Team Bonnie Blair Lessons

Olympic and Illinois Symbols:

Objective:

The students will be taking the concept of a symbol then adapting it to the Illinois hero Bonnie Blair. Students must be able to understand the concept of symbols and how they relate to the Olympics, Illinois and Bonnie Blair.

Purpose:

Symbols are an important representation of a person, place or event. Without symbols we would not have uniqueness, and would not have anything that sets us apart from the person sitting next to us. Symbols of the Olympics and Illinois mean a lot to Bonnie Blair and the symbols of Illinois connect us to Bonnie Blair

Activity:

Torch

The students will create an Olympic torch by using the brown construction paper as a base for the torch; they will put colored tissue paper in the top of the torch. On the outside of the torch the students will write their favorite fact about the torch. This way they are able to associate that fact to the torch.

Olympic Flag

The students will place the colored rings on the white construction paper. As we lay down each ring we will discuss what that ring means, and repeat the color as we lay it down. By talking about the significance of the rings as we create the flag, the students will better comprehend the symbolism.

Winter and Summer Olympics:

Objective:

The students will be able to correctly complete a Venn diagram showing the differences and similarities between the Winter Olympic Games and the Summer Olympic games after the lesson and their note sheets are complete. The students will also understand how the winter and Summer Olympic Games pertain to Illinois and Bonnie Blair.

Purpose:

Understanding the differences and similarities between two similar events is an important skill for any one to learn.  The differences and similarities between the Winter and Summer Olympics is important for the students to understand because they need to see that countries can work together and be united more than just once every four years.  The students are capable of becoming great people that help make unity possible just like the Illinois athletes, including Bonnie Blair, that went on and played in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

Activity:

After the instruction is complete the teacher will hand out the Venn diagram (Appendix C) to the students.  The teacher will ask if the students know what a Venn diagram is. If they do not then the teacher will explain that a Venn diagram organizes the differences and similarities between two things. In this case it will show the differences and similarities between the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics.   In the left circle the students will put what is unique about the winter Olympics.  In the right circle the students will put what is unique about the summer Olympics.  In the space where the two circles over lap the students will put what both Olympics have in common.  The students will then be split up into two groups.  They will work together in their groups to fill out the Venn diagram.

History of Speed Skating:

Objective:

After the instruction is complete the teacher will hand out the Venn diagram (Appendix C) to the students.  The teacher will ask if the students know what a Venn diagram is. If they do not then the teacher will explain that a Venn diagram organizes the differences and similarities between two things. In this case it will show the differences and similarities between the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics.   In the left circle the students will put what is unique about the winter Olympics.  In the right circle the students will put what is unique about the summer Olympics.  In the space where the two circles over lap the students will put what both Olympics have in common.  The students will then be split up into two groups.  They will work together in their groups to fill out the Venn diagram.

Purpose:

The students will be able to comprehend the sport of speed skating and how it has evolved into the sport it is today by kinesthetically “racing” through time to learn the history of speed skating

Activity:

The students will speed skate to stations and collect a medal from that year they are “in.” The students will create a timeline mobile from the medals they collected from the speed skating lesson. They will be responsible for putting them on the hanger in the correct order.

Characteristics of Speed Skating:

Objective:

The students will be able to demonstrate the importance of working together for a common goal while completing the focusing activity game.

The students will be able to visually represent information learned at each station during the lesson to complete their own informational books on speed skating.

The students will be able to explain speed skating equipment, events, rules, training and athletes after completing their informational books on speed skating.

Purpose:

The purpose of the lesson is to give information to the students about the sport that their Illinois Hero, Bonnie Blair, participated in.  It is important for them to know what she did and how she did it.   This information is critical for the students to know so that they can see what it took for Bonnie Blair to become such a successful speed skater.  They must appreciate why she is so important to them as Illinois citizens. 

Activity:

The students will fill out a “My Speed Skating Book” as the complete the lesson. Each station they will fill out a page and then come up with a picture that goes along with the page.

Bonnie Blair’s Early Life: Dreams:

Objectives:

In this lesson, the students will create a short connection. The students will write three sentences based on the information given about Bonnie Blair’s childhood and how they are like Bonnie Blair. They will create an illustration as well. We will then take all the writing and pictures and create a Project Wow Team Dreams Book. This connection will help the students understand the facts behind our Illinois Hero.

Purpose:

The students will take the dreams and aspirations of Bonnie Blair and compare them to their own dreams. Focus will not be so much on Bonnie Blair, rather, the students and how working hard to gain their dreams is how to be successful in life. This pertains to social studies because this is a lesson on self-confidence and believing in dreams. We will use Bonnie Blair as a basis for knowledge for this lesson

Activity:

The students will fill out a dream’s page where they can write about their dream, their goals to achieve that dream, and draw picture of them achieving their dream.

Bonnie Blair’s Olympic Career:

Objective:

The students will be able to explain the important events before, after and during Bonnie Blair’s Olympic career.

The students will be able to correctly place events of Bonnie’s speed skating career on a time line after reading the book A Winning Edge by Bonnie Blair and filling in their note sheet.

The students will be able to explain why her community, family and friends were so important in helping her reach her dreams.

Purpose:

The purpose of this lesson is to teach the students what happened in Bonnie Blair’s life before, during and after her Olympic career.  This information is important for the students to know because the information shows them why Bonnie Blair was so good at what she did.  Knowing about her life, accomplishments and hardships explain why we consider her an Illinois hero.

Activity:

The students will create a timeline on blue construction paper marking out the important years of Bonnie Blair’s Olympic career. These events will be set up in a timeline format in order for the students to visually see how far Bonnie Blair came as a speed skaters.