Welcome to D (the) K'Olympics!

Did you know that in 776 B.C., the Olympic Games were first held in honor of Zeus? The Olympics were very important to the Greeks. If any of the city states were at war when the Olympics started, the war would stop so that everyone could go to the Olympics. Only men could participate in the Ancient Greek Olympics, and only men could watch, because the participants in the games did not wear clothes. Chariot racing was the only game women could win, and only if they owned the horse. If that horse won, they got the prize.

The year is 480 B.C. You and your team are representing your city-state in the Greek Olympics. The glory of your polis is in your hands. Do your best and make the citizens of your city- state proud.

 

1. First, choose 3-4 other students to be your fellow citizens. Pick wisely; you need team members with whom you can work well.
2. Now, each group will be assigned a polis.
   • Athens: Miranda, Erica, Josh, Sarah, Autumn
   • Sparta: Jessie, Reyna, Elena, Aliya, Ysabelle
   • Megara: Stefan H, Kyle, Mitchell, Tyler
   • Corinth: Stefan P, Nicholas, Ian, Zak
   • Argos: Macade, Isaac, Dylon, Todd, Ryan
3. Go to Mr. Donn's Greek Olympics site. http://members.aol.com/MrDonnUnits/GreekOlympics.html. Read the description of your city-state ("You are a ....."). Read the description of your goals and behavior at the Olympics. Take notes about what your city-state is known for. For example: pottery, money changing, war making. Get more facts about your city-state at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page . You'll need to use those facts in order to make your flag and pledge.
4. Have two members of you group design a rough draft of a flag. Include your polis's name and pictures of things you are known for. Show your draft to Donna when you're done. When your flag design is approved, get a large piece of butcher paper, markers, and colored pencils and create your flag.
5. While two members of your group are designing your flag, the other two people can write the pledge. Word process your pledge, and make sure everyone in the group knows it. Pick a song to hum as your polis marches into the Olympic arena on Friday. Practice humming it. Be ready to teach your song to the rest of the group. Here are samples of pledges students have made in the past:

   We pledge respecct and honesty to the flag of Corinth.
   Our respect, honesty, and truth will always be with Corinth.
   

   We are Megarians and we don't care,
   If you're here, or if you're there. We'll rule your groups from head to toe.
   Well, we're just saying,
   If you'd like to know!

    

   I pledge allegiance to our flag.
   We will help each other and fight for
   each other. We are smart and we
   will win in all of our battles. And in
   our free time we make and write on
   pottery.
   

   I pledge to Athens with all my
   heart, my life, my loyalty, my family.
   For the education and its democracy,
   we are grateful.
   

6. Let the Games Begin!

   Every member of your polis must participate in at least one event.
   First Event: Javelin Throw (one contestant)
   Second Event: Discus Throw (one contestant)
   Third Event: Chariot Race (two contestant)
   Fourth Event: Tongue twister contest (one contestant)
   Final Event: Marathon (one or two contestants)
   The winning polis for each event earns a ribbon for their flag.