History of the Olympics!

Task

This webquest will allow you and your teammates to experience the Olympics in dynamic and exciting ways!  Your focus will be on the Olympic experience through the eyes of the athletes.  Not only will you be learning about the Olympics, but you will also "time travel" back to the birth of the Olympics during Ancient Greek times.   You will experience the games as an athlete during that time period.  Then you will travel back to "present day" Olympics to understand them as an athlete.  You will be asked to work on a number of tasks on this quest, that will give you the information you need to complete your journey successfully.   Do not worry, on-line resource links have been provided for your use!

   One of the main activities will be the web-scavenger-hunt! You and your team will be able to search and gather information on the Olympic games-- during Ancient Greek times and the present day.  Your final group task will be to role play your experiences as "Ancient Greek" athletes and "Modern Day" athletes in a short diologue for the class. Please keep an open-mind and consider the time periods when developing your roles.  Be creative and have fun!

 

 

Process

 Consider yourself as an athletic time traveler! Experience the wonder of returning to Ancient Greece to discover the original Olympics

Travel Back in Time to Ancient Greece

Task 1--Daily Life Journal

   You will be able to write in your precious journal that you carry everywhere, what "Daily Life" was like in Ancient Greece.  Write about the food, the people and the weather.  You may want to include what people were focused on during this time period.  Remember to use your senses and be descriptive of your surroundings. 

You may use the following links below to discover your new surroundings.  

http://greece.mrdonn.org/dailylife.html

http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/dailylife/story/sto_set.html

http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Life/

 

 Task 2--Festivals and Games Scavenger Hunt

   You will be able to collaborate with your group to answer the following questions:

1.  Where were the Ancient Greek Olympics held?

2.  Why did they create the original "Olympics"?

3.  How long did the original "Olympics" last?

4.  How many "Sporting Events" took place during these games?

5.  List the "Sporting Events":

6.  What "Sporting Events" would be considered the same today?

7.  What does the word "pentathlon" mean?

8.  What would the "Athletes" receive for winning?

9.  What does "sacrifice" mean?

10.  What did they "sacrifice" and to whom and why?

11.  What "Sporting Event" was new to you? Would you like to participate in it? Why or Why not? (Each group member must answer.)

12.  What else stood out for you about the "Ancient Greek Olympics" and why? 

13.  Who was allowed to participate in the Olympics?

http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/festivals/story/sto_set.html

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/games/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/the_olympic_games/

Welcome Back from your Travels! Now you will discover current day Olympics as an athlete.  Remember to keep an open-mind as you explore this global event. 

Travel to the "Present-Day" Olympics:

Task 3-The "Present-Day" Olympic Games Scavenger Hunt

You will be able to collaborate with your group members on this scavenger hunt.

1. Where are the Winter Olympics being held this year?

2.  When are the Winter Olympics held?

3.  How many countries participate?

4.  Who is able to participate in the Olympics? 

5.  How long do the Winter Olympics last?

6.  How many events are in the "Winter Olympics"? 

7.  List the events in the "Winter Olympics".

8.  How many events sound like the Ancient Greek Olympics?

9.  What do the winners receive if they win?

10.  What event most interests you? Why? (Each member should answer.)

11.  Draw a Venn Diagram and compare "Ancient Olympics vs Modern Olympics".

 http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/olympic-games

http://www.olympic.org/sports

https://www.google.com/search?q=winter+olympics+2014+medal&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Q_7zUuKVLaSuyQGm7IDYCw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=648

http://www.sochi2014.com/en

 

Task 4-Ancient Olympic Athletes Meet Modern Day Athletes Skit 

Write a script about two "Ancient Olympic Athletes" meet two "Modern-day Olympic Athletes".  Have fun and be creative with this section.  After you have written your script, practice and prepare it for the class.  Questions to consider when you are planning:

1.  How would they greet one another?

2.  What questions might they have for each other?

3.  What might be most interesting for them to share or know about each other?

4.  Would they be able to understand each other's points of view?

5.  How would the meeting conclude?   

 

Task 5- Present Your Skit

 

 

Evaluation

Evaluation

This is how your work will be evaluated.

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Role Point-of-view, arguments, and solutions proposed were consistently in character. Point-of-view, arguments, and solutions proposed were often in character. Point-of-view, arguments, and solutions proposed were sometimes in character. Point-of-view, arguments, and solutions proposed were rarely in character.
Historical Accuracy All historical information appeared to be accurate and in chronological order. Almost all historical information appeared to be accurate and in chronological order. Most of the historical information was accurate and in chronological order. Very little of the historical information was accurate and/or in chronological order.
Knowledge Gained Can clearly explain several ways in which his character "saw" things differently than other characters and can clearly explain why. Can clearly explain several ways in which his character "saw" things differently than other characters. Can clearly explain one way in which his character "saw" things differently than other characters. Cannot explain one way in which his character "saw" things differently than other characters.
Required Elements Student included more information than was required. Student included all information that was required. Student included most information that was required. Student included less information than was required
Conclusion

Conclusion

 

 

  Great work!!  With the help of your fellow classmates, you have completed your research, discussed your findings, and put together a representation of what you believe the Olympic experience truly was in Ancient Greece, as well as what it currently is today.  Finally, you presented your play, and observed other groups' performances.      

   As we have all learned together, times have changed.  Although we found many similarities between the Olympic games that took place in Ancient Greece and those that take place today, many differences were apparent as well.  The overall experience tries to hold on to tradition while at the same time allowing for changes that naturally occur due to a variety of circumstances.

   For those of you interested in further study, please explore the following sites.  You may find them interesting!

http://greece.mrdonn.org/olympics.html 

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/ 

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002862/main.htm

Credits

Authors of http://questgarden.com/97/47/3/100301103814/index.htm

are Stephanie Cavileer, Karen Rivera, and Julia Singleton.  I used a lot of this webquest when creating my webquest.

Webliography

Ancient Greece

Quest Garden

WebQuest Design Patterns

Ancient Greeks-The Olympic Games

Web Quest Examples