The Ancient Greek Olympic Games
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can compare the Ancient Greek Olympic Games with those that are held in the modern period.
Key learning points
- The first Olympic Games were held at Olympia in 776 BCE in honour of the gods and as part of a wider religious festival.
- Ancient Greeks believed that they would offend the Gods if they were to cheat in the Games.
- Images on Ancient Greek pottery show us the sports that comprised the ancient Games and that only men could compete.
- The ancient Olympic Games have left a lasting legacy in the form of the modern Olympic Games.
- There are similarities and differences between the ancient and modern Olympic Games.
Keywords
Olympia - Olympia was a plain in southwestern Ancient Greece
Olympic Games - the Olympic Games is an athletic and sporting competition held every four years
Festival - a festival is a repeated ceremony or celebration involving special activities
Legacy - a legacy is the long-lasting impact of historical events, actions, a person or group of people
Common misconception
That Olympia and Mount Olympus are either the same thing or in the same place.
There are approximately 200 miles between the locations of Olympia and Mount Olympus. Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, whereas Olympia was a large flat plain. Mount Olympus was the mythical home of the 12 major gods, Olympia was not.
Teacher tip
Create a large classroom timeline of the history of the Olympics, start in Ancient Greece and move through to today. Allocate small groups a particular games to research and write about to contribute to the timeline, then put everything up in chronological order on a wall to make a great display.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of nudity
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.According to Ancient Greek mythology, who was king of the gods?
Q2.Match each figure from Ancient Greek mythology to the correct description.
queen of the gods
goddess of the harvest
queen of Sparta
goddess of wisdom
Q3.What is the name of the highest mountain in Greece?
Q4.Which famous Greek writer told the stories of the Greek myths in the form of epic poems?
Q5.What do the letters BCE stand for?
Q6.Complete the sentence. The 12 most important gods and goddesses in Ancient Greek mythology were called ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When was the first Olympic Games held?
Q2.Where did the first Olympic Games take place?
Q3.The first Olympic Games was held as part of a...
Q4.Which type of artefact provides evidence about the sports played at Olympic Games?
Q5.Match the locations with their descriptions.
a large, flat plain in Ancient Greece - the home of the Olympic Games
the highest point in Ancient Greece - the mythical home of the Gods
a city state in Ancient Greece - the place where laws were debated
Q6.Which of the below statements about the modern Olympic Games are correct?
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The Ancient Greek Olympic Games, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The Ancient Greek Olympic Games, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the Ancient Greek civilisation: what is its most significant legacy? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.