The London Olympics are underway and the games offer several teachable moments. Not just the standard history lesson on ancient Greece or the games themselves, but in English and Math .

Here is a list of several that are worth trying.

English: - These suggestions come from Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day and are also good for ELL learners.

Word Hurdles - Grades 4-6  - This game pits players against each other in word games styled after the Olympics..

English for the Games - Particularly wonderful for ELL learners. You can practise your English as you learn about the London 2012 Games and the Olympic and Paralympic history, learn all about Olympic and Paralympic sports, and values. Play games, watch videos, read articles, and do interactive exercises.

Math:

Team Motherboard's CyberOlympic Strategy - Grades 3-5 - In this Cyberchase video clip, Team MotherBoard uses trial and error to figure out their best strategy for winning the olympics. They add different combinations of individual times for the obstacle course, run, and swim. Team MotherBoard determines that they'll have the best overall team score if Matt swims, but Matt refuses to do any event besides running.

Operation Algebra: Solving Equations with Variables on Both Sides of the Equal Sign (ax + b = cx + d) - Grades 6-8 This episode deals with the topic of solving equations with variables on both sides of the equal sign. It begins with a look at Olympic history in track and field and asks the question, "When will the women's winning times equal the men's winning times?" This leads to an equation with variables on both sides of the equal sign.

The Olympics: Math Puzzles and a Game - This site provides several math games and puzzles for several grades. It’s from the blog Let’s Play Math.