by Katie Julius
The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad officially begin this coming Saturday, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France, with competitions being contested in 46 sports over 19 days (a few sports start before the official Opening Ceremony). If you missed the first unit study in our series about the Olympic Games, you can check that out before diving into this week’s about the Olympic host, France. (Be sure to stay tuned for our third and final unit study next week!).
Culture & History
France is a country with a long and rich history – from ancient times to the modern era. Pick your favorite time period in history and learn what was going on in France and what role they were playing in the world at the time. Discover the cave paintings found in Lascaux and then make your own with pastels on butcher paper. Explore the Renaissance or French Revolution. Learn the role France played in the World Wars.
Watch the Opening Ceremony together as a family. It typically showcases the history and culture of the country. This year, for the first time, the ceremony will take place outside of a stadium, with the festivities happening along the Seine River that winds its way through Paris. Commentary provided by the broadcast team explains what is happening throughout the performance.
Cuisine
You know this is going to be a fun (and yummy!) one to do with your kids. France’s culinary influence is great and has given us such dishes as ratatouille, croque-monsieur, quiche, macarons, crepes, creme brulee, and more! While French cuisine can be a bit intimidating to cook, many dishes are fairly straightforward. You can check out some simple kid-friendly options or dive in and try some of the more traditional fare.
Head to your library and check out a French cookbook and plan an entire dinner menu. Your kids can craft the table decor to match your theme. Play some French music while you enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Art & Architecture
Research a famous French artist. If you can, view their work(s) in person (U.S. museums have art from across the world). If not, view them online. Then, create a work of art in that artist’s style. Some more famous options include Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, Rodin, Seurat, and Monet, just to name a few. You’ll find you recognize many artists’ names as you search for French art.
All of this art has to have somewhere to be displayed – and that’s where the many museums of France come in. The most famous is probably the Louvre in Paris. They have a special website just for kids, too! There are many others, though – some dedicated to a single artist and others showcasing the works of the rich lineage of French art. Some of these buildings are works of art themselves!
From medieval castles, ornate churches, and iconic landmarks to chateaus, chalets, and maisons à colombage (just to name a few), French architecture is known throughout the world. You can either pick a style of home, style or time period, or one of the many well-known landmarks that are scattered throughout the country. Go on a virtual tour of a location, if available, or look at photos. Find out why it’s famous or what it is known for. Then create either a 2D or 3D design of your own.
Literature
Just as with French art and architecture, there is much literature that has come from France or has been written with France as its backdrop. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but should give you a taste of French literature. You can check out some lists like these from Goodreads (novels, children’s books), The Greatest Books, and Common Sense Media.
Picture/Children’s Books
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Regan McMahon
The Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault by Charles Perrault
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
This is Paris by Miroslav Sasek
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson
Anatole by Patricia Tauzer
For Teen & Adult Readers
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Geography
While most of France is fairly flat, her geography is still unique and as varied as her history – the beaches of the Normandy coast; the famous wine regions in the rolling countryside hills; the snow-capped mountains that make up the French Alps.
Print out or look at a map of Europe to locate France. Then use a country map of France to locate her main cities, rivers, mountains, and more. See if you recognize any city names that we have here in the United States. Where are they located? Why do you think cities in the U.S. are the same or similar to those found in France?
To tie in the Olympics to your geography, using a map of Paris and surrounding areas, locate the venues where the various event competitions will be held (note that you’ll need a world map if you want to include surfing events on this map!).
We hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about the country hosting this summer’s Olympic Games!
Want to watch the Olympics? NBC has exclusive broadcast rights in the United States, so you watch competitions on their family of networks. If you don’t have cable, you can watch each evening during prime time on your local NBC network. They also have coverage of events streaming on the Peacock and NBCSports Apps. You can find the full schedule on their website.