Becoming an Olympian is no easy feat. The athletes train for years and years to perform a task that may take a matter of seconds. This takes a lot of perseverance and diligence. The Olympics occur every four years forcing athletes to be patient while waiting for competition. Gold, silver and bronze medals are the only medals given in each game or sport, which means athletes placing below the top three won’t receive a medal despite all the hard work. This leads to much disappointment. Lessons on managing disappointment are relatable and necessary for every child to mature.
Finally, when planning lessons focusing on the Olympics, don’t forget to include an all-time favorite Olympic experience, the Paralympics and Special Olympics. A discussion defining the purpose and history of the two is an excellent teaching moment. Both PBSLearning Media and PBS KIDS have multimedia content to support these lessons and I’d invite you to take a look.
Happy Learning,
Mrs. Pizzo
