WINTER OLYMPICS

Olympics - Winter
The modern Olympic games started in 1894. The first edition of the games was held in Athens in 1896 and had a mere 245 competitors from 14 different countries. Today, the Olympics have changed not only in size but also in tradition. Instead of holding an event every four years, there is a Summer Olympic games held every four years and two years later there is a Winter Olympic games which is also held every four years. This gives the excited public the opportunity to experience an Olympic event every two years.

Today the Winter Olympics has 102 events in 15 sports which range from Alpine skiing to Figure skating. In 2018, a total of 93 teams have qualified at least one athlete and six nations: Ecuador, Eritrea, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria and Singapore are scheduled to make their Winter Olympics debut.

While the actual event is one that is fantastic classroom fun, you don't have to wait every four years to teach your young students about the Winter Olympics. In fact, it's a great addition to many units. You might integrate a lesson on the Winter Olympics with a unit on Ancient Greece, Olympic Traditions, Health and Fitness, or Cultures and Traditions.



Lesson Plan:  https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp250-01.shtml​
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/history-olympic-games/
 
Lessons for Olympics• Discover Changemakers: the stories of pioneering Olympians over the years
• When it’s time for Olympics, TV channels will televise the games! Be sure to check out the full Olympic’s television schedule so you can plan your viewing (you can also LIVESTREAM them online)
• Learn about the olympic values of Universality, Peace, Respect, Fraternity, Diversity and how these have been expressed and symbolized at different editions of the Games
• Get a full Olympic lesson plan covering different areas
• Learn about Famous Olympic Homeschoolers 
• Learn more about the 15 winter sports in the Winter Olympics
• Create onomatopoeic sports poems
• Learn about the history of photography in sports and more about sports photography
• Learn about the 2022 Winter Olympics mascot, Bing Dwen Dwen
• Create your own Winter Olympics mascot
• Learn about the different mascots through the years
• Learn about Team USA
• Understand how significant political events affect Olympic games
• Understand Olympic principals
• Review controversies in the Olympics
• Get free printable winter olympics coloring pages
• Learn about the history of the Olympic rings
• Color the Olympic rings with free printable
• Learn about the Opening Ceremony
• Learn about the Olympic truce
• Play Opening Ceremony Bingo
• See and learn about the Team USA’s Opening Ceremony Uniforms
• Learn about how they choose Olympic locations
• Do a Winter Olympics scavenger hunt
• Learn about the history of the Olympic torch
• Make your own Olympic torch craft
• Do a year-by-year history of the Olympics lesson plan
• Create a biography of famous Olympians
• Do an Olympics-themed math measurement lesson plan
• Learn about the history of Olympic stamps and design a stamp to commemorate the Olympics
• Use a Venn Diagram to compare the Olympics today to Olympics in the past
• Study the history and architecture of Olympic stadiums
• Take an Ancient Olympics quiz
• Learn about the history and design of Olympic medals
• Create medals, Olympic rings, and torches
• Make your own Olympic medals
 
Location of 2022 Winter OlympicsLessons on Beijing China• Read Beijing: A Symmetrical City
• Learn Basic Points of Interest on the Geography of East Asia 
• Get Outline Maps of China (good for coloring/writing on) 
• Do a historical map project
• Learn colors and numbers in Mandarin
 
Lessons on Asia• Review an interactive map of Asia
• Play some online geography games about Asia
• Complete a lesson plan on Asia
• Expand with study units on Eurasia

Novel Study

One and Only Ivan
The story of Ivan, a gorilla who has spent all 27 years of his life in captivity. He has gotten used to his life in an enclosure in a shopping mall, with people watching him. His biggest diversions are television and painting. But his life changes when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild. Their friendship sheds new light on his life.  Written by Katherine Applegate and Illustrated by Patricia Castelao
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Letters:Katherine Applegate
c/o Pippin Properties, Inc.
110 West 40th Street, Suite 1704
New York, NY 10018
(212) 338-9310

Author: Katherine Applegate

10 Questions with Katherine
  1. How long have you been a writer?To me, anyone who has written a story is a writer! I wrote my first story when I was in fourth grade, so I’ve been a writer since then. It was about a pig named Alice.
    If you’re wondering how long I’ve been a published author, the answer is… 25 years? 30? Long enough to know that this is the best job in the world, and that I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.


  2. Did you always know you were going to be a writer?I’ve always loved to tell stories. And being a writer was a dream of mine for a long time. But not always.
    I have a confession to make that just may shock you: When I was young, I really, really, REALLY didn’t like to read.
    Crazy, I know. But I thought books were boring. I just didn’t get the point of reading.
    That’s because I hadn’t found (drum roll, please) The Right Book. Finding The Right Book is like searching for a good friend. It can take a long time. And it’s different for each person. For me, The Right Book was a beautiful novel called Charlotte’s Web. For you, it may be a graphic novel, or a picture book, or a non-fiction title, or a funny series.
    The important thing is that when you find The Right Book—the book that makes you laugh or cry or understand the world a little better—you’ll see how reading can change your life. So if you haven’t found it yet, keep reading. Keep trying. It’s waiting for you on a bookshelf nearby. You’ll know it when you find it.


  3. What’s your favorite part about being a writer?I get to wear pajamas and make up stories all day. What’s not to love?
    Seriously, the best part of the job is meeting young readers. Many of my readers are just discovering how important a book can be—how it can take you someplace magical, or help you understand the workings of your own heart. They are idealistic and hopeful. They care about fairness and justice. They’re not afraid to be honest. I’m so inspired by them.
    Also, if they like my books, they treat me like a rock star.


  4. What’s some advice you have for someone who wants to be a writer?My biggest piece of advice is this: Be persistent. I may have written my first story in fourth grade, but I didn’t become a published author until I was in my 30s.
    Here’s a little story: I almost gave up when I was writing The One and Only Ivan. I remember thinking that the whole idea was crazy! Who would want to read a book narrated by a gorilla? One day, I stood over my trash can with the manuscript in my hands, trying to decide once and for all whether I should throw it away. But in the end, I knew that I wanted to tell Ivan’s story. So I pushed through, finished my first draft, and sent it to my editor. After a lot of revising, the book was published—and later won the Newbery Medal! So find a story you believe in, embrace editing and rewriting, and have fun. You’ll be amazed at what you can do.
    My second biggest piece of advice is to read, read, and read some more. I firmly believe that reading as many books as I can makes me a better writer.


  5. Was Ivan from The One and Only Ivan a real gorilla?Yes, he was. The real Ivan spent the first 27 years of his life in a shopping mall in Washington State. One day, I was reading the newspaper and I saw the headline ‘A Gorilla Sulks in [a] Mall as His Future Is Debated.’ I read the article, and I was hooked. I knew that I wanted to tell Ivan’s story.
    The other characters in the book, like Stella and Ruby, came from my imagination. But I actually based Bob on my own dog, Stan. He’s a sassy little guy, just like Bob is. He likes to sit on my lap as I write.
    Which is great, except for his terrible breath.


  6. Did you ever get to meet the real Ivan?Sadly, I never got the chance—Ivan died peacefully of old age in 2012. My daughter Julia and I did try to visit him once, but it was a very wet day and Ivan didn’t like the rain. We waited around for a few hours, but he never came out to see us. At first I was a little sad about that, but then I realized something: Ivan had control over his own environment. That’s something that had been taken from him when he spent all those years in a cage. In the end, I was so happy that he was able to choose where he wanted to be. 


  7. You’ve written books from the perspective of a gorilla, a dog, a tree… What’s with that?Two things. First, nonhuman narrators can give you a fresh perspective on the world, allowing you to say things, and to see things, you might otherwise overlook. Honestly, I think it’s sometimes easier to view humans through a nonhuman lens.
    I also love trying to figure out how a character sounds. How does a gorilla think? What might a red oak worry about? It allows me to do lots of research, which I love. And it’s a fun challenge to write outside of your comfort zone.


  8. What’s your favorite food?Popcorn. Give me a bowl of hot, salty, buttery popcorn and I’m in heaven. At least until I have to floss.


  9. Do you have any pets?I do—and always will! Currently, I have two cats, Lightning and Scooter, and Stan the dog. Stan was the inspiration for Bob from The One and Only Bob. Lightning helped inspire Crenshaw.
    Guess I owe Scooter a book now.


  10. Wait, aren’t you also the Animorphs lady?Guilty as charged. I co-wrote that series with my husband, Michael Grant, and we are so delighted and humbled that its readers continue to reach out to this day. Seriously guys, thanks for reading. (Shameless plug: A beautiful graphic novelization of The Invasion came out on October 6. The artist, Chris Grine, did a wonderful job.)

Activities


Write A Short Story "The One and Only Ivan" is a fictional book based on events that really occurred. Think of an event that is real and write a fictional short story based off the event. Read your story to the class.

The Real Ivan - A TimelineThe real Ivan’s zoo was Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, GA. Go to zoo Atlanta’s website (http://www.zooatlanta.org/ivan) and read about the real Ivan’s life. Create a timeline that represents the real Ivan’s life and present it to the class.

Cover Art- Examine the cover of the book. Why do you think the illustrator chose those colors and the figures on the cover? What could they mean? Redesign the cover and create a book jacket that represents your interpretation of the book.

Anchor Chart- Throughout his life, Ivan lives in four different places. Create an anchor chart that lists those places. For this chart, the class brainstorms details about each place Ivan lived. Students will write details on sticky notes. The students then place the sticky notes on the anchor chart in the correct locations.
Pocket Activity 
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