Please Note: this material was created for use in a classroom, but can be easily modified for homeschooling use.
Objectives
- Students will learn about world political events and their historicalconnection to the Olympic Games.
- Students will practice their research skills.
Materials
- Copies of handout
- Copies of Olympic Games and Politics Research Questions handout
- Chart Paper
- Resource materials about the Olympics
Procedures
- Distribute handout and go over it with the students.
- Tell students they will be creating a timeline displaying historical events andtheir connection to the Summer Olympic games.
- Break students into small groups. Tell students they will be responsible for filling in assigned sections of the timeline.
- Assign each group one of the following Olympic years:1896, 1900, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000
- Give each group a sheet of chart paper and tell them to hold it vertically when they create their piece of the timeline.
- Distribute the Olympic Games and Politics Research Questions handout. Instruct the groups to use these questions to further research the political and social context in which their Summer Olympic Games took place.
- Once the research information has been gathered, ask students to put this information onto the chart paper. Use the following as an example:
1900 Summer Olympics
Location:
Number of countries participating in these games:
Number of athletes participating in these games:
Country that won the most medals:
Major political events of the time:
Effects of these events on the Games:
Major technological advances of the time:
Effects of this technology on the Games:
Students create a timeline of political events and their effects on the Summer Olympic Games.
Holidays
Type:
