Materials for the class

Paper roll  width 1m

Paper tape

Markers in 9 different colors

2 printed maps of Greece with geographical regions

 torches or candles

A cone

Layout of the classroom

Free space to work and move  is needed, so desks and chairs are placed close  to the walls.

Phase 1

The teacher uses  paper (width 1 meter) and a paper tape   to create a large surface on the floor of the classroom, for example, a surface  of  4mx6m. He/she  draws on it a large-scale map of Greece indicating the geographical regions without their names.

Two school maps,  with the names of the geographical regions are also hung on two different  walls.

Students are divided into 9 pairs as the number of the Greek geographical regions and each pair chooses one      region and gets its name. As a result, there is a pair called ‘Macedonia’, another ‘Peloponnese’ and so on. Each pair takes a marker  in different color.

The rest of the students are  the ‘Judges of the Greeks’ who are called ‘Hellanodikai’ . In case there are no more children, the teacher may play this role.

 Phase 2

The teacher places a cone in the region of Elis where Ancient Olympia is located (on the map on the floor) and announces that all pairs should achieve two missions in order to participate as athletes in the Olympic Games.   ‘Hellanodikai-Judges’   will   decide whether the pairs have the right to compete.

1rst Mission:

All pairs should   complete   the names that are missing of the big map on the floor in the following way:

When the Hellanodikai’s  bell rings, half of the pairs, for example the pairs named ‘Thrace’, ‘Epirus’, ‘Crete’, ‘Peloponnese’ should run  to one wall where  the map with geographical regions is hung while the other    pairs   run  to the second map that is hung on another wall. Each  pair  tries to identify     its own geographical region.

 Τhe Hellanodikai’s bell rings again and the pairs run to the big  map  and complete the names using the markers.

When  a pair ends the mission,   the Hellanodikai   check the work and if there is no mistake,   an Olympic torch or a candle is offered as a prize to the pair.

Phase 3

The teacher announces the second mission:

Each pair  of athletes should walk on   different regions holding the torch/candle and arrive in Olympia. At the end, the athletes should greet the  Hellanodikai and tell the names of different regions  they remember that they have crossed.

 In addition, they are asked to repeat the sentence: “It is  not the destination so much as the journey”.

The  “Hellanodikai ” write the journey and check if it is right.

When all pairs finish, they announce the results. The winners  are  qualified  to enter in the Olympic stadium and compete.

Phase 4

The pairs change geographical region and the same procedure may be repeated. The students may play many times   in order to  know the geographical division of Greece.

Phase 5

The game would become more challenging if the names of geographical regions  were covered.   The winners could receive special prizes    created by the students such as a wild olive branch (kotinos), offered to winners  in Ancient Olympia, made of metal or other materials.