For a couple weeks in the late summer (winter, too) every few years, the Olympic games captivate the world with its inherent athleticism, along with the spirit of international cooperation it brings about. Long-simmering political rivalries are often shelved during the course of the games, setting a positive example of polite discourse -- for a short while, anyway.
The Olympic games can also bring about some valuable classroom activities for you and your class to enjoy. With that at the forefront of academic minds everywhere, frequent TeachHUB.com (and TeachHUB Magazine) contributing writer Jordan Catapano today looks at several Olympic-based classroom activities that can enhance your upcoming curriculum.
Jordan’s ideas include:
- Learn About Rio de Janeiro
- Follow A Country (wherein students select a country, then answer questions like Does my country specialize in any sports? How do my country’s athletes prepare for the Olympics? Who are my country’s stars and favored athletes?)
- Inspiring Personal Goals
- And More!
Jordan sums up his article like this: “The Olympics are a thrilling, international experience that offers much opportunity for enhancing the way we start our school year. Consider some of these ideas to transform student excitement about the Olympics into an excitement about learning!
What would you add to this list? How do you like to take advantage of the Olympics in your classroom? Tell our TeachHUB.com community about your ideas!
Our Top 10 Songs About School
Songs about school have been a pop culture touchstone since the early 20th century. Indeed, although the specific topics vary from song to song (love, cars, emotions about various items on the curriculum), you can bet that at any moment, there’s probably a song about school live on the airwaves right now (or on a closer friend’s playlist).
In a fun piece today, frequent TeachHUB.com contributor Jordan Catapano (who’s also a high school teacher in Illinois) calls out the most memorable tunes about school, including:
- Van Halen, “Hot for Teacher”
- The Police, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
- The Beatles, “Getting Better”
- And More!
Overall, songs about school culture have been a staple in popular music forever. The themes these songs address are universal – perhaps that’s why songs about school are always close to the top 10.
What other songs should be on our list? What will songs of the future sing about school?
