DOMINIQUEMALTAIS DETERMINATION

SILVER LEVEL Grades 4-5

www.olympic.ca/education

OLYMPIAN STORIES

CANADIAN OLYMPIC SCHOOL PROGRAM 2014/2015

Each story, featuring a well-known Canadian Olympian or coach from the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, is brought to life with activities that engage students in literacy, physical activity, character and team-building challenges.

Through these values-based Olympian and Coach stories, students discover that Canadian athletes reached great success not only through tremendous physical talents, but also through character and intelligence. Complementing these captivating stories is the mental fitness resource Be a Champion for Life: Energy Gains and Energy Drains is original content from some of Canadas top Olympians. Together, these resources create a foundation for teachers to inspire their students to exercise their mind, body and character.

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SILVER LEVEL Grades 4-5

www.olympic.ca/education

CREATING A CANADIAN

OLYMPIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

TEACHERS GUIDE

DOMINIQUE MALTAIS

DETERMINATION

TESSA VIRTUE AND SCOTT MOIR

TEAMWORK

JUSTIN WADSWORTH

FAIR PLAY

GILMORE JUNIO AND DENNY MORRISON

FRIENDSHIP

JEAN-PHILIPPE LE GUELLEC

EXCELLENCE

TEACHING GUIDE FOR EDUCATORSCurrent curriculum theory emphasizes the importance of reinforcing value messages through narratives, storytelling, art, posters, drama, and physical movement. Activities based on the stories, events, ceremonies and symbols of the Olympic Games have school-wide relevance.

Group sizes for activities will be indicated by the following icons:

3 PIERRE DE COUBERTIN

BLENDING SPORT WITH CULTURE AND EDUCATION Each Athlete and Coach story is tailored to three reading levels: Bronze (grades 2 and 3), Silver (grades 4 and 5), and Gold (grades 6 to 8). Each story comes with progressive activities that are open- ended and tailored to address a diverse range of learning styles and proficiencies. They focus on six main facets of understanding: explaining, interpreting, applying, taking perspective, empowering and developing self- knowledge. These critical thinking skills are woven into all three stages of the learning sequence in order to promote deeper understanding of the values and concepts.

Through many facets of the 2014-2015 Canadian Olympic School Program, children and youth can connect values to their lives at home, at school and in their local community. Perhaps they can begin to see their world in new and different ways.

The Canadian Olympic School Program (COSP) is designed in accordance with the founder of the modern Olympic Movement, Pierre de Coubertin’s, philosophy of Olympism. By recognizing the value of Olympians and coaches as role models, the program engages students with the joy found in effort while blending sport with culture and education. The Athlete and Coach stories balance intellectual instruction, cultural development and physical education. The heart of the curriculum focuses on participation, effort and the pride in knowing you have given your all to the pursuit of excellence.

OLYMPIC VALUES AS EDUCATIONAL TOOLS

The worldwide Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect act as a foundation for these stories. Each Athlete and Coach story will focus on the development of a character value within your students. By engaging students in each narrative, they have the opportunity to expand their understanding of this value and to expand their moral capabilities.

Independent Activity Small Group Activity Large Group Activity

SILVER LEVEL Grades 4-5

www.olympic.ca/education 4 CANADIAN OLYMPIC SCHOOL PROGRAM | 2014/2015

Dominique Maltais was getting ready for her first snowboard cross qualification race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. She was a fierce competitor. At the Turin 2006 Olympic Winter Games she had won a bronze medal. She expected another medal in Vancouver.

But it had rained for several days, and the snow was heavy and icy. She lost control on a training run, and fell down hard on her back.

As she lay on the ground, she wondered if she was paralyzed. She was relieved when she was able to move her foot. Then she coughed up blood. This was a very serious injury.

DETERMINATION

DOMINIQUEMALTAIS

OLYMPIAN STORY

DOMINIQUE MALTAIS | SOCHI 2014

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What does it mean to be confident? What does this look like? For Dominique confidence means knowing she did everything she could to prepare for her performance at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

She went to a clinic at the mountain. The doctor asked her what she wanted to do. Of course she would race! She was in a lot of pain.

“I did everything to qualify for the finals, but I was scared and discouraged,” she recalls. “I was short of breath. I hurt everywhere and could barely move.” She finished 20th in the qualifications. She didn’t advance to the finals.

That evening, she went to the hospital for a CAT scan and was told that her lung was badly injured.

Dominique was crushed! When she went home to Montreal, she cried every day. She didn’t want to speak to anyone.

She took a long break from snowboarding. Dominique spent time cycling and kite surfing. The more she thought about her career, the more she knew that she didn’t want the fall to be her last Olympic experience. She decided to continue training, and be better than ever.

She improved her diet and her training program, focusing on improving her starts, quickness and technique. Her trainers found ways to end the pain of a nagging knee injury. Her efforts paid off. She won four straight Crystal Globes as the overall World Cup champion in snowboard cross.

Since 2003, Dominique had worked as a firefighter in Montreal. Leading up to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, she took time off from her job to focus on training. She wanted to give it her best shot.

As soon as she arrived in Sochi, she felt overwhelming confidence. “There was no other place on the planet where I would rather be. My key words were ‘all or

CONFIDENCE

DOMINIQUE MALTAIS | SOCHI 2014

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nothing’ and ‘no excuses.’ I knew that things would go well this time.”

Just like in Vancouver, the warm temperatures made the course challenging. But this time Dominique was ready. In every round she executed her plan. She dodged around another snowboarder who fell in front of her in the semi-final. As she stood at the top of the mountain for the final race, she felt very relaxed. She was as well prepared as possible.

The race started and the racers were off. Dominique was not the first one out of the gate, and several competitors passed her early in the race. But she did not panic. She had practiced different tactics, and she knew when and where to pass others. She navigated the jumps perfectly, and was aggressive on the turns. She moved into second place and crossed the finish line with a silver medal.

She was elated. She grabbed a Canadian flag and celebrated with her friends and her dad. Later, as she stood on the podium to receive her silver medal, she felt an enormous weight lifted from her shoulders.

Now, Dominique says her experience in Vancouver was the best thing that happened to her.

“It was such a slap in the face that it made me bounce back, forge my character, and realize that life isn’t always easy. It brought out the warrior in me. If I had done well in Vancouver, I may have decided to retire. But I decided to continue, and it was worth it. I have learned so much throughout my sports journey.”

ELIMINATION HEATS:

IN SNOWBOARD CROSS, the athletes race down a demanding course. There are lots of corners and jumps. Competing in groups of six, there are often falls and jostling as the boarders go for the best position. In each round, the top three in a group advance to the next round, until just the six best boarders are left to race for the gold medal.

DOMINIQUE MALTAIS | SOCHI 2014 DOMINIQUE MALTAIS | SOCHI 2014 DOMINIQUE MALTAIS | TURIN 2006

“NEVER GIVE UP. BELIEVE IN YOUR

DREAMS. GIVE YOUR EVERYTHING,

AND SHOW HUMILITY.”DOMINIQUE MALTAIS

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CONNECTING—BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR NEW LEARNINGT-Charts

Distribute brainstorming sheets: Determined to a T. Ask students to think about a time when they showed determination. What did it look like? What did it sound like? Students are invited to draw, to write action words or describing words, or to give examples.

Class Sharing

Referring to their individual work, students share their ideas about determination with the class. The teacher records these on a class t-chart, similar to the one students used individually.

PROCESSING—USING STRATEGIES TO ACQUIRE AND USE KNOWLEDGERead the story individually or as a class.

A T-chart for Dominique

Individually, students complete a new t-chart, imagining that they are Dominique Maltais. What does her determination look like? What does it sounds like?

Class Discussion

Students share their ideas about Dominique’s t-chart and these are added to the class t-chart. Responses should include the self-talk and reflections Dominique makes, such as “Believe in your Dreams” and “Never give up”.

TRANSFORMING—SHOWING UNDERSTANDING IN A NEW WAYWriting an Ode to Determination

Students reflect on an activity, goal or area for personal growth. Some examples might be achieving a specific level in an activity of interest or improving a skill. Keeping this in mind, students will use the ideas generated from the t-chart and their personal reflections to write an Ode to Determination. The graphic organizer template outlines the requirements for each line. Encourage students to use their words and also words from the article to create their poems.

DOMINIQUEMALTAIS

LEARNING SEQUENCE

DETERMINATION

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DETERMINED to a T!

SOUNDS LIKE...

Draw, write andbrainstorm ideas...

LOOKS LIKE...

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DOMINIQUE MALTAIS DETERMINATION

SOUNDS LIKE...LOOKS LIKE...

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ODE TO DETERMINATION ODE TO DETERMINATION

Determination,

Believing that

_______________________________________________________________

Deciding to

_________________________________________

(action)

_________________________________________

(action)

_________________________________________

(action)

Whispering to myself

_______________________________________________________________

(phrase)

_______________________________________________________________

(phrase)

_______________________________________________________________

(phrase)

Even if

_______________________________________________________________

(setback)

Even when

_______________________________________________________________

(setback)

Hold on to

________________________________________________

(value or virtue – hope, confidence,, etc.)

________________________________________________

(value or virtue – hope, confidence,, etc.)

________________________________________________

(value or virtue – hope, confidence,, etc.)

Even if it is easier to

_______________________________________________________________

Determination,

Believing that

_______________________________________________________________

DOMINIQUE MALTAIS | SOCHI 2014

SILVER LEVEL Grades 4-5

www.olympic.ca/education

DOMINIQUEMALTAIS DETERMINATION

OLYMPIAN STORIES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE CANADIAN OLYMPIC SCHOOL PROGRAM WISHES TO THANK AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE. WITHOUT THEIR EFFORTS, AND CREATIVITY, THIS PROJECT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.

CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEEEric Boulé Ty GreeneDerek KentMarie-Eve MarleauNathaniel MillerKate MoorhouseOlya OvtchinnikovaMarc-André PlouffeSandra SassinePaulo SenraTys van der Drift

FEATURED ATHLETEDominique Maltais

WEBSITETodd DenisMark NadolnyGeorgia Sapounas

PHOTOGRAPHSWinston ChowBen Stevenson

INTERVIEWERSylvain Leclerc

CANADIAN OLYMPIC SCHOOL PROGRAM 2014/2015

WRITERS Bruce Deacon Marcie GoodClaire Cairnie

GRAPHIC DESIGNERAndy Maier

TRANSLATIONCélyne Malette, EditorPascale Seide Legros