This is a project that encompasses the entire duration of the Winter Olympic Games (although you need to explain the entire thing to them about 2 weeks in advance). Throughout you may need to schedule some time during health and/or physical education to visit the computer lab or library so students can do some research. Otherwise this is an activity that students will work on individually or in small groups. This was originally done with an advanced PE class.

The purpose of the activity is for a student to study and follow a Winter Olympic event as it takes place during the Olympics. He/she will also do research to learn about that event, watch the events on TV, follow them on the Web, and at the end they will create a poster that shares with the class what they learned about that sport and how that sport evolved at those particular Olympic games. The following are the procedures that the teacher can follow to make this happen.

Procedures:

(Before starting, it is important to note that this project, as it was submitted to PEC, was worth 30% of the students grades with the research worksheet worth 10% and the final poster worth 20%. Grading rubrics for the poster are provided.)

1. Put all events into a hat and have students draw their event. That event is the one they will follow and research. (If you prefer to have them choose their own event that is fine and you can even have them work in groups).

2. Have them complete the following worksheet that has them do research about that event and about what is happening with this event and its participants at this particular Winter Olympics. Make sure they turn this in at least a week in advance of the opening ceremonies. You want to make sure they are on the right track.

Click here for the Olympic Event Research Questions

3. Look over and grade the worksheet and return to the students. This is worth 10% of the project and had to be typed, double-spaced, with a no page limit standard. To get the full points ALL of the answers had to be answered accurately and had to be thorough and written in an understandable manner. At least two outside sources had to be used as well (i.e., Web site, magazine, newspaper, book). Points were not deducted for simple grammar and spelling errors. Excessive errors in this area could reduce a students grade, however. Students could include this information on their final poster.

4. Now that they have a background about their event, they can now follow the event throughout the duration of the games. Their main task is to keep track of the results of this event (i.e., who wins the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals). They can use the Internet, watch it on TV, follow it in newspapers, and/or other popular press periodicals. They can gather additional information if they want as well (i.e., brief profiles of one of the athletes).

5. Set a due date (a week after the Games are over should work) for them to have their posters completely done and ready to be shown to the class and hung in the school. Make a big deal of this and invite the principal down for this. Only the stellar ones will be posted in the classroom or hallway or other prominent place in the school.

6. Grade the posters!

Click here for the Grading Rubric for the Posters.