Pictograms are graphic symbols, such as icons, that represent the object or feature that it physically depicts. For example, the floppy disk icon on a word processing program means that it is a button dedicated to saving ones work, whether or not the user is using an actual floppy disk to save it.

This is particularly beneficial when sharing the same idea across different programs or cultures. For example, at the Olympic games, there is no guarantee that all of the athletes or spectators will be able to read the host country’s language. Thus: a pictograph system representing the sports being played was created and slowly improved upon over the years, to create a near-universal system that allowed those involved to communicate non-verbally about their sport.

Have students look at the symbols below, 

, and try and guess which sport they represent. Students using the sheet may write down their answers, or they may discuss openly as a group the following questions:

·        Are the pictographs accurate?

·        Which ones were easier to interpret than others? Why?

·        What are some shared features of all of them, regardless of the sport?

Have students create new or different pictograms for Olympic sports. Discuss what elements they preserved from the pictographs from Tokyo and which ones they changed.

Standards for Olympic Pictograms