Overcoming Challenges

Dear Educators,

There are few better feelings than surmounting a challenge that we have been burdened with. The relief of having overcome it, combined with the pride in how, is one of the greatest feelings a human can experience. These stories of success often become the most prized events in our lives. The tricky thing is, in order to overcome them, you have to have challenges in the first place!

The last year has brought some serious challenges to us all, individually and as a society. This week we are looking back at challenges faced and overcome.

Overcoming discrimination has sadly been a reality for millions of humans. Our historic and present-day prejudice of the majority against minority groups is a pervasive and dark side of our society. Jesse Owens experienced a great deal of discrimination against him based solely on his skin color, and yet, he overcame. This article for grades 6-12 chronicles Jesse’s upbringing and his eventual Olympic triumph! Winning an Olympic medal is success enough, but to do that in Berlin amidst the racist atmosphere of Nazi Germany is an even greater achievement. Read more here!

Continuing the theme of overcoming challenges, what better challenge than the Olympic games! Using the resources provided, you can have your students complete a comparison of the Ancient Olympics, Jesse Owens’ Olympics, and the Olympics of today. What’s changed? What hasn’t?