Middle School
Flag Mix-Up
This lesson will introduce students to the history of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and the details that go into them.
CONTEXT
The Olympic Opening Ceremonies are steeped in historic tradition and as they have evolved over the years, one thing never changes: the order in which the countries march in the Parade of Nations. After students have been introduced to the Olympic Opening Ceremonies using the attached materials, students will work in groups to correctly arrange the flags in the orders they would have been presented at the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
Students will:
- Gather, interpret, and use evidence.
- Use chronological reasoning and causation.
- Utilizing geographic reasoning.
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Olympian Facts
This lesson will ask students to utilize their research skills and encourage them to learn more about different Olympic Athletes!
CONTEXT
There are thousands of Olympians from all over the world and they all have impressive stories to tell. Have students work individually and ask them to select an Olympian to research. This can be either Summer or Winter – it does not matter!
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
Students will:
- Integrate visual information (photographs) with other written information.
- Use basic research to gather relevant information from multiple sources.
- Assess the credibility and accuracy of each source.
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Object Mix-Up
This lesson will introduce students to the kind of critical thinking skills that museum professionals use on a daily basis.
CONTEXT
Museum Curators work with thousands of objects on a daily basis and have to rely on their critical thinking skills quite often to deduce what certain objects are, what their use was, when it was made, and who might have made it. This activity will encourage students to utilize these thinking skills by having them explore a set of unknown objects, create exhibit labels for the objects, and then have other students try to match the exhibit label to the correct object.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
Students will:
- Identify, select, and evaluate evidence about events from diverse sources
- Analyze artifacts in terms of historical context, content, point of view, purpose, and format.
- Make inferences and draw general conclusions from evidence.
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Predicting the Future
This lesson will introduce students to the ways in which traditions have changed throughout the history of the Winter Olympic Games.
CONTEXT
100 years ago in 1924, the first Winter Olympic Games took place. In 2024 we are celebrating the centennial. Throughout this time, the Games have undergone major transformations. New traditions have been introduced, designs have changed, and for the first time in history the number of female athletes is expected to equal that of male athletes. We have yet to achieve this in Winter Games, however – slightly fewer female competitors will be at Milano Cortina in 2026. This activity encourages students to reflect on the ways the Games have changed over the last century, and predict what the bicentennial celebration might look like in 2124.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
Students will:
- Understand that the Olympics adapts to cultural shifts and responds to global events.
- Gain an appreciation for Olympic history.
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TITLE IX AND WOMEN’S SPORTS
This lesson will introduce students to the history of Title IX and what protections it introduced for female athletes.
CONTEXT
Title IX brought about important changes and protections in the opportunities girls and women are offered in sport. Students will take a look at what Title IX is and what it means in their lives. Then, they will learn about a real-life example of female athletes taking a stand for equal treatment in the world of professional sports.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
Students will:
- Explain what Title IX is.
- Develop their research skills by learning more about a case study of equality in sport.
- Begin to understand a few of the systemic challenges faced by female professional athletes.