Investigate Paralympic Sports

The Paralympic Games (summer and winter) feature a variety of different sports and events that cater to the different needs of athletes with a disability. This project has been designed to allow your students to explore one of these sports in greater detail and share their findings with the class.

The Task

Choose a sport that is played at either the summer or winter Paralympic Games. Research the different events within the sport, the rules, the equipment needed and how the athletes are classified. Choose the letter writing option or the newspaper article option to present your information.

Guiding Questions

1. Is your chosen Paralympic sport performed differently than the non-disabled version of the sport?
2. Do the different classifications with a Paralympic sporting event affect how that version of the sport is played?
3. What are the different events within your chosen sport?

Easily Implement This Paralympics Project

The project booklet download contains everything your students will need to independently complete this inquiry-based project about Paralympic sports. The contents of the booklet are as follows:

1. Project Overview – These pages provide students with a detailed explanation of the project. They contain:
   • Project Purpose
   • Task Outline
   • Guiding Questions
   • Process Walk-Through
2. Paralympic Sports List – These pages contain a comprehensive list of Paralympic sports that students can choose to research.
3. Research Graphic Organizer – This page enables students to record research about their chosen sport and how it is played in a clear and organized manner.
4. Letter and Article Templates – Students use either the letter template or the newspaper article template to present their information about the Paralympic sport they have researched.
5. Assessment Rubric – A sample assessment rubric has been provided should teachers wish to assess students’ work according to a given set of criteria.

This project has been designed to seamlessly integrate with the elementary school curriculum. For example, the students’ letters and newspaper articles could be used as assessment pieces that contribute to their writing portfolios.

Download to Explore Paralympic Sports

Use the Download button to access your preferred files. The project booklet can be accessed as either a Google Slides file (which can be edited) or an easy-print PDF document.

For sustainability purposes, please consider printing the project booklet double-sided.

This resource was created by Brittany Collins, a teacher in Indiana and a Teach Starter collaborator.

Explore More Facets of the Paralympic Games

There is so much to learn and explore when it comes to the Paralympic Games! Teach Starter has created an extensive collection of resources to help you engage your students in this global event. Click below for some of our favorites:

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