The Olympic torch relay is a tradition of unity as it travels from Olympia to the host city. The opening ceremony spotlights the host region’s culture, history, and arts. The parade of nations brings together teams from around the world. Add in fascinating sports, fierce competition, daily medal counts, and the unforgettable stories of athletes who train for years for a few minutes on the world stage, and we have triumphs, tears, and everything in between.
Every two years, the Olympics invite us to watch this global moment unfold. But how do we bring that energy into the classroom while staying on track with our curriculum?
As educators, we don’t have to choose between that excitement and our day-to-day curriculum! We can use the Games as a quick, meaningful hook for learning.
To make the Olympics classroom-ready, we built a pick-and-choose “Daily Deck” you can use as a bell ringer, exit ticket, or 5-minute brain break. Each slide follows a simple rhythm: Watch → Know → Do. Students get a quick background on the Games (venues, sports, and how events work) and respond with a short, engaging task.
Use the slides in any order, and tap the optional “Extend” link if you want to go deeper. We’re sharing the Daily Deck as an editable Google Slides template, so you can make a copy and tailor it to your students, schedule, and content area.
Our hope is that these micro-moments make it easy to bring the Winter Games into class without derailing your plans. Choose what fits, adapt the template, and use the extension links only when you want to go deeper. At their best, the Olympics and Paralympics offer a celebration of people from many places and stories coming together around fair play and respect.
About the Author
Sarah Murphy is the Evaluation Manager and a Professional Learning Specialist at Teaching Channel. She holds a B.A. in History and a Master’s in Education. Sarah began teaching in 2004 at the elementary level. She now leads Teaching Channel’s Evaluation Team, managing our wonderful team of Course Evaluators. Sarah is also a coursewriter and content creator, specializing in edtech, educator wellness, and content area teaching.
Fun Fact: Sarah has camped in 18 national parks and hopes to visit all 63 someday!
