The Olympic Games are indeed a significant and far-reaching cultural component in our international community today, but from where do they originate? Where do our traditions stem from, and how do we choose the sports that constitute this momentous event? Learners begin this lesson sequence by reading the historical background of the Olympics and discovering terms and imagery associated with Greek stories. Then, working in groups, they develop advertising pitches for a product or person that could be promoted by the use of a Greek name or symbol. In the second activity, class members compare and contrast the ancient and modern Olympic Games, and form an Olympic committee to determine the pentathlon of games to be included in a mock Olympic game day.

Concepts

greek mythology, myths, the olympic games, venn diagrams

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Additional Tags

pentathlon, olympic games, greek mythology, greek tales, greek root, greek festival, venn diagram, social studies

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Pros

• Interesting historical background information
• Includes instructional handouts
• Incorporates a wide range of engaging activities and assessment ideas

Cons

• Part of Activity 1 will require instructor to do additional research to find applicable Greek myths or stories
• You will need to design guidelines for how to conduct research and assessment for Activity 2

Common Core

RI.5.4 RI.6.4 RI.7.4