I’m always on the look-out for ways to connect students to current events. This week I was inspired my my son’s daycare teachers who are holding Olympic Games for the students. My son is only 2 1/2, but he’s learning words like torch, compete, medal, games, etc.
I looked online a bit last night and found a site that includes curriculum related to the Olympics.
I’m curious about whether people have other ideas about how to connect the Olympic games to the K-5 classroom. If so, post ideas or links in the comments!
I think it would be interesting to make a connection with the Olympics and body image. Especially with the plethora of commercials with Olympic athletes, students either consciously or subconsciously compare themselves to these “perfected” bodies shown on television. By looking deeper into body image or what really goes into being an Olympic athlete, students will have a better context. Also, the McDonald’s commercials that include Olympic athletes can be confusing when students think they will be healthy like the athletes and still eat McDonald’s.
Here is a link I found on body image lesson plans:
http://www.tolerance.org/lesson/i-see-you-you-see-me-body-image-and-social-justice
I think that it would be fun to connect the Olympic games to Social Studies. For example, the teacher can assign groups of students to countries, and he/she would design activities in which they can compete and represent their countries. For upper elementary, the students can research their country and then present demographics as well as interesting facts about their country to the rest of their class.
There can be an activity in which they compete each day during the Olympics. I think that in order to make it accurate, there could be a medal count. However, the teacher would have to explain that these activities are meant to be enjoyable and friendly. He/she would have to monitor the students’ feelings and reactions in order to maintain a happy community.
I love that children at such a young age, much like Alex at 2 1/2 are learning words like the ones listed above. The Olympics are so much fun to watch, and I think its important to incorporate those into a classroom when they are taking place during the school year. I taught an Olympic lesson during my Elementary Physical Education gym class here at Gustavus and people seemed to enjoy it because it applied to the real Olympics that many of us watch on TV. I also traveled abroad this January/Feb. and toured many Olympic sites. I had to teach a mini lesson and give a presentation about the history of the Olympics, in which I was able to use my past lesson plan from El.Ed P.E.
During my lesson I connected the games to a K-5 classroom by having them learn about different sporting events, creating their own game and uniforms, and giving the history and background of how the Olympics came to be. I feel as though some of these things that I have done in the past could also be used in a future classroom.
I love the way that Alex’s teachers have found fun and exciting ways to connect learning in the classroom to important events happening around the world, like the Olympics.
I believe that students are more likely to be engaged in a lesson if they are excited about what they are learning. I remember in Elementary school participating in activities where I did not even know that I was learning, because I was having so much fun.
I found online a fun website that includes more ideas for Olympic activities that can be done both in your class and throughout the whole school.
Here is the website for it: http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/themes/olympics/
At the elementary school in my hometown, Mora, they’re doing a school-wide activity related to the Olympics. Each of the classes is assigned a country. They do various activities with this country, including competing against each other and research on their country. They also did an opening ceremony of their own, which sounded pretty cool. There seems to be a lot of fun things about the Olympics you can incorporate into the classroom.