TEACHING VALUES29 LINKEDBYTHERINGS: THEOLYMPIC SYMBOL TEACHING VALUES AN OLYMPIC EDUCATION TOOLKIT SECTION 2 CELEBRATING THE VALUES THROUGH SYMBOL AND CEREMONY Above The Olympic Rings. BEFORE YOU READ – QUESTIONS TO ASK Have you seen the Olympic Rings before? Where? What do they look like? What do you think they mean? USE THIS ACTIVITY TO INTRODUCE THE IDEA OF SYMBOLS. USE THE OLYMPIC SYMBOL AS A WAY OF INTRODUCING THE VALUES OF THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT. READING Look at the five rings. They are joined together like a chain. You will see them everywhere on TV during an Olympic Games. These five rings are the symbol of the Olympic Games in all of the world. The colours of the top three rings are blue, black and red ( going from the left- hand side to the right- hand side). The bottom rings are yellow and green. One of these colours is found in the flag of every country in the world. Some people say that the five rings represent friendship among the people on the five large continents of the world. What do you say? FOR DISCUSSION Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Olympic Games designed this symbol 100 years ago. Do you think it is a good symbol for the Olympic Games? Why or why not? Symbols and colours mean different things in different cultures. What does BLACK mean ( symbolise)? What does WHITE mean? What does RED mean? • in an Asian culture • in a European culture • in an African culture

ACTIVITYSHEET Colour the Olympic rings below. Make up your own symbol for an Olympic Day in your school or community. Draw it in the space above the Olympic rings. Describe your symbol and what it means. Make a study of other national and international symbols. Find them in newspapers or magazines. For example, what does a red cross or a red crescent mean? What do these symbols represent? CHECKLIST ACTIVITY 1 ACTIVITY 2 ACTIVITY 3 30TEACHINGVALUES SECTION 2 CELEBRATING THE VALUES THROUGH SYMBOL AND CEREMONY 123