Under Armour is a company that makes clothing for sports like football, soccer, and hunting. Lockheed Martin makes parts for things such as airplanes and bombs. Together, the two companies designed a special race suit for the United States Olympic speed skating team. The new suits have a space on the back with small holes. The holes let body heat escape. Many people were excited about the suits, and believed they would give skaters an advantage.

In the first races, U.S. skaters (who usually finish in the top 3) finished 7th, 8th or 9th. Some skaters believe the new suits slowed them down, so they decided to go back to their old uniforms. No one is sure if it was the suits, or the skaters.

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1. What is the main idea of this article?

2. How are the new suits different?

3. Why would Under Armour and Lockheed Martin work together (motivation)?

4. Why did the skaters switch back to their old uniforms?

5. What does advantage mean? Click here to go to a kids’ online dictionary. Use the word in a sentence.

6. Do you think the team didn’t do well because of the suits, or the skaters?

7. What two companies do you think would make a good racing suit?

8. After reading the article, what do you want to know?

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1. Design a new suit for speed skaters. What could you add that would help them go faster on the ice? What colors will you choose, and why? What textiles will you choose? Create a poster with labels that describe each part of the suit. Learn more about textiles, patterns, and the color wheel at The Children’s University of Manchester by clicking here.