Adopt a Country
With an estimated 80 participating nations, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games offer a tremendous opportunity for British Columbia’s students to develop a greater sense of global citizenship and learn more about the world outside Canada’s borders.
The first step for British Columbia schools* is to choose a country to adopt using the Interactive Adopt a Country Map. Schools are free to adopt whichever country they would like, and each country can be adopted by more than one school. Countries that have already been adopted will show up in gold, while green countries are still waiting for adoption.
With so many countries to choose from, each school’s selection process will be unique and might be guided by any number of considerations such as:
» Ties to established curriculum.
» School trips or exchange programs.
» Existing connections between B.C. schools and schools in other countries.
» Available local resources (cultural associations, etc).
To get the most out of this learning opportunity, schools may choose to conduct research, or to connect with students, cultural organizations, and Olypmic and Paralympic athletes from their adopted country.
Download the Adopt a Country school guide for further information about the program, including more suggestions on how to select one of the participating Olympic and Paralympic nations, research
and learning opportunities, and strategies for promoting community involvement.
* Registration for the Adopt a Country program is only available to schools in British Columbia.
Welcome to Sharing the Dream
Sharing the Dream is the Ministry of Education’s contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Education Program. Through Sharing the Dream, students can participate in activities and discussions with students from other parts of the country and the world and teachers can access resources to help plan and implement lessons and activities focused on the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Countdown to 2010
On February 12, 2009, we are encouraging schools across Canada to celebrate the one year countdown to the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games with spirit-building school events.
To kick off these celebrations, schools will join together in singing “O Canada” at 10:00 am PST/1:00 pm EST as a unified expression of provincial and national pride.
Other suggested activities:
» Have all students dress in red and white Canadian colours.
» Simulate a torch relay around the school with a representative from each classroom carrying a papier-mâché or cardboard torch in turns.
» Stage a “Parade of Nations,” where each class marches with a flag from one of the participating Olympic and Paralympic nations.
» Create flag posters to decorate the school.
» In order to highlight the multicultural nature of your school, include the flags of countries that reflect students’ family backgrounds.
» Organize a school athletic tournament or fun run.
» Arrange for a guest speaker – such as a local Olympian, Paralympian or other notable athlete – from the community who would engage students and teach them about the Olympics and the Paralympics.
» Invite local media to record the celebrations in your school.
» Show the Celebrate the Possible video from the vancouver2010.com Video Gallery [Français] at a school assembly.
» Have student reporters film your school’s celebrations and post to your school website and the Vancouver 2010 Project Showcase [Français].
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For additional ideas of how to mark this occasion download the One Year Countdown Guide [Français]. |
» Sharing the Dream is the Ministry of Education’s contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Education Program. Through Sharing the Dream, students can participate in activities and discussions with students from other parts of the country and the world and teachers can access resources to help plan and implement lessons and activities focused on the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sharing the Dream Webcast Series
Join us February 20, 2009 when we welcome young entrepreneur Michael Furdyk as the next guest in the Sharing the Dream webcast series. Michael is a co-founder of the youth social action website TakingITGlobal and will speak about global citizenship and how youth can take action to make their communities a better place.
On November 12, 2008, a virtual audience of students and teachers from around the world joined the students and teachers of Heritage Woods Secondary School in Port Moody for the first Sharing the Dream interactive webcast, featuring 2008 Olympic gold medalist Carol Huynh. Carol spoke about the importance of perseverance and being the best you can be in whatever field you choose. To view this webcast, visit the Sharing the Dream webcast section.
Lesson Starters
Teachers are invited to visit the Lesson Starters section to find ideas about how to integrate the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games into their classroom. As the publicity surrounding the Games builds, using the Olympics is a great way to get students excited about a number of topics. The Lesson Starters database contains activities for a wide range of grade levels and subject areas. We invite teachers to submit their own lessons to share with fellow educators, as well as a chance to win Olympic-themed prizes.
