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Citius, Altius, Fortius. Those are the Latin words for the Olympic motto, which in today's language means "Swifter, Higher, Stronger." The best athletes from around the world exemplify that creed as they compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. As the Games get underway, Education World offers you ten gold-medal lessons about the Summer Olympics. Included: Activities that involve students in creating time lines and graphs, writing biographies of famous Olympians, and much more.

In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.
-- Olympic Oath, written by Baron Pierre du Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics.
From August 8 to 24, more than 10,500 athletes will honor that oath as they participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The games will include events in 28 sports. Explore more Olympic news at The Official Site of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Let the Games begin! Get into the Olympic spirit with Education World's ten lessons about the Summer Olympics. Click any headline below for a complete teaching resource. (Notations in parentheses indicate approximate grade levels for each activity.)

Create Your Own Classroom Olympics
Complete activites that emphasize skills and knowledge as well as a little luck. (Grades 3-12)

Comparing Ancient and Modern Olympic Games
Create a Venn diagram to compare the Games of today and ancient times. (Grades 3-12)

Olympic Time Lines
Students use library or online sources to create time lines of various events that took place during the modern Olympic Games. (Grades 3-12)

Olympic Biographies
Students create a book of biographies profiling famous past Olympic athletes. (Grades 3-8)

Track a Sport
Students track the results of various sports during the Olympic Games. (Grades 6-12)

Olympics Art Fun
Students create medals, Olympic rings, and torches using common materials. (Pre-K-2)

Olympic Graphs
Students create graphs comparing present and past winning results of various Olympic sports. (Grades 6-12)

Character Education Lesson: Olympics
Students plan and stage a classroom Olympics. (Grades 6-8)

Olympic Trivia Challenge
Students find fascinating facts about the Summer Olympic Games and Olympic history. (Grades 6-12)

A Measure of Greatness
Students participate in a variety of Olympic-type activities involving measurement. (Grades K-5)

OLYMPIC LESSONS CAUGHT ON THE NET

Still looking for lessons? We searched the World Wide Web and uncovered the lessons below. We've included some lessons relating to the previous Olympic Games, knowing that creative teachers will be able to adapt them to this year's Olympics. Approximate grade levels for many activities appear in parentheses.
  • Say "Hello" to the World (Grades K-8)
  • Going for the Gold (Olympic WebQuest) (Grades 6-12)
  • Mr. Donn's Ancient Greek Olympics Simulation Unit (Grades 3-12)
  • Journey Through the Olympic Games (WebQuest)
  • Computer Olympics (Grades K-12)
  • Fractions in Olympics (Grades 4-8)
  • Downhill Discoveries (Grades 4-8)
  • Olympic Records Through Time (Grades 3-8)
  • The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece (WebQuest)
  • Olympic Training Center from Newton's Apple (Grades 3-12)
  • Going for the Gold: Canada's Quest to Bid for the 2010 Winter Games (WebQuest)
  • Cardiovascular Fitness (Grades 6-12)
  • Olympic Torch Concentration Puzzle (Grades 1-8)
  • Olympic Games Word Search Puzzle (Grades 3-8)

    Article by Education World
    Education World®
    Copyright © 2008 Education World


    Originally published 09/11/2000
    Links and activities last updated 07/16/2008

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