Olympic Teaching Ideas

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Instead of the boring (and let's face it, predictable) “What I did this summer” assignment that teachers inevitably ask their students to write, why not asking students to write about the 2012 Olympics instead? 

Writing starters may include:

·      Who is your favorite Olympian and why?

·      What is your favorite Olympic sport?

Writing starters for older students may include:

·      Background history on the location of the 2012 Olympic games (What makes London so significant).

·      Research the origins of the Olympic games.

                                                                                                       

But don’t think that the Olympics only lend themselves to writing scenarios. Oh no, just think of how the math teacher can discuss ratios and odds when analyzing wins and losses. And keeping track of the number of overall wins is the perfect way to introduce (and reinforce) charts and graphs.

Writing Story Helps

photo from: Teerapun

Does your child buckle with fear at the sight of a blank page of paper? (Believe it or not, the creative side of assignments freaks me out! I just want someone to tell me exactly what they want, so I can empathize.) 

Instead of encouraging a melt-down, help your child write the best paper he can, by reminding him of five important things in writing papers—indenting paragraphs, using sensory words, story flow and sequence, and using "color" words". 

Check out THIS ARTICLE for five tips on how to remember the elements of a good paper (hint, use your hands) as well as a few resources on writing.

Writing with Sparkle Words

I'm so jealous that Lauren got a chance to write about THIS ARTICLE, because I love it when someone uses a "good word" as I used to put it..... now I'm calling them "sparkle" words.

Sparkle words are words that "pop" and help enhance the story with good word choice. For example, instead of saying that the hostess was "nice" you could say she was "gracious."

Check out THIS ARTICLE for info on how to teach kids about sparkle words, and how to integrate the concept into your class.