Olympic lesson ideas, classroom prompts and recommended books

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Published on Wednesday, 08 August 2012 09:02

Guest post submitted by Susie Williams, abcteach.com staff

Class Activities {Classroom Olympics}

Group Projects - As part of a social studies unit, break students into groups and assign them a different country to research. After a week (or two), have group presentations including traditional dress, customs, language lessons, etc. 

Fuel the Torch - As a component of the presentations, have each group create a small flame highlighting key/fun information about their country. Make a larger bowl or handle shape that’s affixed to a wall, and have students tape their flame onto the torch. At the end of the unit, with the various countries represented, the torch will be complete.

Olympic Meals - Group students together and have them bring a customary dish(es) from a certain country. In that sharing, include the history of that dish, customs around it, prevalence of certain ingredients, etc. Recipe flash cards can be provided to take home.

National Olympics - As a class project, group up and research national Olympic history. Kick-off with a brainstorming session to decide the topics of discussion, what types of research materials will be used (i.e. books, photos, video, etc.), and in what way you will present your research (i.e. interview, PPTs, reenactments, etc.). Get creative!

Note: Include parents and aides in these events, when possible, and engage everyone in a discussion of goals.

Individual Activities

Sports Enthusiasts - Research the history of a specific sport. How has it evolved over the years, who were major players, is there a dominant country, any memorable moments?

Explore your Olympic background - Have students ask family members about their history. Are there star athletes in the family? Is there a particular family sport? What are the personal experiences from playing over the years?

OR What nationalities are they? Pick one and delve into the history of that country. Highlight national sporting events, trends, and people. If possible, have students bring in equipment and related extras while they discuss.

Design a Postcard - Have students pick their favorite country. Create a postcard with interesting facts and pictures about that place. Without revealing the name, display postcards in the class and have students guess what country that card represents.

Click here for summer activities: Summer Olympics

Extra Credit

Current Events Reporting - Have students report results from the night before. Did something extraordinary happen? Was it the first gold in decades? Did a particular athlete overcome personal struggles to beat the odds?

Medal Count - Throughout the Games, keep score of who/which countries won medals. Use a tracking chart to display results, and turn in after closing ceremonies.

Recommended Books

Early/Elementary Readers

How to train with a T-Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals (Michael Phelps)

Winners Never Quit (Mia Hamm)

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman

G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet

The Story of the Olympics (Usborne Young Readers Series)

Ages 8-12

Jesse Owens, Fastest Man Alive

Childhoods of Famous Americans Series (Includes Jim Thorpe, Wilma Rudolph, and more)

Older Readers

Great Moments in the Summer Olympics

Olympic Books for Children

In addition to the opportunity to explore world cultures, history and geography, the Olympic Games provide parents and teachers wonderful opportunities for discussions on many character traits and values: courage, focus, honesty, generosity, perseverance, teamwork, sharing, sportsmanship. You can further the discussion with some of the great Olympic-related books available today.

Discussion prompts on character and values fill the pages of the biography and autobiographies of Olympic athletes. The timeless story of Jesse Owens is told in the recently published Jesse Owens, Fastest Man Alive.  Owens’ story, along with those of Jim Thorpe, Wilma Rudolph, and others, can be found in the respected Childhoods of Famous Americans Series published by Simon and Schuster for ages 8-12.

A fun recent trend in publishing related to the Olympics is the illustrated children’s book for early readers, some authored by Olympic athletes, as in Michael Phelps’ How to train with a T-Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals, and Mia Hamm’s Winners Never Quit. The beautifully illustrated Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman is appropriate for elementary readers and is a story of conquering adversity.

The 2012 Olympics has brought a flurry of new books for kids that help children understand the history and concept of the Olympic Games. G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet has received positive reviews from parents of preschool children. The Usborne Young Readers Series, 2012 edition of The Story of the Olympics is aimed at children 6 and up. Older readers will lose themselves for hours in Matt Christopher’s Great Moments in the Summer Olympics, which reviews the history of each sport with lots of facts and stories of athletes and interesting events.

Children love heroes and their stories, and books by and about Olympic athletes are filled with these inspiring stories and valuable discussion points. But don’t stop there. These last days of summer are the perfect time to get your student writing again, as well as, a perfect time for the young mind to take a flight of fancy with himself or herself as Olympic Champion. Help your child use one of these inspirational Olympic-related books to write his or her own heroic story.

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