Materials for the lesson

A paper roll  width 1m
A paper tape
2 printed  maps of Ancient Greece  or the  maps of the school used for History lesson

Cards with names of important cities-states in Ancient Greece such as: Potidaea, Argos, Eretria, Sparta, Athens, Thebes, Corinth, Corfu.
1 photo of Ancient Olympia.
1 photo of archaeological site of Delphi.
Cards with Delphic Maxims such as:

• Be yourself

• Control yourself

• Control anger

• Be jealous of no one

• Pursue honour

• Do not boast in might

• Respect yourself

• Exercise nobility of character

Teacher’s bell

Layout of the classroom

The furniture of the classroom is  moved in that way so to leave sufficient space     to put a large-scale map on the floor and for the children to walk around.

Phase 1

  The teacher uses pieces of paper (width 1m) and paper tape to join them and makes a large paper surface approximately of 4 meters for six. He/she  draws on this surface the outline of the Ancient Greece. He/she puts the big map on the floor in the middle of the classroom.

The teacher also hangs two maps of Ancient Greece  indicating    the names of the most important   cities-states of this period  on two different walls of the classroom each of them.

Students are divided in such way so to create:

• 1 group of  students called Messengers who have the mission to visit all Greek cities and announce the next Olympic Games  and the war cease period.

• 5-6 pairs each one consisting of an  Athlete  and a Trainer. After the announcement of the beginning of the Olympic Games by the Messengers, their mission should be  to pass  from Delphi and consult Pythia before arriving in Olympia.

• 1 group of Priests among them Pythia, the  High Priestess of the Oracle of Delphi. She chooses a unique Delphic Maxim that is given by her priests to the Athlete   visiting Delphi and willing to obtain a divine secret in order to win.

 Phase 2

 The teacher gives to each pair Athlete-Trainer   a   card with a name of one city-state, for example Eretria, Thebes, Sparta, Potidaea, Argos, Corinth…

The group of Messengers get a photo of Ancient Olympia.

The Priests and Pythia get a photo of Delphi.

The teacher’s bell rings and all the pairs should go to the same wall and look for their own city-state on the hanging map.

At the same time, the other 2 groups, Messengers   and Priests run to the other historical  map hanging on a different wall of the classroom and try to identify  the location of the place indicated on their photo.

The teacher’s bell rings again and all students go onto the map on the floor and put their card or photo on the point they think the city or the site of the photo is located.

The bell rings again and the teacher checks the position of the cards and photos.

Phase 3

The teacher’s bell rings again. This time,   Messengers  run  from Olympia to   cities-states   and   announce  the Games and the Truce period  so Athletes and Trainers can travel and arrive safe in Olympia.

With teacher’s signal, Athletes and Trainers head towards to Delphi   and meet Pythia  for a sacred oracle. Pythia who has the cards with the Delphic Maxims, says the oracles  in an incomprehensible way. Her priests can only understand them and transfer to   Athletes.

Example of dialogue:

Athlete: What should I do to win and honor my city?

Pythia: Boy ye se oy ef!

Priest: Be yourself, said Pythia.

The bell rings and the action stops.

Phase 4

With teachers’ signal, all Athletes and Trainers arrive in Olympia and    discuss   between them the meaning of the Delphic maxims. They try to   imagine how    the application   of these maxims would help them  to be better in competition.

Phase 5

At the end of  the unit, the students after studying primary sources,  could   imagine and by being divided in small groups, represent incidents / celebrations/contests of the ancient  Olympic Games.