and common sense. It’s a known theory that girls are slower than boys, so drawing on the fact that 'Bec', who I guess is a female, won something must have occurred to limit 'Ang', who I guess is male. A realistic limitation would be distraction, as I decided they were teens I figure he ...Would be distracted by cheerleaders... ** ||
 * While the solution may not use correct mathematical notation, it offers symbolism and language within the commentary if reference to the original task which was to 'Write a sporting commentary' and uses regularly used terms within sports commentary (which focus upon maths) to convey the mathematical occurrences at hand. ** ||
 * By drawing upon both the graphs information, and previous knowledge from sporting events, I have shown to be able to draw information from different sources, and correctly execute this information into a cohesive piece of work. ** ||

Commentary and Rubric by Jeremy Pogany Tg09