KEY INFORMATION

Recommended age group: 7–19
Time required: one 45–60 min session
Equipment: Celebrating Sochi presentation


ACTIVITY IDEA

WHAT HAVE PAST OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES BEEN LIKE?

Ask the pupils to listen carefully so that at the end of the presentation they can answer the following five questions:

When were the 2014 Winter Games held?

  • Olympic Winter Games: 7–23 February
  • Paralympic Winter Games: 7–16 March

Where were they being held?

  • Sochi, Russia

What sports took part in these Games?

  • Olympic sports: biathlon, bobsleigh (2), curling, ice hockey, luge, skating (3), skiing (6) (Numbers in brackets represent the number of disciplines in each sport.)
  • Paralympic sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, ice sledge hockey, wheelchair curling

How many nations/ athletes competed?

  • Olympic Winter Games: approximately 80 nations and 2800 athletes
  • Paralympic Winter Games: approximately 45 nations and 1650 athletes

Who were the mascots?

  • Olympic Winter Games: Polar Bear, Hare and Leopard
  • Paralympic Winter Games: Snow Flake and Ray of Light

MAKE A SPECIAL DAY OF IT!

Have a special lunch with a Russian or cold weather theme, e.g. borscht (or other vegetable soup) crusty/ black bread, stroganoff, pelmeni and oladi (pancakes) or hvorost (deep fried pastries). You could involve a group of pupils in the preparation of the lunch, e.g. researching Russian recipes and traditional foods, foods that are warming in cold weather, writing recipes, devising menus and decorating the tables. Older or more able pupils could consider the nutritional aspects of these foods and suggest ways of making them more healthy, e.g. by baking instead of deep-fat frying. Invite some special guests, such as a local MP, the Chair of governors or the editor of your local newspaper to share the lunch.

EXTENSION

GO THE EXTRA MILE

As well as using the slides to find out more about the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, you could also use them to support the following classroom activities:

Design your own Snowboard or Outrigger
Cool clothes for warm athletes
Athletes in action