Lesson Plan - Let The Games Begin!

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Learning Objective

Students will learn details about the 2022 Winter Olympics, including events that will be featured.

Text Structure

Description 

Content-Area Connections

Current Events

Standards Correlations

CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.6, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.10, L.3.4, SL.3.1

NCSS: Global Connections

TEKS: Social Studies 3.13

1. Preparing to Read

Watch a Video: Let the Games Begin
Discuss: What are some ways that the Olympic Games have changed over time?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

  • debut
  • unity


Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about which Winter Olympic event they’d most like to compete in.

2. Close-Reading Questions

1. Why do you think the author starts the article with the sentence “Get ready for flips, twists, and twirls”?
The author begins this way because these are all things Winter Olympic athletes do. Snowboarders flip, skiers twist as they face sharp turns, and figure skaters twirl.
(RI.3.1 DEMONSTRATE UNDERSTANDING)

2. Based on the article and photos, what are some types of equipment needed for the Winter Olympics?
The article and photos show that sleds, skis, snowboards, jumps, and curling brooms and stones are needed.
(RI.3.7 INTEGRATING TEXT AND IILLUSTRATIONS)

3. According to the sidebar, what do the Olympic rings stand for?
The sidebar states that the Olympic rings stand for unity. The five rings represent the five continents that came together for the 1912 Olympics.
(RI.3.5 TEXT FEATURES)

3. Skill Building

FEATURED SKILL: Short Constructed Response
Use the skill builder “Time to R.A.C.E.” to help students use the R.A.C.E strategy to respond to a writing prompt.
(W.3.1 INFORMATIVE WRITING)

Differentiate & Extend

Multilingual Learners
Invite learners whose native language is Spanish to read the Spanish version of this article (available online) alongside the English version.


Striving Readers
Display the presentation view of the article on an interactive whiteboard and use the sticky note feature to help students record key ideas.


Language Arts
Have students note the strong verbs used in the article, like race, rocket, and slides. Discuss why such choices are better than simpler verbs like go, and challenge students to use strong verbs in their own writing.

Text-to-Speech