Paris has played host to the most exciting Olympics in recent memory. With world records and controversies, sports fans have plenty to remember for years to come. And if you are a good social studies teacher, your students will too.

The Olympics are more than a simple contest of stick and ball. Sports often serve as a backdrop to the geopolitical landscape of the day. This is evident in well-publicized events like Jesse Owens winning gold in front of Hitler or the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. But the Olympics don’t need a major moment like the 1968 Black Power salute to be teachable. Almost any anomaly in the Olympics can be explained through geopolitics. For example:

• Where are the Russians? That’s a good segue into a conversation about the War in Ukraine.
• Why does France have so many Africans on their team? A great transition into a lesson about colonialism.
• Why does Hong Kong have its own team? A chance to discuss the fall of colonialism.
• Why are there so few women competing for Saudi Arabia? An opportunity to discuss women’s rights in other countries.

There is even value in students simply watching and simply seeing different types of people play different types of games. It’s always good to remind students that there are sports outside of football and basketball. It’s also beneficial to see the flags and cultural artifacts that athletes bring with them.

Pretty much every social studies teacher knows how big of an advantage it is to teach government during an election year, but somehow the biggest geopolical event in the world doesn’t make it into the classroom. The Olympics seldom come at a great time to teach, as many students are just starting back. But in an Olympic year, before diving into heavy content, you might want to grab the low-hanging fruit of using sports that students are already invested in to make a point.