Olympic Rings Lesson Plan Olympic Rings Story
Lesson Plan • 30 Minutes
Objective
Students will identify the colors and meaning of the Olympic rings and follow instructions to create a paper ring chain.
Audience
9th Grade TELPAS Students (Low English Proficiency)
Standards
TEKS: ELA9: 1.A, 4.H, 12.2A, 12.9A, 12.10B
TEKS: ELPS 3.D, 5.B, 5.G
Prep (15 min)
Review the reading passage and highlight key vocabulary.
Set up the Olympic Rings Slide Deck.
Gather construction paper (blue, yellow, black, green, red).
Prepare scissors and glue/tape.
Optional: Pre-cut paper strips for extra support.
Materials
Smartboard or Projector
Reading Handout
Slide Deck
Construction Paper
Scissors
Glue or Tape
Instructional Steps
5
Introduction & Warm-Up
Briefly introduce the Olympic Games (sports and countries). Show the first slide and ask "What colors do you see?" to engage students visually.
10
Reading & Discussion
Distribute the Reading Passage. Read aloud, pausing for Spanish translations in the word bank. Use the slides to reinforce the meanings of each ring color.
10
Ring Chain Activity
Demonstrate making a link. Students create a paper chain in the correct order: blue, yellow, black, green, red. Circulate to encourage vocabulary use.
5
Wrap-Up & Review
Students share their chains. Briefly review color meanings and ask: "What did you learn today about the Olympic rings?"
Olympic Rings Slide Deck The Olympic Rings:
A Global Symbol
What do these colorful rings mean?
Teacher notes: Welcome students and introduce the topic. Ask them if they know what these rings are and what they represent. Keep it simple and visual.
What are the Olympic Rings?
The Olympic rings are a symbol of the Olympic Games.
There are five colorful rings.
They are connected together.
Teacher notes: Show the rings and ask students to name the colors they see. Emphasize that there are five rings.
A Little History
A French man, Pierre de Coubertin, made the rings in 1913.
He wanted a symbol to show that all countries in the world are connected through sports.
Peace & Friendship
Teacher notes: Explain briefly the origin. Mention Pierre de Coubertin and the idea of unity.
What do the Colors Mean?
Blue (Azul): Europe
Yellow (Amarillo): Asia
Black (Negro): Africa
Green (Verde): Australia / Oceania
Red (Rojo): America
These colors are on the flags of all participating countries.
Teacher notes: Go through each color and its meaning, linking it to the continents. Keep it very simple. Blue for Europe, yellow for Asia, black for Africa, green for Australia/Oceania, red for America.
Let's Make Rings!
Materials
Colorful Paper
Scissors
Glue or Tape
How to make one ring:
1
Cut a strip of paper.
2
Form a circle and glue the ends.
Teacher notes: Introduce the activity. Show the materials needed and demonstrate how to make one link.
Connect the Rings!
1
Blue Ring
2
Yellow Link to Blue
3
Black Link to Blue/Yellow
4
Green Link to Black
5
Red Link to Black/Green
Make sure the colors are in the CORRECT ORDER!
Teacher notes: Explain the order of the rings. The slide shows the correct arrangement. Guide them step-by-step.
Great Work!
The Olympic Rings show unity and friendship around the world.
Every country is part of the Olympic Games.
What did you learn today?
Teacher notes: Review what was learned. Ask students to show their chains and recap the unity message.
Olympic Rings Story Reading Name:
Date:
The Story of the Olympic Rings
Have you ever seen the Olympic Games? They are a big sports event where athletes from all over the world compete. The symbol of the Olympic Games is five colorful rings linked together. These rings are blue, yellow, black, green, and red.
A man named Pierre de Coubertin created these rings in 1913. He wanted to show that all countries are connected through sports. He believed sports could bring peace and friendship to people everywhere. The five colors and the white background of the flag have at least one color from every country's flag in the world.
Each color represents a different part of the world. Blue stands for Europe (Europa), yellow for Asia (Asia), black for Africa (África), green for Australia and Oceania (Australia y Oceanía), and red for America (América del Norte y del Sur).
To make an Olympic ring chain, you will need paper in these five colors. First, cut strips of paper. Make a blue ring and glue its ends together to form a circle. Then, make a yellow ring, but before you glue it, link it through the blue ring. Continue this with the black ring (linking it through both blue and yellow), the green ring (linking through black), and finally the red ring (linking through black and green). This way, all five rings will be correctly linked, showing how the world is connected!
Word Bank / Banco de Palabras
English Spanish Olympic Games Juegos Olímpicos Symbol Símbolo Five Cinco Blue Azul Yellow Amarillo Black Negro Green Verde Red Rojo Connected Conectado/a Peace Paz Friendship Amistad
English Spanish Countries Países Europe Europa Asia Asia Africa África Australia Australia Oceania Oceanía America América
Olympic Rings Teacher Script Olympic Rings Story
Facilitation Script
Lesson Time
30 Minutes
0:00 - 0:05
Introduction & Warm-Up
Slide 1: The Olympic Rings: A Global Symbol
"Hello everyone! Today, we are going to learn about a very famous symbol that connects the whole world through sports. Has anyone ever heard of the Olympic Games ?"
Wait for student responses. Briefly explain that the Olympics are a big competition where athletes from many countries come together.
Slide 2: What are the Olympic Rings?
"Great! Now, look at this picture on the screen. What do you see? Can you tell me some of the colors?"
Encourage students to identify the colors: blue, yellow, black, green, red. Confirm that these are the Olympic rings.
0:05 - 0:15
Reading & Discussion
"Excellent! These are the Olympic rings, and they have a special story and meaning. I have a reading for you that explains it all. Please take one of the Reading handouts."
Distribute the Olympic Rings Story Reading handout to each student.
"We will read this together. I will read, and you can follow along. When we see a new or important word, we will look at our 'Word Bank / Banco de Palabras' at the bottom to understand it better. Listen carefully."
Read the first paragraph aloud, pausing at bolded words and checking the word bank.
"So, who created these rings? And what did he want to show?"
Guide students to recall Pierre de Coubertin and the ideas of 'connected' and 'friendship'.
Slide 3: A Little History
"That's right! Pierre de Coubertin wanted to show that sports can bring peace and friendship to the world . Now, let's look at what each color means."
Slide 4: What do the Colors Mean?
"Each color stands for a different continent or part of the world... It's very cool because the flag of every country has at least one of these colors!"
0:15 - 0:25
Ring Chain Activity
Slide 5: Let's Make Rings!
"Now, we are going to make our own Olympic ring chains! This will help us remember the colors and how they connect. You will get strips of paper in blue, yellow, black, green, and red, along with scissors and glue or tape."
Show students a pre-cut strip of paper and demonstrate how to make a single ring.
"First, you cut your strips of paper. Then, take one strip, make a circle, and glue or tape the ends together. This is one ring."
Circulate to ensure students understand how to make a single ring.
