Let the Games Begin, Authors: Linda Lepper, Leah Allison, Joanne Faulknham, & Virginia Edsall, Grade Level: One and two, Subject Area: Integrated Learning Unit, - Students will be participating in a variety of activities while the actual Olympics are taking place. This is devised to be a total immersion and activity based unit with a strong emphasis on language arts and writing skills. Students will be role-playing Olympic athletes and will be a part of an Olympic team representing an adopted country.

Let the Games Begin
Learning Unit

LU Title: Let the Games Begin	Authors: Linda Lepper, Leah Allison, Joanne Faulknham, & Virginia Edsall
Grade Level: One and two	School Address: Lyme Central School, 219 Academy Street, Chaumont, NY 13622
Subject Area: Integrated Learning Unit	School Phone/Fax: 315-649-2417 315-649-2812
	Email Address: llepper@lyme.moric.org lallison@lyme.moric.org jfaulknham@lyme.moric.org vedsall@lyme.moric.org

OVERVIEW

"Let the Games Begin" is an integrated learning unit involving language arts, math, science, technology, social studies and health. This unit is designed to be used with students in grades one and two but could easily be adapted to be used throughout all of the elementary grades. (See the learning unit "Go for the Gold" for activities appropriate for grades three and four.) Students will be participating in a variety of activities while the actual Olympics are taking place. This is devised to be a total immersion and activity based unit with a strong emphasis on language arts and writing skills. Students will be role-playing Olympic athletes and will be a part of an Olympic team representing an adopted country. Some activities will involve the use of cooperative groups. Students will study the host country for the current games and their adopted countries.

In the year 2000 the summer games will take place in Sydney, Australia beginning Friday, September 15, and ending on Sunday, October 1. In 2002, the winter games will be in Salt Lake City, Utah. Games will be alternating summer and winter each two years thereafter. This unit can be adapted for use with any host country and therefore can be used every two years.

The unit will run the entire time that the Olympic Games are being held as well as one to two weeks for students to prepare before the games and about one week for follow up at the end. This would make the unit approximately six weeks in length.

As this unit is meant to be integrated throughout the entire day, all members of our staff will assist in its implementation. Our elementary principal will serve as the Local Olympic Committee (LOC) President. Students will be participating in actual sporting events and contests and earning medals, so coordination with the physical education teachers will be needed. In the summer games they will be doing running, jumping, and throwing type events (Frisbee toss, relay races, yachting races, soccer, etc.). In the winter games they will participate in snow type activities (hockey, bobsled races, cross-country skiing, snow sculpting, etc.). The music department will help with theme songs and anthems. The art department will work with banners and flags and mascots. The cafeteria will provide nutritious breakfasts and lunches appropriate for "champions". The reading department will run a "Parents As Reading Partners" program during the entire unit. The students will earn simulated Olympic pins for each evening they read and add them to their reading sash to be worn at the opening and closing ceremonies. The library media center will highlight and feature Olympic materials. Classroom teachers will be designated as coaches and will hold sign-ups of what events students will be participating in. The "coaches" will also select teams (groups of students who will work together throughout the games, as this is a great opportunity for cooperative learning groups) and will schedule a lottery for teams to select what countries the teams will be representing. We will have Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

All students will have a role to play in the games and will be made to understand that their role is important to both themselves and to their team. Students will be encouraged to watch actual coverage of the Olympic events on TV and to follow stories in the news media, as well as, use the Internet to gather information. They will do oral and written reports on their countries, make charts of medal counts and write about their experiences. They will keep journals and write letters.

Assessments will be made throughout the unit. Some are informal, such as writing conferences about a written report, a letter, or a journal entry and checklists to see that certain skills are being acquired or used. Graphing activities will involve traditional math assessments. There are formal rubrics for journal writing, sharing orally, poster making, and "yacht building". Some of the assessments will be holistic or narrative in nature and others will have a number or letter grade. Students will be evaluated both on their group work, as well as, their individual work. Their physical activities in the games will not be graded but they will be awarded medals for first, second, and third place. Medal ceremonies will take place!

This is a unit that has been done on a smaller scale during the last two winter Olympics and our students have had a wonderful time and learned more than we could have ever hoped for. Should you decide to have your own Olympics, we hope that this will be fun and rewarding for both you and your students. We hope that it will be authentic and meaningful for them as they simulate the hard work and fun of the Olympics.

Go for the gold!

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative	Procedural
History and role of the Olympic games	Make pictographs
Events of the Olympic games	Make banners, flags, symbols, and mascots
Host and home country geography, climate, culture, economics, and natural resources	Letter writing, journal writing, narrative, explanatory, descriptive writing
Citizenship, sportsmanship	Compare and contrast
Buoyancy	Research assigned country
Health and wellness	Use technology to include Internet, electronic encyclopedia, and word processor
	Public Speaking
	Problem solving

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What are the Olympic games, where do they take place, and what is their history?
What would it be like to be a participant in the Olympics?
How can we learn about mathematics and science from the Olympic games?
What can we learn about the world from studying the Olympic games?
Why is good nutrition important for athletes?

INITIATING ACTIVITY

"World Wide Pep Rally"

Our study and participation in the Olympic games will begin with a "World Wide Pep Rally". The Australian and United States flags will be displayed as well as the Olympic flag. The national anthems of the United States and Australia will be played. This will be an informational and motivational assembly for all first through fourth grade students, teachers, and support staff. A video of previous Student Olympics or a commercial Olympic video will be shown to give background information and promote excitement for the upcoming Olympics.

After the assembly, first and second grade teachers will meet with their teams (student athletes/cooperative groups) as will third and fourth grade teachers. The teams will select the country they will be representing throughout the Olympic unit. All activities surrounding specific countries will be generated by the country each team selects. Team members will have an opportunity to sign up for team and individual events at this time as well.

The "World Wide Pep Rally" will be held about two weeks before the beginning of the Olympics that will be held in Sydney, Australia in September 2000.

The students will use this activity to begin preparing for the opening ceremonies of our School Olympics, which will be held at the same time as the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Sydney.

STATE LEARNING STANDARDS

Content Area: Integrated Language Arts, Math, Science, & Technology, Social Studies, and Health

Learning Unit

Level: 1-2

Unit Theme: Let the Games Begin

Standard: ELA # 1-Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

Benchmarks:

Students gather and interpret information from children's reference books, magazines, electronic bulletin boards, audio and media presentations, oral interviews, and from such forms as charts, graphs, maps, and diagrams.
Students select and use strategies they have been taught for note taking, organizing, and categorizing information.
Students make appropriate and effective use of strategies to construct meaning from print, such as prior knowledge about a subject, structural and context clues, and an understanding of letter-sound relationships to decode difficult words.
Students present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms such as summaries, paraphrases, brief reports, stories, posters, and charts.
Students select a focus, organization, and point of view for oral and written presentations.
Students use a few traditional structures for conveying information such as chronological order, cause and effect, and similarity and difference.
Students use details, examples, anecdotes, or personal experiences to explain or clarify information.
Students include relevant information and exclude extraneous material.
Students use the process of pre-writing, drafting, revising, and proofreading (the "writing process") to produce well-constructed informational texts.
Students observe basic writing conventions, such as correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, as well as sentence and paragraph structures appropriate to written forms.

Standard: ELA # 3-Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

Benchmarks:

Students read and form opinions about a variety of literary and informational texts and presentations, as well as persuasive texts such as advertisements, commercials, and letters to the editor.
Students monitor and adjust their own oral and written presentations to meet criteria for competent performance (Eg., in writing, criteria might include development of position, organization, appropriate vocabulary, mechanics, and neatness. In speaking, the criteria might include good content, effective delivery, diction, posture, poise, and eye contact.

Standard: ELA # 4-Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Benchmarks:

Students listen attentively and recognize when it is appropriate for them to speak.
Students take turns speaking and responding to other's ideas in conversations on familiar topics.
Students recognize the kind of interaction appropriate for different circumstances, such as story hour, group discussions, and one-on-one conversations.

Standard: MST #2-Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Benchmarks:

Students use a variety of equipment and software packages to enter, process, display, and communicate information in different forms using text, tables, pictures, and sound.
Students access needed information from printed media, electronic databases, and community resources.
Students understand that computers are used to store personal information.

Standard: MST #3-Students will understand mathematics and become mathematically confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, by applying mathematics in real-world settings, and by solving problems through the integrated study of number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry.

Benchmarks:

Students add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers.
Students construct tables, charts, and graphs to display and analyze real world data.
Students collect and display data.
Students use statistical methods such as graphs, tables, and charts to interpret data.
Students interpret graphs.

Standard: MST #5-Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.

Benchmarks:

Students identify and describe the function of the major components of a computer system.

Standard: MST #6-Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.

Benchmarks:

Students analyze, construct, and operate models in order to discover attributes of the real thing.
Students provide examples of natural and manufactured things that belong to the same category yet have very different sizes, weights, ages, speeds, and other measurements.

Standard: MST #7-Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

Benchmarks:

Students design solutions to problems involving a familiar and real context, investigate related science concepts to inform the solution, and use mathematics to model, quantify, measure, and compute.
Students observe phenomena and evaluate them scientifically and mathematically by conducting a fair test of the effect of variables and using mathematical knowledge and technological tools to collect, analyze, and present data and conclusions.
Students participate in an extended, culminating mathematics, science, and technology project. The project would require students to work effectively, gather and process information, generate and analyze ideas, observe common themes, realize ideas, and present results.

Standard: SST # 3-Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live-local, national, and global-including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth's surface.

Benchmarks:

Students locate places within the local community, state, and nation; locate the Earth's continents in relation to each other and to principal parallels and meridians.
Students identify and compare the physical, human, and cultural characteristics of different regions and people.
Students ask geographic questions about where places are located; why they are located where they are; what is important about their locations; and how their locations are related to the location of other people and places.

Standard: SST # 5-Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Benchmark

Students understand that citizenship includes an awareness of the holidays, celebrations, and symbols of our nation.
Students examine what it means to be a good citizen in the classroom, school, home, and community.
Students identify and describe the rules and responsibilities students have at home, in the classroom, and at school.

Standard: HPEHE #1-Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity, and maintain personal health.

Benchmarks:

Students understand how behaviors such as food selection, exercise, and rest affect growth and development.
Students practice and support making healthy choices.
Students participate in physical activities (games, sports, exercises) that provide conditioning for each fitness area.
Students develop physical fitness skills through regular practice, effort, and perseverance.

Standard: ARTS #1-Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) and participate in various roles in the arts.

Benchmarks:

Students experiment and create art works, in a variety of mediums (drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, video, and computer graphics), based on a range of individual and collective experiences.
Students develop their own ideas and images through the exploration and creation of art works based on themes, symbols, and events.
Students identify and use, in individual and group experiences, some of the roles and means for designing, producing, and exhibiting art works.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

USA, host and team country-geography, climate, culture, economics, natural resources, etc.

Internet (useful sites)

www.sydney2000.com
www.sydney.olympic.org
www.cbs.sportsline.com
www.usatoday.com
www.weather.com

Class and school library

(Explained in Procedural Knowledge: research, technology)

Graphic organizer:

-writing web

-Venn diagram

-fact finding chart (see extending and refining: "I’m On My Way to the Olympics")

-outline

Compare/contrast

Using research and technology skills, the students will complete one or more of the graphic organizers.

Students will make a trifold poster comparing and contrasting the geography, climate, culture, symbols, economics, and natural resources of the three countries.

The students will use their research to complete a Venn diagram.

What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

History and role of the Olympic games

View a movie or video

KWL

Research using library resources:

-trade books

-periodicals

-encyclopedia

-video

Research using computer technology:

-internet

-electronic encyclopedia

Discussion

Completion of the KWL graphic organizer

Brainstorming

Use of technology

Show the students a video about past Olympics to begin KWL discussion.

Students will brainstorm their background knowledge of the Olympics and fill out "K" together using an overhead or blackboard.

Students will think about and write questions about what they want to learn "W".

After research is complete, students will summarize what they learned "L" by answering the questions they wrote in "W".

What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Events in the Olympics and the locations

Use video or movie

Research of host and team country using class library, school library, and internet resources, maps

Brainstorming

Drawing conclusions

View the video in the initial activity.

Discuss the types of sports included in the Olympics.

Discuss the needs-geography, equipment, special buildings, etc. needed for each sport.

Use the knowledge gained from this discussion and the country research to decide if your team’s country could host the Olympics.

Students will do journal and/or picture writing to tell about the events, the athletes, and venues of the actual games, and of their own experiences in the local Olympic games.

What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Citizenship

Sportsmanship

School rules

Posters

Olympic Oath

Brainstorming

Discussion

Choral reading

Practice

Role playing

Teach the school rules at the beginning of the school year.

The students will discuss the rules and the reasons for them.

The students will choral read the Olympic Oath and the reasons for it.

The students will follow the school rules and practice good sportsmanship to complete a passport application. They can earn a passport (attached) to travel to the host country for the Olympic games by showing correct behavior throughout the school, playground, etc. Assessments at each location will be given to the student so they can earn their passport.

Students will be taking on the role of an Olympic athlete and will be role playing that part throughout the Olympic games.

"Daily Good Sportsman" recognition will be awarded as well as an overall "Sportsmanship Award" will be presented during the closing ceremonies.

What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Buoyancy

(see extending and refining learning experience for further details)

Find the meaning of buoyancy through discussing and brainstorming boats and how they float.

Prediction/Outcome Chart

Brainstorming

Discovery

Observation

Manipulation

Make predictions

Read the book: No More Water in the Tub! by Tedd Arnold to open the brainstorming discussion about what floats.

The students will make predictions about what objects will float.

Provide the students with a large tub of water and a large assortment of objects (milk cartons, Popsicle sticks, plastic cups, paper cups) to manipulate to discover which materials float.

The students will record which objects float.

Provide straws or other wind sources to discover which materials move across the water the easiest.

If available, use Buoyancy Science Kit available from Monroe II BOCES.

What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Health and Wellness- Nutrition

Read No Peas for Nellie by Chris L Demarest

Food pyramid model

Preparing and sharing healthy snacks

Listening

Discussion

Charts

Categorizing

Journal writing

Parental involvement

See Learning Experience "Breakfast of Champions".

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Research assigned (team) country

Large group instruction

Modeling

Guided practice

Use classroom and library reference books, online resources, and electronic encyclopedias to locate information about the USA, Australia, and team country

Complete the prepared fact finding chart (attached)

Compare and contrast the USA, Australia, and team country

Locate flag, country, capital, national anthem, map, etc.

Write the above information on the fact sheet.

Make a trifold poster from construction paper. For each country the student will include map printouts with the capital labeled, the flag, name of the country, etc. to make a visually pleasing display to be used for an oral presentation.

The teacher will complete the United States portion of the research and poster with the students modeling what is to be done.

Team members will work together to research Australia, information will be shared and checked with the entire class, and then placed on the poster.

Team members will work together to gather information about their "country". Teacher will check their facts and then they can complete their posters.

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Use technology to include the internet, electronic encyclopedia, word processor

Teacher demonstration and modeling

Guided practice logging onto the computer

Practice opening and using appropriate programs

Sign on using computer user name and password.

Open word processing program, type a story, save, print.

Open word processing program, type name, select word art, save, print. (For example: to make country name for use on the tri-fold poster.)

Open the internet. Type in Olympic site address. (For example: to locate country information and daily updates on Olympic medal count, etc.)

Open the electronic encyclopedia. (For example: to locate country information.)

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Public speaking

Show and tell

Choral reading

Singing

Practice reading and speaking into a tape recorder or Wiggleworks computer program.

Videotape the student speaking before the class

Present the prepared material at the World Fair

Students will bring a stuffed animal, sports equipment, etc. to show and tell.

Students will choral read the Olympic Oath.

Students will sing "Waltzing Matilda" and other related songs.

Students will practice describing their country posters by speaking into a tape recorder.

Students will be videotaped presenting their country poster to the class.

Students will orally present their country poster to other classes at the World Fair (culminating activity).

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Letter writing, journal writing, narrative, explanatory, descriptive writing

List requirements of journal entries

Teach letter format

Graphic organizers to organize ideas

Students will keep a daily log of the events they participate in and how they did.

Write "What Am I?" riddles describing the locations, animals, sports, etc. related to the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Make an ABC Book highlighting a variety of events, people, and places from the Olympics.

Write a letter to an Olympic athlete or other students in schools in the host country.

Write a narrative describing getting ready and traveling to the Olympics as though the student was an athlete participating in the games.

(See extending and refining activity: "I’m On My Way To The Olympics".)

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Make banners, flags, symbols, windsocks, and mascots

Direct instruction

Use of Printshop or Publisher to make banners

Cut and paste

Modeling

Using research gathered (explained in declarative knowledge), each team will make a banner with their country's name.

Each team will make a flag of their country to be carried in the parade of nations during the opening and closing ceremonies.

Model and make origami paper Olympic doves for the opening ceremonies.

Students will make paper bag puppets of the Olympic mascots.

Students will make a windsock with the Olympic rings and streamers showing the Olympic colors.

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Compare and contrast

-USA

-Host country

-Team country

Direct instruction

Graphic organizers

Posters

Cut and paste

Modeling

The students will research and complete the graphic organizer-web, outline, fact-finding chart, and/or Venn diagram-about the host and team countries and the USA.

The teacher will model as the students fold their construction paper into three equal parts.

The students will organize their research information, design and make a poster to show the similarities and differences between the three countries.

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Problem Solving

- "I’m On My Way To The Olympics"

Problem Solving

-"Making a Yacht"

Research skills

Technology

Direct instruction

Manipulation

Construction

The students will use their country research to decide how they will get to the Olympics including the city of the departure and arrival and the type of transportation.

The students will pretend to be an athlete from their team’s country. (See extending and refining activity.)

The students will decide what they will need to pack to take to the Olympics for a two week stay as an athlete in their chosen sport.

The students will complete all parts of the writing process to present their problem and solution.

The students will use the knowledge gained in the buoyancy activity to decide what materials to use to make the "yacht". The "yacht" must meet specified size requirements.

The students will sail their "yachts" in the school Olympic Yacht Race.

After the race, students will discuss the features of the "yachts" that performed the best.

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Make a graph

Technology

Modeling

Tally

Symbols

Use title and labels

Cooperative learning

Students will use their technology skills to access the Olympic internet web sites daily and tally the daily medal count for the Olympic games in progress.

The students will make a wall graph using an appropriate title, labels, and symbols for gold, silver, and bronze medals to visually represent their tally of medals for the participating countries.

The students will tally and graph the daily results of the school games in progress.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Extending and Refining #1

"I'm On My Way To The Olympics"

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

Problem solving and narrative writing

Deductive Reasoning
Constructing Support

Each student will pretend that he/she is an athlete from another country and that he/she will be representing that country as an athlete in the Olympic games in Sydney. The students will use previous knowledge to determine what items they will need to pack to attend and participate in those games. They will also need to determine the route they will take to get to Sydney from their home country.

(The student assignment sheets, prewriting sheet, and rubric are included on the following pages.)

I'm On My Way To The Olympics

Your assignment is to write a story about going to the Olympics in Sydney, Australia. You will become an athlete from the country you are representing during our Olympics. You will need to decide what sport you will be competing in.

After choosing your sport, complete the graphic organizer. You will write a list of everything you will need to pack in your suitcase for your trip to Sydney including what you will need during your stay as well as any equipment you will need for your competition. You will also need to decide how you will get to Australia. This organizer must be approved by your teacher before you start your story.

Now you are ready to begin your writing. Your story will have three paragraphs:

Paragraph 1-An introduction including your country and sport you will be competing in.
Paragraph 2-Tell what clothing and sports equipment you will pack.
Paragraph 3-Tell about your travel arrangements. Also include a closing sentence to tie the story together.

I'm On My Way To The Olympics Rubric

Story has at least 3 paragraphs
Has a clear topic sentence and conclusion
Paragraphs have at least 3 sentences
Punctuation and capitalization have no errors
Few if any errors in spelling and grammar

Story has 3 paragraphs
Has a topic sentence and conclusion
Paragraphs have 2 or 3 sentences
Punctuation and capitalization have few errors
Few errors in spelling and grammar

Story has 2 or 3 paragraphs
May or may not contain topic sentence or conclusion
Paragraphs have 2 sentences
Some errors in punctuation and capitalization
Some errors in spelling and grammar

Story has only 1 paragraph
May not have topic sentence or conclusion
Story may only be 3-4 sentences
Many errors in punctuation and capitalization
Many errors in spelling and grammar

Name _______________________________________________________

I'm On My Way To The Olympics

Country_______________________ Sport________________________

How will you get there?

From _______________________ To_______________________________

By ___________________________________________________________

What will you pack:

______________________________ _____________________________

Name _____________________________________________

Fact-Finding Sheet on ____________________(country)

Continent	Capital City	Bodies of Water
Language	Population	Animal
Foods	Products	Recreation
Weather	Natural Resources	Flag

Find maps of the world, continent, and country.

Extending and Refining #2

"Making A Yacht"

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
*What knowledge* will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to...........**	What reasoning process will they be using?	Describe student's products and performances and the criteria for evaluation.
Solve the problem of constructing a sailboat that will float and also move across a tub of water in a "Yacht" race. Students will use their knowledge of buoyancy and the effect of the movement of air on their model. (See Declarative Knowledge-Buoyancy and Procedural Knowledge-Making a Yacht)	[X] Decision Making (selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decisions of others) [X] Problem Solving (seeking to achieve a goal by overcoming constraints or limiting conditions) [X] Invention (creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation) [X] Experimental Inquiry (generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation) [ ] Investigation (resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something) [ ] Systems Analysis (analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact) [ ] Other:	Products/Performances
		Criteria for evaluation The students will make and record predictions of what objects will float. They will test their predictions and record their findings. The students will use these findings to decide what materials to use to construct their yachts. The students will race their yachts for self-evaluation. The students will observe all the yachts racing and use the race results to evaluate materials and designs that floated and moved the best and why.

Making A Yacht

You will need to make a yacht. This yacht will be used in the yachting Olympic races during our Olympic unit.

Before making the yacht, the buoyancy prediction sheet will be completed. You will test a variety of materials to see if they will float. First you will make predictions, then you will test the materials, and you will record the materials that actually floated.

To make the yacht, you will need to follow the directions below:

From your building materials list, pick one that floated.
The yacht bottom will measure between 5 cm to 15 cm long and between 5 cm to 15 cm wide.
Attach one or two sails to help move the yacht with moving air.
Test your yacht to see if it floats and moves across the water by blowing on it.
Use these test results to make any design changes, if necessary, and retest.

Buoyancy Predictions

Things I Predict Will Float	Things That Do Float

Buoyancy Application
Rubric

Yacht floats.
Yacht measures between 5 cm to 15 cm long and 5 cm to 15 cm wide.
Yacht is made from a material tested on the prediction sheet.
Yacht moves across the water by air power.
Yacht has one or two sails to aid movement.

Yacht floats.
Yacht may only be the correct length or width but not both.
Yacht is made from a material tested on the prediction sheet.
Yacht moves across the water by air power.
Yacht has at least one sail to aid movement.

Yacht may or may not float.
Yacht may only be the correct length or width but not both.
Yacht is made from a material tested on the prediction sheet.
Yacht may or may not move across the water by air power.
Yacht has at least one sail to aid movement.

Yacht may not float.
Yacht does not measure the correct size.
Yacht is made from a material tested on the prediction sheet.
Yacht does not move across the water by air power.
Yacht may not have a sail to aid movement.

RUBRICS

Sharing

Rubric

Journal Writing

Rubric

Poster

Rubric

*Tells four things about what he/she is presenting

*Shows what he/she is presenting

*Looks at audience when sharing

*Starts when people are listening

*Tells things that others haven't said

*Focuses on assigned topic

*Combines ideas and uses a variety of sentences

*Uses many details and descriptions

*Writing goes above and beyond what is assigned

*Art work is neat, appropriate size, with a wide variety of color

*Printing is neat and appropriate size for project

*Theme is clearly evident in poster

*Each part of assignment is shown in poster

*Tells three things about what he/she is presenting

*Shows what he/she is presenting

*Looks at the audience when sharing

*Starts when people are listening

*Tells things that others haven't said

*May focus on assigned topic

*Contains sentences

*Uses adequate details and descriptions

*Writing completes assignment

*Most of the art work is neat, with some variation in size, few colors

*Most of the printing is neatly done and appropriate size

*Theme is evident in poster

*One to two parts of the assignment left out of poster

*Tells two things about what he/she is presenting

*Plays with what he/she is presenting and sometimes shows item

*Looks at the audience half the time when sharing

*Starts before people are listening

*Repeats things others have said

*Attempts to focus on assigned topic

*May contain sentences and phrases

*Uses few details and descriptions

*May not complete assignment

*Art work is complete, but blurred/smudged in places

*Only 2-3 colors used, size of some components inappropriate

*Theme of poster is unclear

*Many parts of assignment missing

*Tells one thing about what he/she is presenting

*Plays with what he/she is presenting and doesn't show them

*Never looks at the audience when sharing

*Starts before people are listening

*Repeats things others have said

*Does not focus on assigned topic

*Contains phrases and unrelated words

*Does not include description and details

*Does not complete assignment

*Art work is messy, inappropriate size, and only 1-2 colors

*Some of the printing is illegible

*Theme is unclear or inappropriate for message

*Major components of assignment are missing

INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS

In addition to the rubrics for the various activities in this unit, a variety of informal assessments will also be used throughout this unit. Included on the following pages are:

Writing Conference Sheet
Computer Skills Checklist
Group Discussion & Listening/Speaking Checklist
Writing Conference

Name ______________________ Date ________

Circle Type of Writing

Letter Narrative Journal

Graphic Organizer Other _____________

I like…

I wonder…

Please work on…

Group Discussion

Listening/Speaking Checklist

Student Name	Listens to others	Looks at speaker	raises hand to speak	makes comments about topic	talks when others are speaking	does not look at speaker	interupts speaker	comments are not about topic	does not speak at all	other comments

Computer Skills Checklist

Student Name

Type user name

Type password

Open word processing program

use word art

can save new file

can save

print

close a file

exit word processing program

open internet

go to web site

open electronic encyclopedia

Log off computer

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

"Closing Ceremonies & World Fair"

The culminating activity for this unit will be completed in two parts:

Part 1-Closing Ceremonies

The students in grades one through four will participate in the Closing Ceremonies of the School Olympic games. These ceremonies will be fashioned after the actual Olympics. The ceremonies will begin with a parade of nations where the student athletes will march in carrying the flag of their team countries. An administrator will be invited to address the athletes and invited guests. The medals earned by the students will be presented to them at this time to celebrate their accomplishments. An outstanding high school athlete will put out the Olympic torch at this time. The awarding of the medals and Good Sportsman of the games represents the final assessment for the physical education and citizenship portion of this unit.

Part 2-World Fair

The first through fourth grade students will participate in a World Fair. The students' work and projects will be on display in the gymnasium for the classes to visit and learn more about the varying countries that participated in the Olympic games.

The first and second grade students will have an opportunity to orally present their three nations' poster projects to a visiting group of students. They will tell as much information as possible about their country. At this time they will also display their flags, banners, and medals won during the school Olympic games. They may decorate their area with as many other Olympic materials as they desire. (Third and fourth grade students will have different projects to present as part of this World Fair.) Foods from around the world will also be part of this World Fair. Students will have an opportunity to travel around the "world" and learn more about many other countries. The culminating activity rubric is on the following page.

World Fair Rubric

Tells 6 or more facts about country
Speakers look at audience and start when people are listening
Display includes country poster, banner, flag, and medals won by team or team members plus 3 other Olympic items
Foods from country are displayed
Members show what is being presented
All members of the group actively participate

Tells at least 5 facts about country
Speakers look at audience and start when people are listening
Display includes country poster, banner, flag, and medals won by team or team members plus 2 other Olympic items
A food from the country is displayed
Members show what is being presented
All members of the group participate

Tells 4 facts about country
Speakers may or may not look at audience and start when people aren't listening
Display includes country poster, banner, flag, and medals won by team or team members plus 1 other Olympic item
Members may show and play with what is being presented
A food from the country may or may not be displayed
Most members of the group participate

Tells 3 or fewer facts about country
Speakers never look at audience and start when people aren't listening
Display includes country poster, banner, flag, and medals won by team and team members
Members play with what is being presented and never show items
No food from the country is displayed
Not all members of group participate

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

Learn to Learn Skills

Research skills to learn new things will be developed throughout this unit: electronic encyclopedia, computerized card catalog, locating information in the library and on the internet
Use of computers to complete word processing activities and locate information via the internet
Learning to read and write with greater proficiency will provide students with opportunities to become more independent learners

Assessment Modifications

Teacher could adjust assignments as needed depending upon the type of learner in the classroom. Possible modifications could be:
Assignments can be shortened and completed with a partner.
Support could be provided through the assistance of the Title One Reading teacher, LD teacher, teaching assistant, parent volunteer, or high school mentor.
Modifications for students with I.E.P.s will be made according to that plan.

Other Resources

Passport Application
Passport
Bibliography
Internet Sites
Unit Web with other possible activities
Background information
Australia-Green Olympics
Olympic Background for Teachers

Name___________________

Country_________________

Event____________________

Date_____________________

I have behaved myself and shown good citizenship in:

The Cafeteria ___________________ (Cafeteria Monitor

signature)

The Library ___________________ (Librarian signature)

The Gym ___________________ (Physical Ed. teacher

signature)

The Playground ___________________ (Teacher signature)

I promise to abide by the rules of good conduct and sportsmanship.

___________________ (Athlete signature)

When your application is complete you may take it to the passport office for approval by the Olympic President.

Athlete _________________________ Team ________________________

Event ___________________________

This certifies that the bearer may travel to ________________________for the purpose of participating in the Olympic Games. This athlete is a good classroom citizen and has shown good behavior in the cafeteria and on the playground.

Let the Games Begin

for

________________________________________

________________________________________ President LOC

Bibliography

Fiction

Christopher, Matt Olympic Dream Little Brown & Co.

Dixon, Franklin W. The Hardy Boys Casefiles No. III: Competitive Pocket Books

Edge

Fenner, Carol The Skates of Uncle Richard Random House

Fisher, Leonard Everett The Olympians: Great Gods and Goddesses Random House

Fox, Mem Koala Lou Harcourt Brace

Goscinny, Rene de Asterix at the Olympic Games Disstribooks

Isenbert, Barbara, and Albert the Running Bear’s Exercise Book Clarion

Marjorie Jaffe

Kaminiski, Robert, and Multicultural Folktales Orxy Press

Judy Sierra

Levy, Elizabeth Go for the Gold Scholastic

Lowell, Melissa Chance of a Lifetime (Silver Blades, No. 3) Skylark

Marzollo, Jean Red Ribbon Rosie Random House

Osborne, Mary Pope Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) Random House

Sanchez, Isidro City Sports Barron

Schulz, Charles M. You’re the Greatest Charlie Brown Random House

Snelling, Lauraine Olympic Dreams Bethany House

High Hurdles, No. 1

DJ’s Challenge, No. 2

Setting the Pace, No. 3

Out of the Blue, No. 4

Stevenson, James Mud Flat Olympics Greenwillow

Tunis, John R. and Duke Decides (Oydssey Classic) Harcourt Brace

Bruce Brooks

Van Steenwyk, Elizabeth Rivals on Ice Albert Whitman

Wilhelm, Doug The Gold Medal Secret (Choose Your Own Bantam

Adventure, No. 173)

Yolen, Jane (editor) Favorite Folktales from Around the World Pantheon

Nonfiction

Aaseng, Nathan Great Summer Olympic Moments Lerner

Aaseng, Nathan Carl Lewis: Legend Chaser Lerner

Aaseng, Nathan Florence Griffith Joyner Lerner

Arnold, Caroline The Olympic Summer Games Franklin Watts

Dickmeyer, Lowell A. Swimming Is for Me Lerner

Dickmeyer, Lowell A. Track Is for Me Lerner

Donovan, Pete Carol Johnston: The One-Armed Gymnast Children’s Press

Duder, Tessa Journey to Olympia Scholastic

Fradin, Dennis B. Olympics (A New True Book) Children’s Press

Gault, Frank and Claire Stories from the Olympics Walker

Glubok, Shirley The Art of Ancient Greece Atheneum

Hahn, James and Lynn Zaharias! The Sports Career of Mildred Zaharias Crestwood

Haycock, Kate Gymnastics Crestwood

Henriod, Lorraine Special Olympics and Paralympics Franklin Watts

Italia, Bob Bonnie Blair: Five Time Gold Medal Winner Abdo

Koral, April Florence Griffith Joyner: Track and Field Star Franklin Watts

Krementz, Jill A Very Young Gymnast Knopf

Krementz, Jill A Very Young Skater Knopf

Krementz, Jill A Very Young Skier Knopf

Kuklin, Susan Going to My Gymnastics Class Bradbury Press

La Klan, Carli Golden Girls: True Stories of Olympic Women Stars Mc Graw-Hill

May, Julian The Olympics Games Creative Ed. Society

Neff, Fred Running Is for Me Lerner

O’Connor, Dick American Olympic Stars Putnam

Owens, Jesse, and The Jesse Owens Story Putnam

Paul G. Neimark

Shissler, Barbara Johnson Sports and Games in Art Lerner

Sullivan, George Run, Run Fast Crowell

Tatlow, Peter The Olympics Brookright Press

Van Riper, Jr.,Guernsey Jim Thorpe: Olympic Champion Aladdin

Poetry

Knudson, R.R., and American Sports Poems Orchard

Mary Swenson

Morrison, Lillian Sprints and Distances: Sport in Poetry and Crowell

(editor) the Poetry in Sports

Reference

Arnold, Caroline The Summer Olympic Games Crestwood

Arnold, Caroline The Winter Olympic Games Crestwood

Christensen, Barbara The First Olympic Games Cont. Perspectives

Coote, James A Picture History of the Olympics Macmillan

Dheesaw, Cleve Celebrate the Spirit: The Olympic Games Orca

Frommer, Harvey Olympic Controversies Watts

Glubok, Shirley, and Olympic Games in Ancient Greece Harper

Alfred Tamarin

Greenburg, Stan The Guiness Book of Olympic Facts and Feats Guinness

Greenburg, Stan The Guiness Book of Olympic Records Guiness

Greenspan, Bud 100 Great Moments in Olympic History Gen. Pub. Group

Hale, William Harlan The Horizon Book of Ancient Greece American

Knight, Theodore The Olympic Games Lucent

Merrison, Tim Field Athletics (Olympic Sports) Crestwood

Shissler, Barbara Johnson Sports and James in the Arts Lerner

Schutz, Ron Looking Inside Sports Aerodynamics John Muir

Swadding, Judith The Ancient Olympic Games Univ. of Texas Pr.

U. S. Olympic Committee Athens to Atlanta: 100 Years of Glory U. S. Olympic Com.

Wallechinsky, David The Complete Book of the Olympics Little Brown

Walt Disney Productions Goofy Presents the Olympics: A Fun and Exciting Book Club

History of the Olympics from the Ancient

Games to Today

Wood, Paula Usborne Book of Athletics Usborne

Cassettes (Audio and Video)

The Olympic Challenge: The Energy to Go Further Cappy Productions

16 Days of Glory: The 1984 Summer Olympics Paramount

Greg and Steve-We All Live Together, Volume 1 Youngheart Music

Courtesy Counts Marsh Film

Australian Sources

Alison, Robert J. Australia (Country Fact Files) Raintree/Steck-Vaughn

Atkinson, Kathie Outback Animals (My Australian Animal Series) Allen and Unwin

Bruce, Jill B. Aussie Jokes and Riddles Rintree Press

Czernecki, Stefan The Singing Snake Hyperion Press

Fox, Mem Wombat Dive Harcourt Brace

Garrett, Dan and Australia Steck-Vaughn

Warrill Grindrod

Harrison, Troon Don’t Dig So Deep Owl Com.

Lepthien, Emilie U. Australia Children’s Press

Marsh, Carole A Fun Book of Olympic Trivia: A-Z, Sydney Gallopade

Australia

Morrison, Reg and Australia: The Four Billion Year Journey of a Facts on File

Maggie Continent

Roc, Margaret Little Koala Finds a Friend Harpercollins

Strahan, Ronald Mammals of Australia Smithsonian Inst. Press

Trinca, Rod One Wooly Woombat KaneMiller Books

Teacher Magazines

Education Center Teacher’s Helper (Grade4/5) Ap/May/June 1994

Education Center Mailbox (Primary) Feb/Mar 1992

Education Center Mailbox (Intermediate) Feb/Mar 1999

Education Center Worksheet (Grade4/5) Feb/Mar 1988

Frank Shaffer Classmate Nov/Dec/Jan 1987-88

Internet Sources

www.sydney.2000.com

www.sydney.olympic.org

www.cbs.sportsline.com

www.usatoday.com

www.weather.com

www.infinet.com

www.2000summergames.com

www.australian.olumpic.org

www.education-world.com

www.godzilla.zeta.com

www.bushnet.qld.edu

www.ozemail.com

www.about-australia.com

www.mag-nify.educ.monash.edu

www.webdog.com

www.highlands.w-cook.k12.il.us/Middle/Olympics/links

www.hemercury.com.wu/nie/games

Australia – The Green Olympics

Australia wants to have the summer games be a celebration of the spirit of the games and also a response to current ecological concerns. They are planning a "Green Olympics". They are developing a major site as the Olympic Park, which will have the Olympic Stadium and venues for 14 sports. There will be an Olympic Village for 10,000 athletes and 5000 officials, a media center and a technical officials’ village. The Harbour zone will host 8 more sports and media broadcasting facilities. Five more sports will be at other locations around the city.

Under the plan for Sydney no athlete will have to travel more than 30 minutes from the Olympic Park to a venue and no more than 45 minutes to a training facility. Only road cycling, shooting, canoeing, and rowing will be away from the park of the harbour zone. All of them are within the 30-minute time zone.

The media center and the media village will have more than 3000 people.

The Olympic Village will be based on environmentally friendly guidelines. Greenpeace Australia has helped with the design. Solar power will be used for street lighting, water heating and air conditioning. Bathing and kitchen water will be waste treated on site and will be re-used on gardens and to wash vehicles. There will be a ban on harmful gases in insulation, air-conditioning and refrigeration units.

The games will run from September 16 to October 1, 2000. The temperatures at this time of year in Sydney range from 16 to 21 degrees. That would be in Celsius. Get ready for the metric games!

Volunteers are a big part of the Olympics and 100,000 people have already signed up to help.

The period of an Olympiad is 4 years. It lasts from the start of the games until the start of the next in 4 years. Australia has all kinds of events planned for a cultural Olympiad during this time. The Festival of the Dreaming will start in 1997. It will be a celebration of the world’s indigenous cultures and it will concentrate on the world’s oldest known such culture, the Australian Aborigines. The cultural Olympiad will culminate in the festival Harbour of Life. This will begin on September 2, 2000 two weeks before the opening of the games and will last until October 7, 2000 a week after the closing ceremony. It will give expression to the world’s hopes for a better world and for lasting peace, friendship and security. It will be a celebration of the world’s cultures and will end with a children’s choir singing Hymn to the Future of the World. The choir will be composed of children from every nation represented in the Olympic games.

Olympic Background for Teacher

The Olympic Games are the most important athletic competition in the world. Thousands of athletes compete in a variety of individual and team sports. Millions attend the games and billions watch on television.

The games began in ancient Greece and were held from 776BC to AD393. The modern games began in 1896. The games are held to encourage world peace and friendship and to promote healthy sporting competition for the world’s youth. The International Olympic Committee governs the games. They approve the host cities for the games as well as the sports and the events to be included in the games. The host country is picked seven years in advance. This allows time for facilities to be constructed and preparations for the large number of athletes and visitors. Host cities provide a special housing compound for the athletes and coaches. It is called the Olympic Village.

The games consist of summer and winter games. They used to be held in the same year. Beginning in 1994, the games were divided and now they are on four year cycles and two years apart. The next summer games will be in Australia in 2000 and the next winter games will be in Salt Lake City in the USA in 2002.

Colorful ceremonies combine with the competitions to add to the excitement. There are special opening and closing ceremonies. The opening ceremony is usually the most impressive. The athletes of Greece march in first in honor of the ancient games. The others come in alphabetically by country based on the language of the host country. The host country enters last. The head of state of the host country generally opens the games.

The most dramatic moment of the ceremony is the lighting of the Olympic flame. The flame is a symbol of the light of spirit, knowledge and life and it is a messenger of peace. The fire is ignited in Olympia, Greece from the heat of the sun. Runners transport the flames in a relay to the site of the games. The Torch Run is an important prelude to the games. The last runners bring the torch into the stadium, circle the track, and then light the flame in a huge cauldron. The flame burns throughout the games and is only extinguished at the end of the games during the closing ceremonies.

The Olympic symbol is a series of five interlocking rings that represent the continents of Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas and Europe. The colors of the rings are blue, yellow, black, green and red. Always in that order. The flags of the competing nations all have at least one of those colors. The motto generally appears under the rings. The motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius. In English it means, Swifter, Higher, Stronger.

Every country competing in the games is represented by a national Olympic committee. Currently about 195 nations and territories have such groups. These committees are responsible for choosing their own teams, providing uniforms and equipment, and providing transportation to the games. Most countries use government funds for this. The United States does not. In the USA the teams are largely financed through contributions from individuals and corporations.

Athletes are selected for the teams through various selection trials. Most of the time athletes are invited to the trials because they have done well in national or international competitions. An athlete on a team must be a citizen of the country they represent. For many years only amateur athletes could participate in the games. Now professional athletes are eligible to compete in almost all events. Exceptions include baseball and boxing.

In most Olympic sports a country may enter as many as three athletes in each event as long as the athletes meet a minimum standard in that event. The international governing body of the sport sets standards. Team sports are limited to 8 to 16 teams per sport. The host country is allowed to enter a team in every team event.

The top three winners in each event win a medal and diploma. The next five just win a diploma. The first place winner gets a gold medal. (The medal is actually made of silver and coated with gold.) The next place gets silver and the third gets a bronze. In a team sport all the members of a team get a medal. The top three get their medals in a ceremony after the event. The medal winners stand at attention on a platform with the gold medallist in the middle and up a few steps from the others. The silver medallist stands on the gold medallist’s right and the bronze stands to the left. Flags of their countries are raised and the national anthem of the country of the winner is played. The winners usually receive a bouquet of flowers. Various dignitaries present the medals and the flowers.

The Olympics are designed to test the skill of the individuals and the teams. No one country wins the Olympics. People like to keep track of the medals and usually think of the team that wins the most as the "winner" of the Olympics.

The summer games are held during the summer of the host city. They are usually between July and October. They last 16 days. They have over 270 events. The summer games have more than 10,000 athletes from over 190 countries.

The winter games are usually held in February and last 16 days. The winter games have over 60 events. They have about 2000 athletes from 60 countries.