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Article issued February 06, 2002
Olympics 2002: Olympic Learning
Salt Lake City, Utah, is the place to be this month as more than 2,000 athletes from about 80 countries participate in the XIX Olympic Winter Games. Join the world's greatest athletes as they put their strength and agility to the test in this ultimate athletic competition. As you celebrate their victories and applaud their efforts, encourage your children to learn from the experience by completing the activities in these Olympic Learning lessons.
Although some evidence exists that Olympic Games were held as early as the tenth century BC, most historians believe that the first organized Olympic contest occurred in 776 BC, nearly 3,000 years ago. That event lasted one day and consisted of a single foot race. Only free men who spoke Greek were allowed to participate in the contest, which was scheduled for the first full moon after the summer solstice. Women were forbidden to participate in-or to attend-the Games.
Like most early Greek festivals, the Olympic contest was primarily a religious event. Held to honor the Greek god Zeus, the Games were marked by a 3-month cessation of the hostilities that frequently existed among the Greek states. Before the Games began, heralds wearing crowns of olive branches traveled to all Greek cities to announce the truce. The journey of the Olympic torch before the modern Games is a symbol of that ancient message of peace.
After that first Olympic contest, Olympic Games were held every four years, in accordance with the 8-year Greek calendar, for 12 centuries. During that time, the Olympiad grew in size and importance. New events, including chariot and horse racing, boxing, wrestling, armed combat, discus, archery, and javelin, were gradually added and the duration of the event increased to three days, and then to five days. The popularity of the Games began to decline, however, after Greece was conquered by the Roman Empire in the first century BC. The Roman Emperor Theodosius I finally put an end to the ancient Olympic Games in 393 AD.
In the nineteenth century, Pierre de Fredy, the Baron de Coubertin, a French aristocrat, formulated a plan to revive the Olympic Games. Coubertin believed that such an athletic competition would promote the health and emotional well being of the world's youth, encourage understanding among nations, and promote peace throughout the world. His efforts and his financial support resulted in a meeting in 1894, in which delegates from 34 nations voted to hold the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 1896.
The move toward separate Olympic Games featuring winter sports began in 1908, when figure skating was added to the list of Olympic events. The movement was opposed, however, by Baron de Coubertin, as well as by a number of Scandinavian countries, which were already holding their own winter Games. Although the idea for winter Games was approved in 1911, the start of those Games was delayed by World War I. Finally, the International Olympic Committee approved the staging of an "International Winter Sports Week," which was held at Chamonix, France, in 1924. Nearly 300 competitors took part in the 11-day event, which included skiing, speed skating, figure skating, ice hockey and bobsledding. The contest was such a huge success that it was retroactively called the first Olympic Winter Games.
For 68 years, the Olympic Winter Games and the Games of the Olympiad (the summer Games) were held at different times and in different cities, but during the same year. In 1994, however, the increasing popularity of the Games, and the heavy television coverage that resulted, convinced Olympic organizers that the summer and winter Games should be held in different years. Consequently, the XVII Olympic Winter Games took place in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994, just two years after the 1992 Games in Albertville, France. That event began the current schedule, in which the two Olympic Games alternate every two years.
Salt Lake City, Utah, is the host city for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, which are taking place from February 8-24. The XIX Olympic Winter Games are expected to cost almost $1 billion. More than 2,000 competitors from about 80 countries are participating in15 sports, including speed skating and figure skating; cross country, freestyle, and downhill skiing; bobsledding, snowboarding, and luge.
The theme for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games is "Light the Fire Within." In keeping with that theme, we invite you to use the lessons in this unit to light the fire of knowledge within your children.
Learn More!
General Resources about The Olympics
Online Resources
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The Education Site for the 2002 Winter Olympics
Utah Education Network offers Olympic- and Paralympic-related geographic, scientific, and current events resources for kids, as well as lessons, activities, projects, and other curricular resources for parents.
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International Olympic Committee
The official IOC site provides information about sports and Olympic organizations, as well as links to the Olympic Museum and current and future Olympic Games Web sites.
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Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles Olympic Primer
The Amateur Athletic Foundation site offers an overview of the history of the Olympic Games, as well as clear descriptions of most Olympics sports. Also included are historical documents, oral histories, Web games, and an excellent curriculum unit.
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A Tour of Ancient Olympia
The Classics Department at Tufts University, using its digital library on ancient Greece, created this site as a resource for the 1996 Olympic Games. Information about the locations, spirit, athletes, and sporting events of both ancient and modern Games are included.
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United States Olympic Committee
The site offers athlete biographies and Olympic Game information about the U.S. Team. The Ask an Expert feature allows visitors to email questions to former Olympians!
Books
- Wallechinsky, David. The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics 2002. Overlook Press. ISBN: 1585671851 (Adult)
Facts, figures, and trivia pack this complete resource on "every Olympics event ever contested."
- Brimner, Larry Dane. The Winter Olympics. Children's Press. ISBN: 0516262076 (Ages 9-12)
Learn the history, rules, and judging criteria for every sport played in the Winter Olympics and relive some fascinating moments from past Winter Olympics Games.
- Osborne, Mary Pope. Hour of the Olympics. Random House. ISBN: 0679890629 (Ages 6-9)
Jack and Annie experience the very first Olympics Games in ancient Greece in this book from the Magic Tree House series.
- Nixon, Joan Lowery. Gus & Gertie and The Lucky Charms. Seastar Books. ISBN: 158717099X (Ages 4-8)
Two Antarctic penguins try to solve a mystery at the Animal Olympics.
LESSON 1:
History and the Olympic Winter Games
Concepts:
You will learn about world history as you explore the history of the Olympic Winter Games.
Lesson:
The first modern international Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. For more than a quarter of a century after that, all Olympic events were held at the same time, sharing the same arena. Eventually, the Games were separated into two separate competitions, the Games of the Olympiad (Summer Games) and the Olympic Winter Games, although both events continued to be held in the same years and often in the same countries. Late in the twentieth century, as the Olympic Games became more profitable and planning grew more involved, organizers decided to hold the Games of the Olympiad (the summer games) and the Olympic Winter Games in different years. Now, the Games alternate every two years. In 2002, the Olympic Winter Games are being held in Salt Lake City, Utah, from February 8-24.
Your children can learn more about the historical highlights of individual Olympic Winter Games at the CNN/Sports Illustrated 2002 Winter Olympics site. (Scroll to "Facts and Figures" and click "Olympic Timeline.") Have them explore the site and complete our History and the Olympic Winter Games worksheet. The answers can be found on this answer sheet
Additional Resources:
LESSON 2:
The Road to the 2002 Winter Olympics
Concepts:
Your children will learn the locations and capitals of each U.S. state.
Lesson:
The Flame of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games was lit in Olympia, Greece, on November 19, 2001. After a stopover in Athens, Greece, the Flame arrived in the United States on December 4, 2001. In the course of its 13,500-mile cross-country journey from Atlanta, Georgia, to Salt Lake City, Utah, the Flame passed through 46 U.S. states and 250 U.S. cities. On February 8, 2002, the Flame arrived at Salt Lake City's Olympic Stadium, signaling the official start of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The Flame will be extinguished on February 24, 2002, during the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Games.
Have your children visit the official Web site for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games. (Click "Torch Relay" and "Interactive map.") and trace the torch's route across the United States. Print a United States Outline Map and ask your children to label each state on the map. Older children can label Capital Cities as well.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 3:
Symbols of the Olympics
Concepts:
Your children will learn about the symbols of the Olympic Games and the flags of the countries participating in the Olympic Winter Games.
Lesson:
Explain to your children that a symbol is an image that represents a thought or idea. Have them read about the Symbols of the Olympic Games. Ask: How many of the Olympic symbols are symbols of peace? (Answer: Three: the white background of the Olympic flag, the Olympic Flame, and the doves released at the opening ceremonies)
Tell your children that athletes from about 80 countries will participate in this year's Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and that those countries are represented by symbols too. One of the most important symbols of a country is its flag. Have your children explore Flags of All Countries to learn what each country's flag looks like. Then ask them to complete the answer sheet.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 4:
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner of Champions
Concepts:
Your children will learn how nutrition affects an athlete's health and performance.
Lesson:
Athletes must be in top physical condition to compete in the Olympic Winter Games. Proper nutrition is one of the most important factors in maintaining peak physical conditioning and achieving maximum performance.
Have your children explore the Sports Nutrition Course Outline and select a section that interests them. Ask them to study the information in that section and answer the questions provided. Your children can then use the Food Guide Pyramid to plan a weekly menu for themselves.
LESSON 5:
Bodies and Minds Working Together
Concepts:
Your children will learn how friction affects the performance of Olympic athletes.
Lesson:
Physical strength is not the only requirement for success in the Winter Games. Top athletes must also understand the scientific factors that affect their sport.
To learn how friction affects snowboarders, have your children explore the Fact or Friction challenge at PBS Cyberschool. (Click "Snowboarding." Choose "Fact or Friction" from the Beginner activity pull down menu and click "Go.") Then ask them to create a Web page or illustrated report about friction. Have them include explanations of kinetic and static friction, dry and fluid friction, and the coefficient of friction, and encourage them to provide images that demonstrate how snowboarders use friction to control their boards.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 6:
And the Winner Is…
Concepts:
You will learn how to create a spreadsheet and calculate percentages.
Lesson:
Explain to your children that gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded to athletes who place first, second, and third in their events at the Olympic Games. Tell them that the first medals for the 2002 Games will be awarded on February 9. They are going to create a spreadsheet to keep track of the number of medals won by each country at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Show your children a sample spreadsheetOlympic Medals Spreadsheet. Have them enter the names of the participating countries in alphabetical order in the first column of their own spreadsheet. Explain that each day of the Winter Games, they will check newspapers or other media resources to find out how many medals each country won that day. They will add the number to the previous day's total and enter the totals into the spreadsheet.
Have your children begin by entering the number of medals won during the first day's events. Point out that they should enter the number of gold medals won in the second column, silver medals in the third column, bronze medals in the fourth column and the total number of medals won in the fifth column. At the end of the Olympic Winter Games, have your children use the information in their spreadsheets to complete the Olympic Medals worksheet.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 7:
Meet the Athletes
Concepts:
You will explore the qualities that make an athlete special and create a digital presentation about one of the most memorable athletes participating in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Lesson:
The Olympic Creed states, "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."
More than 2,000 athletes from approximately 80 countries are participating in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. All of them are exceptional athletes. Some also will turn out to be exceptional competitors or exceptional individuals. Those will be the athletes we remember.
Ask your children to name some memorable athletes from previous Olympic Games and discuss why those people are remembered. Then visit Innovative Teaching Ideas for the Olympics website for ideas on activities to study the athletes.
Additional Resources:
LESSON 8:
Future Olympics
Concepts:
Your children will explore the criteria used to select an Olympic host city.
Lesson:
According to Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee, "The International Olympic Committee chooses a host city seven years before the Olympic Games… Any city wanting to host the Olympic Games must first convince the International Olympic Committee that the Games will be welcome in their community, that they can be organized efficiently, that they will respect the environment and that they will leave a positive legacy….The Olympic Games must be more than just the world's biggest multi-sports event: they are a blend of sport and culture."
Tell your children that they are going to create materials that will show that their hometown would be a good host city for a future Olympics Game. Have them explore print and online resources about the selection process, as well as resources about past and future Olympic sites. Discuss the factors that the IOC might consider, including climate, environment, population, transportation, attractions, and so on.
K-2:
Ask your children to write letters telling why their hometown would make a good host city. Have them draw pictures of the places in their town that visitors would like to see.
3-5:
Have your children create a brochure promoting their hometown. The brochure should include information about the town's residents, climate, environment, and local attractions.
6-8:
Your children can create a digital presentation promoting their hometown to the International Olympic Committee. The presentation should include information about the town's residents, climate, environment, transportation services, and local attractions, as well as projections about how the town would benefit from hosting the Games.
9-12:
Older children can complete the official Questionaire for Cities Applying to Become Candidate Cities to Host the Olympic Games.
Additional Resources:
Article by Linda Andrew Curriculum Development
Article © Homeschool Learning Network, All Rights Reserved.
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