Thematic Units - The Summer Olympics

The Summer Olympics

You will find various Web Sites on the top portion of this page.
Further down, you will find Lesson Plans & Activities.
At the bottom of the page, you will find Books that you can order directly from Amazon.com!

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Web Sites (Olympic and Culture)

2008 Summer Olympic Games
Find facts, news and photos - sponsored by National Geographic.

ABC Arts Online
Winged Sandals - Greek Myths - Cartoons

Ancient Greece
Learn about the history of Greece.

The Ancient Olympics
Introduce your students to the fascinating world of Ancient Greece by studying the Olympic Games, then and now. Sponsored by Scholastic.

Beijing 2008
The official site of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Find wallpaper and screen savers on the Fun page.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are being held from 8th to 24th August. There are 28 sports and around 200 countries competing in the Games. Find a complete schedule of events here.

Beijing Olympics Countdown to 08-08-08
A great collection of resources.

Beijing Olympics Travel Guide
Check out our online guide to getting there - and getting around - with facts and info on trains, cabs and buses, plus more on must-see tourist attractions and how to's on getting to your favorite Olympic venues.

Enchanted Learning
This site offers tremendous resources.

FactMonster
This site contains almost every Olympic resource you and your students will need for the 2008 Games.

Go For the Gold
The Olympic Games student activities - sponsored by Scholastic.

Gold Medals
Easy directions for making your own gold medals.

Greek Mythology
Facts, quiz, Greek & Roman names, and more!

International Olympic Committee
Official site of the International Olympic Committee.

The Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.

The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Torch Relay
Learn about the relay. This could become a great mapping activity for students.

The Olympics
A great collection of web sites and lesson plans.

Sports and Olympic Games Coloring Pages
Enjoy free Sports and Olympic Games Coloring Pages suitable for toddlers, preschool and kindergarten.

United States Olympic Committee Online
"Official site of the USOC. A great place to follow the Olympic Trials.

Virtual Museum: The Olympic Games in the Ancient Hellenic World
"Here you will find a plethora of information about these contests that are the forefathers of our modern Olympic Games."

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Lesson Plans & Activities

This indicates resources located on The Teacher's Corner.

Printable Olympic Worksheets & Ideas for Use Grades Various
We have put together an amazing collection of printable worksheets and great ideas for their use in your classroom. They are all FREE and ready for downloading and printing!
Created by: The Teacher's Corner

Printable China Worksheets & Ideas for Use Grades Various
We have put together an amazing collection of printable worksheets and great ideas for their use in your classroom. They are all FREE and ready for downloading and printing!
Created by: The Teacher's Corner

Letter Recognition Grades Kindergarten
This is a fun way for students to practice their letters.
Submitted by: Jeanne

World Geography Bulletin Board Grades Any
This is a great bulletin board for both the Olympics and beginning of the year.
Submitted by: Jaime Boyce- Special Education Teacher jboyce357@email-removed

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

Ancient Greek Olympics Mini-Unit Grade 5-6
A simulation for the classroom (3-5 days)with city-state backgrounds, and events.

Ancient Olympic Cyber Hunt Grades Intermediate
Students are provided with questions and web sites to learn more about the Ancient Olympics.

Athletes are What They Eat Grade Intermediate
Lead your students on a cyber-search to learn about how the body works, from strong muscles to good nutrition. (This lesson refers to previous Olympics but can be used for the 2008 games.)

Celebrate the Olympics Grades Various
abcteach has put together a great collection of activities and resources.

Chinese Theme Grades PreK-1
Chinese New Year educational activities for preschool and kindergarten.  You will find free Chinese New Year crafts and printable activities with easy to follow lesson plans, instructions, and related resources.

Classroom Olympic Activities Grades Lower Primary
In this InfoQuest you will be doing a task related to the Olympics. Choose one task you would like to do.  (This lesson refers to previous Olympics but can be used for the 2008 games.)

Developing Character Grades 7-8
contrast heroes portrayed in the media with Olympic athletes and local heroes. Students will create an original dramatic representation of a real life hero.

Drawing the Olympic Rings Logo Grades Intermediate
Students learn how to draw the Olympic rings.

Education World Grades Various
"As the Games begin, 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!" (This site is from the last summer games but still contains some great resources.)

Enchanted Learning
This site offers tremendous resources.

Faces of the Olympics Grade 4-High School
"This project aims to develop student skills while researching the stories behind the Olympics."

Fractions in the Olympics Grades 4-6
This game encourages children to add unit fractions with the same or different denominators.

Gateway to the Summer Games Grades Intermediate
"Are you looking for Olympic-themed lesson plans to use in your classroom? Search no further!" (This site is from the last summer games but still contains some great resources.)

Hour of the Olympics
A complete unit that accompanies Mary Pope Osborne's book. Includes vocabulary, questions, and activities.

Learning From the Past Grades 6-8
Students will compare and contrast the modern and ancient Olympic Games. Students will consider how people use ideas from the past to enrich the present.

Make Your Own Olympics Grades Various
You can easily create your own backyard Olympic games! Make fun events for your family or invite the whole neighborhood to participate. The best part is, you don't have to be a world-class athlete to participate in these Olympic games.

Nursery Rhyme Olympics Grades PreK
Students play games based on nursery rhymes and the Olympics.

Olympic Activities Grades Various
"Plano ISD students and their teachers are taking advantage of the learning opportunities presented by the 2004 Olympic Games currently underway in Athens, Greece. Check out these bright ideas recently reported by our faculty and staff." (This lesson refers to previous Olympics but can be used for the 2008 games.)

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

Olympic Curriculum Guide Grade 3-5
"The Olympic Games concept is thematic and interdisciplinary. The curriculum guide provides flexible plans addressing the California State Education Framework in Language Arts, Social Studies and Geography, Mathematics and Science, and Physical Education and Health."

Olympic Games: Athletes & Records Grade 3-8
Learn about some famous Olympians and how they trained for their events. Compare Olympic records from various countries and sporting events. Includes eThemes Resources on the summer and winter Olympic games and Olympic history.

The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece Grade 3-12
Through this project, students attempt to learn as many new and unique facts as possible about the Ancient Greek Games.

Olympic Competition Grades K-2
This lesson introduces students to the modern and ancient Olympic Games . They will discuss the concept of competition, see pictures of people participating in Olympic sports, and compare and contrast ancient and modern sports. Students will conclude by drawing pictures of themselves participating in both the ancient and the modern games.

Olympic Graphs Grades 6-12
Students create graphs comparing present and past winning results (points or times) of various Olympic sports. (This lesson refers to previous Olympics but can be used for the 2008 games.)

Olympic Records Through Time Grades 4 -7
Are we faster, stronger, better than we used to be? Compare the records of gold medal Olympic winners for the last 100 years and decide.

Olympic Symbols Grades All
Students will learn about the Olympic torch, the Olympic rings and the Olympic medals, and design the back of an Olympic medal. (This lesson refers to previous Olympics but can be used for the 2008 games.)

Olympic Torch Grades Intermediate & Above
To practice reading for understanding, to practice asking and answering questions, to learn about the Olympics.

Olympic Trivia Challenge Grades 6-12
Students work in small groups to find fascinating facts about the Summer Olympic Games and Olympic history. (This lesson refers to previous Olympics but can be used for the 2008 games.)

Olympics Art Fun Grades PreK-2
Students create medals, Olympic rings, and torches using common materials.

Olympics Quest
Congratulations...Your team has been hired by our committee to determine the best site to hold the next Summer or Winter Olympic Games. Our panel of judges will assess your committee's site selection based on your ability to assure them of the suitability of the location based on climate, geography, politics, economics, history and lore of the area.

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

Olympic Torch Concentration Puzzle
A fun online game for your students. (Let students know how to handle the pop-up add on this site.)

Preschool Olympic Theme Grade PreK
A collection of activities to use with preshool-aged children.

Printable Map Grades Intermediate
A printable outline map of Asia.

Quest for Gold Grades Intermediate
A complete unit plan that allows you to focus on Olympics of the past and present.

So You Want to Compete in the Olympics? A WebQuest Grades 3-12
The International Olympic Committee has decided to hold a Junior Olympics during the next Summer Olympic Games. The committee has invited students from around the world to form teams and participate in that event. You and other students in your class hope to try out for the Junior Olympics, but first you have to plan how you will prepare for the competition.

Summer Olympic Events Grades GR Level H
Teaching aids and lesson plans based on a booklet explaining the Summer Olympic events downloadable in PDF format.

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

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