I’ve never really understood why schools don’t capitalize on the media, real-time and international events more within their curriculum planning?
For example why do some schools teach Fairtrade in June when UK Fairtrade Fortnight is normally the last week in February and the first week in March? Or why do we teach children about HIV and Aids in October when World Aids Day is always the 1st December? Don’t get me started on Pi Day (14th March 2010), World Water Day (22nd March 2010) and World Health Day (7th April 2010).
Anyway the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada provides a great opportunity to capitalize on a high profile sporting and media event.
Over the next week I’m going to share some resources that I have found which might be useful for teachers wanting to teach about the Winter Olympics. Or better still use the Games as a contextual hub for learning and act as a springboard to introduce and teach about other aspects of the curriculum.
I’ll also be telling you a little more about a Consolarium Games Based Learning project that I’m working on with Gavinburn Primary School.
If your starting to think about your Curriculum planning for 2010 / 2011 don’t forget to try and link in long standing national and international events. Learning at Teaching Scotland produces a useful calendar of these over on the Enterprise in Education website.