Thinker Keys

Now we know lots obout the Olympics and China we are going to use this information to think creatively and critically. Over the next 2 weeks we will do lots of thinking about the Olympics and China in our reading,writing and speaking activitiies. Inquiry is such fun!

WALT... think about he Olympics creatively and critically
Brick Wall Key
‘People should be able to take performance enhancing drugs to compete at the Olympics.’ Argue for this statement.
Alternatives Key
List 5 different countries that are competing in the Olympics.
Reverse Key
List 10 sports you WON'T find at the Olympics.
List 10 things you WON’T find at the Olympics.
List 10 things you CAN’T do at the Olympics.
What If? Key
What if anyone was allowed to enter the Olympics? Write a paragraph about it.
Combination Key
Combine a swimming pool and a running track. Draw a picture and describe it.
Bigger, Add, Replace Key
Make a rowing skiff Bigger, Add something to it and Replace something on it.
Questions Key
Write 5 questions that have the answer “a gold medal.”
Write 5 questions that have the answer “he would be disqualified.”
Write 5 questions that have the answer “athletics.”
Variations Key
How many different Olympic sports can you name?
How many Olympics gold medalists can you name?
Disadvantages Key
List 5 disadvantages of the Olympics
List 5 disadvantages of being an Olympic athlete.
List 5 disadvantages of the Olympics.
Different Uses Key
List 10 different uses for a swimming pool at the Olympics.
List 10 different uses for a chair at the Olympics
Prediction Key
What will the Olympics be like in 8 years time?
Ridiculous Key
They should build venues big enough for everyone to go and see their favourite sport. List 5 reasons why you agree and 5 reasons why you disagree.
The Olympic games should be held every year. List 5 reasons why you agree and 5 reasons why you disagree.
People are not interested in the Olympic games anymore. List 5 reasons why you agree and 5 reasons why you disagree.
Commonality Key
List 5 things the same about the Olympics and a box.
List 5 things the same about swimming and archery.
List 5 things the same about NZ and China
Alphabet Key
List 1 Olympics word for each letter of the alphabet.
Inventions Key
Design a New Zealand Olympics uniform.

De Bono's Thinking Hats

Today we used the yellow and black thinking hats to explore postive and negative points of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We looked at some articles about issues at the games. We discussed lots of ideas then we used a T chart to record our thinking. What a lot of thinking went on!
Some of the black hat thinking recorded was ...

• Pollution makes it hard for athletes to run
• Someone visiting from USA was killed by a Chinese person
• Some people took drugs to make them stronger or faster (this is cheating)
• Some peoples homes were knocked down for the stadiums
• Lots more traffic
• Lots of money used when there are poor people
• Some people got injured and couldn't compete
• There were some violent protests
• There was some bribery and blackmailing (by officials)
• Lots of athletes didn't get medals even though they had trained very hard
  

Some yellow hat thinking recorded was...

• It is a time of peace
• Lots of countries come together to compete
• There was great teamwork
  
• New buildings were made (like stadiums) for people to use
• People won medals
• Lots of people visited China
• People learnt lots about China
• People had fun
• There were some peaceful protests about things that are not so good about China
• Brings people together
• Some athletes won lots of medals for their country

Olympic Sports and Venues

WALT... find info from books and web sites to answer key questions
... surf, slurp & summarise info
OLYMPIC SPORTS
Aquatic (diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo), Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Canoeing/Kayak (flatwater and slalom), Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic and trampoline), Handball, Hockey, Judo, Modern Pentathlon (5 disciplines: shooting, fencing, swimming, riding, cross-country running), Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Softball, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling.

Use the National Library site to find information


MORE OLYMPIC FACTS
Games Mascots: Fuwa, designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.
Number of Sports: 38
Number of events at the Games: 303
Number of Venues: 31
Number of Spectators (est.): 7 million
Number of television viewers (est.): more than 4 billion
Number of registered volunteers: 700 000
Number of visitors expected during the games: 2 million
Population: China: 1.3 billion, Beijing: 11.6 million
1st Modern Olympics: Held in Greece in 1896
1900 (Paris) was the first Olympiad in which women participated

Try this sport word find

Check out the BBC's Olympic Sports Map

Olympic Fun!

The Senior Syndicate organised a mini Olympic Games for the junior students. Nic's brother Finn was the mascot. Can you spot him? Michael is holding a real Olympci torch from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. We were so lucky to be able to hold it.

Olympic Oath

Today Annie asked us what an oath was and noboby knew. So we decided it needed to be an inquiry question. This was our question ... What is an oath? What is an Olympic oath?

The Athletes Oath
At the start of each Olympics, every athlete promises to play fairly and obey all of the Olympic rules. One athlete from the host country takes this oath at the Opening Ceremonies on behalf of all athletes. The chosen athlete holds a corner of the Olympic Flag while repeating the oath:
"In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."
The oath was written by Baron de Coubertin, and became a part of our Modern Olympic Games in 1920. Olympic officials also have to take an oath. While holding a corner of the Olympic Flag, one official from the host country repeats a similar oath on behalf of all the officials.
At the 2000 Sydney games the athletes oath included a pledge against the use of drugs at the games.
"In the name of all competitors, I promise we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the spirit of true sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

Olympic Diamante Poem

Poetic Writing - Diamante Poem
WALT... write a poem using strong adjectives and -ing words

What is a diamante poem?
It is shaped like a diamond. It does not have to rhyme but each line uses specific types of words like adjectives and -ing words. It can be about one topic or two opposite topics.

Click on the Read,Write Think icon

The Olympic Medals

WALT ... discuss the materials the medals are made of (Science)
... understand the significance of the medals
... make a medals for an event

How must the Olympic medals be made?
Each Olympic medal must be at least 68mm across and 3mm thick. The gold and silver medals must contain at least 92.5% silver, and at least 6 grams of 24-carat gold must coat each gold medal.
Bronze medals contain copper, zinc, tin and a very small amount of silver.

Design Features
Since 1928, the front side of every medal has featured a picture of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. A new design was created for the 2004 Games, featuring the Greek Stadium and a new image of Nike. Based on a statue carved in 421 BC which was kept in the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, the new image shows Nike flying into the stadium as if to crown the winners with a wreath.

Reverse Side
The reverse side of every medal is unique to each Olympic Games and is designed by the host city. The medal for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has been inlaid with a jade disk, inspired by an ancient Chinese piece called "Bi". Jade has an important place in Chinese culture as it represents beauty and excellence in all things. The medal hook is inspired by the dragon which is a symbol of strength and power.

Olympic Pictograms

WALT ... match the pictogram with the sport
... design our own pictograms for a partner to guess
...discuss the history of, and importance of pictograms

Can you name the Olympic sport from the pictograms?

What is a pictogram?

A picture or picture-like symbol representing an idea in primitive writing (eg hieroglyphics).
Pictograms were disconnected and fragmented drawings of simple objects and ideas such as man, woman, fire, food, tree, and shelter.

In art, we share our ideas with pictures, or images. "Talking" with images instead of words makes it easy for people from many different parts of the world to understand what we say, even if we all speak a different language. Because it's easy for people who speak different languages to understand pictures, the organisers of the Olympics use special pictures, called "pictograms", to tell everyone about the different sport activities.

The Olympic Torch

Click on the Olympic torch to read about the torch design

WALT... understand the importance & role of the Olympic torch
... discuss the design features,environmental principles and materials of 2008 torch
... design an Olympic torch for 2012 Olympic games
... write about your desing including size, materials, and artistic design
... create an Olympic torch maze for junior classes (extra for experts)
History of the Olympic Flame
The tradition of the Olympic flame began during the ancient Olympic Games, over 2700 years ago in Greece. A flame was lit for each Olympics, every four years, and it burned throughout the games. The flame symbolized the death and rebirth of Greek heroes. There was no torch relay in the ancient Olympics. The first torch relay took place at the 1936 games in Berlin, Germany.
The Torches of the Olympics
For each Olympics, a new flame is started in the ancient Olympic stadium in Olympia, Elis, Greece, using a parabolic mirror to focus the rays of the Sun. This flame begins its Olympic Torch Relay by touring Greece. The flame is normally taken to the country where the games will be held (usually by airplane). The flame is then carried around the country where the games are to be held, using a series of torches carried by people running, walking, riding horses and camels, scuba diving, and using other means of human conveyance. The last runner uses a torch to light the large Olympic torch which burns throughout the games. The flame is extinguished during the closing ceremony. A new Olympic torch is designed for each of the games.

From Fact Box: ABC's of Beijing Olympics

BEIJING OLYMPIC TORCH:

The Beijing Olympic torch, made of aluminum, is 72 centimeters high and weighs 985 grams. It can withstand winds of up to 65 kilometers per hour and stay alight in rain of up to 50 millimeters an hour.

2008 Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony

Olympic Games

Fuwa Match

Click the cards to find the matching Olympic torches. When finished, click the photo to start again.

The Giant Panda

Giant Pandas
* The giant panda is one of the rarest animals in the world.
* Giant pandas only live in the wild in China.
* Giant pandas live alone in forests.
* Giant pandas mainly eat bamboo. Sometimes the bamboo dies and the pandas starve.

What do they look like?
Giant pandas are large black and white animals with round heads, small black ears and white faces. They have black patches around each eye. They have short tails. They walk on all fours and can climb trees, often doing so to find a place to sleep. An adult giant panda is about 150 centimetres long and weighs about 90 kilograms, although the biggest one ever weighed was 180 kilograms.

Where do they live?
Giant pandas live alone, in bamboo forests in the mountains of western China. The forests are very dense and the pandas are generally hidden from view, so it has been hard for scientists to learn about the giant panda. Once pandas were widespread throughout China, but the bamboo forests in eastern China have been cut down for farming.

What do they eat?
About 99% of the giant panda's food is bamboo but it also eats grass, roots, plants and even meat. Bamboo is a type of grass that grows as tall as trees. Although there are hundreds of kinds of bamboo, the giant panda eats only 4 or 5 kinds.

Did you know?
It is estimated that a giant panda can chew more than 3,500 stalks of bamboo a day.

How do they eat?
The front paws of the giant panda are specially adapted to help it hold bamboo. There is a bone on each palm which looks like a thumb. The panda's five fingers are wrapped around the bamboo stalk, and the 'thumb' moves forward to jam against the bamboo so that it is firmly held. The giant panda uses its very large teeth, strong jaws and huge cheek muscles to help it crush the hard bamboo.

What are baby pandas like?
Baby pandas are very small when they are born. They only weigh about 120 grams. The mother holds the new baby in her arms in a similar way to a human. The baby panda's eyes open after about 40 days. At one month old the black markings can be seen on their pink skin. At three months old the young pandas are furry, black and white. They crawl when they are about 3-4 months old. At 7 months, a young panda weighs about 9 kilograms, runs and climbs trees, and has started eating bamboo. At about 18 months, it weighs about 55 kilograms, and will soon leave its mother.

Why are Giant pandas endangered?
Giant pandas are endangered because the bamboo forests are being cleared for farming. Different types of bamboo die off every 40 to 100 years and because of the clearing, there are fewer types of bamboo left. Pandas often starve when the bamboo dies off. In the past they were hunted for their fur or were trained as performing circus animals. Giant pandas are now protected by law.
In China, research and breeding centres have been set up to try to save the panda.

Olympic Mascots

WALT... find out about the Olympic mascots

Olympic Mascots
The mascots for Beijing

A mascot is a person or an animal or a thing which is supposed to bring goodluck. Many sporting clubs have a mascot. The word mascot comes from an old French word 'mascotte' which meant witch or wizard. At each Olympics the mascot tells something about the host country.

Did you know?
The first, but unofficial Olympic Mascot, appeared in Grenoble in 1968. He was a little cartoon-like character on skis and was called 'Schuss'.

The first official mascot was 'Waldi' the Dachshund and he appeared in 1972 at the Munich Summer Games. Since then there has been a mascot for every Olympic Games. The only exception was the Sapporo Winter Games in 1972 which had no mascot.

This is 'Cobi', Mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games



These are the mascots from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games


This is 'Roni' the Raccoon who was the official mascot of the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games

Click here for full screen version

The Olympic Flag

FINDING OUT
Today we found out about the Olympic flag as part of our China inquiry. We researched the Olympic flag on the internet by using key words from our questions and did a Google search. We had a reading activity to complete then we answered questions about the meaning of the flag. Click on the flag and follow the instructions to paint the rings from the colour palette.
Read our information...

The Olympic Flag

The flag of the Olympic Games has five interlocking rings (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) on a white ground. The rings represent the five parts of the world that were joined together in the Olympic movement: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. The motto of the Olympic Games is "Citius, altius, fortius" (meaning "Faster, higher, stronger").

The Ancient Olympics

The ancient Greeks held the first Olympic games in the year 776 BC, and had only one event. Every four years, for 1,170 years, the Greeks held an Olympics, which continued to grow and change. The Olympic games were banned by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II in the year AD 394.

History of the Olympic Flag

Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (1863-1937), a French educator and sportsman, revived the Olympic Games in 1896. He designed the flag of the Olympics in 1913-1914.
The flag was first used in the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. The Olympic flag is paraded during the opening ceremony of each Olympic Games. At the end of an Olympics, the mayor of the host-city presents the flag to the mayor of the next host-city. The flag will remain in the town hall of the next host-city until the next Olympic Games, four years later.

These were our questions
Why are the linked rings an Olympic symbol?
Why are the rings those colours?
What are the colours of each ring? Colour the picture correctly?
What does each ring stand for?

Mah Jong

Today Max's Mum Jools came and told us all about the game of Mah Jong. It is a very hard game to learn but sounds like lots of fun. Lots of great questions were asked. Thank you Jools. Click on the game tiles to play a game of solitaire Mah Jong. It is not the real game but is fun. We learnt about the history too.

Visual Language - Static Images

Today we developed the criteria for our Beijing posters. This is what we came up with. We will use this to plan, monitor and self assess our work. This afternoon we completed our draft poster, proof-read and edited it. We are now ready to publish. Look at this official Olympic
poster. What do you notice about the writing? Does this poster use any of the criteria we came up with?
WALT... design a poster to promote Beijing as a tourist destination
Criteria:
The overall look of the poster is attractive, capturing the audience’s attention.
Key words should stand out.
The message only includes necessary information.
Use colour to brighten your presentation.
Change font style, size and or colour to make important words stand out.
Think about where the poster will be displayed when choosing a size.
The message is written in short phrases or single words.
Include a border to frame the poster (may be a Chinese theme)
Bold eye-catching title
Include places of interest to a tourist/visitor

Map of China - Zoom in on Beijing

View Larger Map

Writing Postcards

WALT...
To inform the audience about an experience through a picture and a personal written message

This week we researched Giant Pandas. We used a postcard planning sheet to plan what we were going to include on our postcards. We had some criteria to include...

• Plan the postcard using planning sheet


• Write at least 3 facts about pandas


• Write an address


• Write a message in a friendly letter format
  
• Make sure the message is brief, simple and personal


• Make the message fit in the space provided


• Draw and colour a scene for the back of the postcard


• Make sure the picture and message are about the same topic
  
• Include a stamp in the top right hand corner about the Giant Panda using Chinese yuan symbol