olympics extra -- LA & 1960 decathlon

[Anonymous]

I think I might be able to use third article as a basis for a writing lesson. It's probably the most accessible without needing any modifications (i.e. whole sections to be rewriting for readability) for students with learning disabilities. The Olympics in Rio creates a perfect opportunity to introduce the topic of the true spirit of competition and sportsmanship and the story of three lives that came together around the 1960 Olympics.

[Anonymous]

It’s an incredible feat for Yang to have survived a childhood in which he nearly died from malaria and move on to be the first person with a Chinese surname to win an Olympic medal. In one of the articles, he was portrayed as having a lot of pressure put on him because of the politics at the time; Yang was a Taiwanese-Aboriginal who could not represent either Taiwan or China because of the tensions between them. I wonder if the pressures that Yang felt could also be traced back to the sense that a nation’s people are to serve the nation and highlight their strengths.
I think I would use the first article in my classroom in the event that some of my students are getting unmotivated because the story is inspirational. My students might not be Olympic-level athletes, but they face hardships in their own lives, and they could benefit to see that someone who has suffered can also gain success later on in life.

[Anonymous]

I came across this interesting article from the BBC: Rio 2016 How China's athletes opened up on social media
It's about how the world saw a different side to the chinese olympians on social media revealing their personalities and sharing very private moments and information usually considered taboo in the chinese culture.
The swimmer Fu Yuanhui discussed her period; the diver Qin Kai proposed to his girfriend He Zi and High Jumper Zhang Guowei went viral after demonstrating some very lively dances.

[clay dube]

Please check out our Facebook post about the 1960 battle between American Rafer Johnson and Yang Chuan-kwang of Taiwan. The two fellows were friends and training partners. Their battle was legendary. I've attached a couple articles about them and included their scores in the decathlon. In 1963, Sports Illustrated called Yang the "world's greatest athlete" and Johnson is a Los Angeles legend. He carried the flag in the 1960 games and lit the torch to start the 1984 games here in Los Angeles.

Can sports help start class discussions?

The attached file includes a link to a great 2:30 minute video summarizing the battle between Johnson and Yang.

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[Anonymous]

This is a great idea to help our students with special needs learn about competition. I will definitely use this with students. The alternate curriculum does use the Olympics as a lesson in the Unique Curriculum.

[Author]

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