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Unit  World Olympics, p. 182
Lesson Name  Strengths of Our Olympic Community
Grade Band 

Elementary (Grades 3-5)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Required Materials

  • Have chart paper on which is printed the name of each sport, academic competition, art contest and fun/silly game that students will participate in during the Olympics.

  • Have masking tape to post Event Charts

  • Have Post-it notes (enough for multiple Post-it papers for each student).
Standards / Competencies 

CASEL Core Competencies

  • Self-Awareness

  • Self-Management

  • Social Awareness

  • Relationship Skills

Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards

  • Listening and Speaking

NCSS Social Studies Themes

  • Individual Development and Identity 
Recommended Time  50 mins
Essential Question  How will I contribute to my team in the
four game categories of the Olympics?
Learning Objectives 

  • Describe the four categories of games that will be held in the class/school/team Olympics

  • Understand that a diverse range of skills will be needed for the teams to compete successfully in each event

  • Assess their own strengths, talents, skills and abilities

  • Appreciate the strengths, talents, skills and abilities of their teammates
Activating Prior Knowledge 

Note to the teacher: Regardless of the structure decided upon
(See Key Components Check List for Your Olympic Games), each Olympics
must include at least one game in each of the following
categories:

  • Sports

  • Academics

  • Arts

  • Fun/Silly Games

These four categories have been chosen purposefully. Together
they ensure individuals with a diverse range of interests, talents,
abilities and skills can participate fully in the games and meaningfully
contribute to their team’s overall effort.

Tell students that the chart papers posted around the room list each type of competition the group will be involved in as part of the school/program Olympic Games. Ask for a volunteer or volunteers to read the title of each event aloud to the class.
Core Instruction 

Tell the class that you are going to walk around the room, stop at each Event Chart and explain exactly what each event will require of the students who compete in the event.

After providing a description of an event, ask students if they have any questions.

Repeat this process until all events have been described.

For each event, ask a student to volunteer to say what kind of talents, abilities, or skills they think are needed to compete successfully in the event. Chart the ideas on the Event Chart.

Repeat this process for each Event Chart.

When all events have talents, abilities and skills listed, ask the group to look around the room to see if they think anything should be added to any of the Event Charts. If students have items to add, chart their ideas on the applicable Event Chart.

Read aloud from a number of different Event Charts the many different talents, abilities, and skills, that students have listed.

Ask the class by a show of hands if they know of people who have these talents and skills.

Ask students to raise their hands if they think it would be difficult to find two people or even one person who was really, really good at every one of these events.

Ask: What does that tell you about why we need a team to
compete?

Ask: Why is it important for us to remember the benefits
everybody on our team gives us?

Hand out multiple Post-it papers to each student. When all students have received Post-its, tell the group that every student is going to participate in one or more of the games.

Tell students they must think carefully and consider their talents, abilities, and skills. Each student must decide which of the events posted would enable them to contribute the most to the group’s team.

Tell students that once they have decided which events they think they would do well in, they should write their name on enough Post-its so they have one for each event.

Depending on the number of events posted and the space between each Event Chart, divide the class into four groups if events are posted on all four walls, or three groups if events are posted on three walls.

Start each group at a different wall and tell them to put one of their Post-its with their name on each Event Chart they feel they would do well participating in.

When all students have posted their names on the charts, ask the class to be seated.
Wrap-up 

Ask the group: Why do you think we did this
activity?

Ask: What did you learn about yourself when you had to decide
which events to put your name on?