The educational kit: looking at China through the window of the Games

China is fascinating: it is the most populated country in the world, has a rich culture dating back thousands of years, was responsible for important inventions such as paper, printing and the compass and, nowadays, is a leading international economic power.

The Beijing 2008 exhibition presents modern-day China – with a special focus on Beijing – in Olympic Games year. It describes the role of sport in China, the history and evolution of a society on the move, the significant architectural changes under way in Beijing and current ecological issues. Part of the exhibition is devoted to graphics and design through the icons of the Games.

In order to study China and the Beijing Olympic Games in the classroom and then to prepare for a visit to the exhibition, this kit proposes three thematic approaches, suitable for children aged 8-16:

A. The icons of Beijing 2008

Through these icons, they discover some of the main elements of Chinese cultural tradition and learn how a city chooses to present itself to the world.

B. The impact of the Beijing Games

The Olympic Games are more than just a two-week event. Their lifetime is much longer than that: seven years of preparation, 16 days of celebration and sporting competition (8-24 August 2008), followed by knock-on effects lasting several decades.

The complexity of an event such as the Games demands global analysis of its impact (on the environment, economy and population). Pupils study the evaluation criteria used by the IOC, then go on to analyse an event of their choice from a sustainable development point of view.

C. Here and there, looking at cultural identity

The Olympic Games provide a great opportunity to study the culture of the host country. The pupils reflect on how this culture appears to them and how it is different or similar to their own. This is also a chance to highlight the multi-cultural nature of the class.

How do I use this pack?

This teaching pack contains:

- information for teachers about each of the three chosen themes. This information can be used to prepare for the class visit, to arouse the pupils’ interest, familiarise them with the Games and introduce them to certain aspects of Chinese culture;
- a step-by-step visit to the exhibition for teachers wishing to discover the exhibition on their own;
- pupil worksheets (to be completed before, during or after the visit);
- a photo CD of images used in the kit for classroom use.

Visit Beijing 2008 Educational Kit Download Pages

• Beijing 2008 educational kit to download in English,  French and  German

• A bank of photos to download to work on the kit’s images in class

Download Beijing 2008 Educational Kit

PDF format, 4.64MB, 78Pages.

Publisher: © IOC, Lausanne Olympic Museum, 1st edition 2008
Authors: Michèle Meuwly and Sandrine Moeschler
Project Manager: Anne Chevalley

CONTENTS:

Introduction
The Olympic Games in Beijing p.5
The educational kit : looking at China through the window of the Games p.7

Themes
The icons of Beijing 2008 p.9
The impact of the Beijing Games p.15
Here and there, looking at cultural identity p.21
Step-by-step visit of the exhibition p.33

Pupil Worksheets
Ages 8-12
The icons of the Games, between tradition and modernity p.41
The impact of the Beijing Games p.51
Step-by-step visit: the exhibition, a source of information p.53
Ages 12-16
The impact of the Beijing Games p.57
Here and there (discussion grid) p.61
Step-by-step visit: the exhibition, a source of information p.67

Suggestions for further study p.69
Bibliography p.71
Practical information p.75

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