Teaching Values- An Olympic Education Toolkit - International ...

TEACHING VALUES AN OLYMPIC EDUCATION TOOLKIT
LEARN
THROUGH ACTIVITY
USE THESE ACTIVITIES TO ENGAGE ALL LEARNERS IN BODILY-KINAESTHETIC ACTIVITIES. SPEND TIME AFTER THE
ACTIVITIES TO HELP LEARNERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED FROM THEIR “BODY-ORIENTED” ACTIVITIES.
MANY LEARNERS THINK THAT IF THEY ARE HAVING FUN THEY ARE NOT LEARNING.
1 Use individual or small group physical
movement to represent an idea: an animal,
a cloud, a tree, a historical event, a
mathematical formula, or the plot and
characters of a short story. After the activity
ask learners to discuss what they learned
by experiencing the idea kinaesthetically.
2 Use individual or small group physical
movement to represent the Olympic rings,
the Olympic message, the Olympic motto.
After the activity ask learners to discuss
what they learned by experiencing the idea
kinaesthetically.
3 Plan classroom “adventure” or
“survival” challenges. “By overcoming
adventure challenges, learners learn about
their self-imposed limitations and their
potential capabilities. By confronting fear,
change and uncertainty, learners learn
important coping skills.” 21
4 Fitness Fun – Create imaginative
training circuits in your school. In the gym
or on the playground identify different
places with a coloured piece of paper, or a
poster, or in some other way. At each
place learners will do a different kind of
fitness activity. For example, they could
pretend that they are a different animal at
each place. Make up the activity that they
would do at each place. Better still, get the
children to help you develop fitness moves
to be repeated at each place. Add music.
Children love to do things to music. Other
circuit themes could be:
circus performers – Pretend you are
a tumbler, trapeze artist, clown,
animal trainer, juggler, dancer
machines – Pretend you are a car,
aeroplane, bicycle, train, rocket, etc.
space – Pretend you’re on Mars, on
Jupiter, on the moon, on a rocket, etc.
body moves – Pretend you are flying,
swimming, climbing, hopping, skiing,
riding a horse or camel, etc.
wilderness adventure – Pretend you
are crossing a river on a log, trying to
see through tall grass, climbing a
mountain, etc.
5 Take a Walk – by yourself, with your
schoolmates, with your family or your
mother or father, with a friend, on skis or
snowshoes, in the rain, under a rainbow.
Record your observations of the weather,
the seasons, the wildlife, the community.
6 Let’s Dance, Let’s Sing, Let’s
Create, Let’s Play, Let’s Dream
Mind, body and spirit activities express
the joy of life and the culture of a
community. In Africa, for example,
dancing is an important expression of
the identity of the community.
Play music from different continents,
and make up dances to the music
and the rhythm. Make up songs to go
with the music or learn songs from
Below Desiree Eid
(AUS) uses the ribbon
during the Rhythmic
Gymnastics at the
2005 Australian Youth
Olympic Festival.
other countries.
Incorporate song, costumes, and
scenery in a special dance festival
featuring the dances and music of
other countries.
Find a piece of music that you love.
Make up a dance to this music that
expresses your personality and/or
your dreams and hopes for your
community and for your world.
21 Adapted from Campbell, L., Campbell, B. and
Dickenson, D. (1996). Teaching and Learning Through
Multiple Intelligences, Second Edition. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon, p. 86.
SECTION 4 THE FIVE EDUCATIONAL VALUES OF OLYMPISM
TEACHING VALUES 117