PASS THE FLAME, UNITE THE WORLD

CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT OF THE

2004 ATHENS

OLYMPIC GAMES IN

NEW YORK CITY

JUNE 19, 2004

Activities Guide for Grades K – 8

 T HE CI T Y OF N E W YORK
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
N EW YORK, N Y 10007

May 2004

Dear Friends:

With the arrival of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch to New York City on June 19, 2004
and the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games following on August 13, 2004, we would like to
introduce an Olympic Games activities guide which will aid in showing New York City students
what the spirit of the Olympic Games is all about and inspire them to continuously strive
towards the ideals of the Olympic Games. The guide offers an inter-disciplinary approach to
introducing children to the Olympic Games; including the history of the ancient and modern
games, geography games, math puzzles, and art activities.

We have also included a special section on the ATHENS 2004 Torch Relay in New York
City, which encourages children to become part of the Olympic spirit in their own communities.
The activities are designed for children in grades K-8, so instructors can choose appropriate
exercises for each grade level. The Torch Relay feature also includes suggestions on activities
that children can participate in to welcome the torch to New York City on June 19t h and cheer
the torchbearer along the 34-mile route through the five boroughs. I encourage you to visit
www.nyc.gov in June for more information on this special celebration for our City.

We hope these lesson plans will engage children in all of their subjects while allowing
them to learn about this important world tradition that symbolizes cooperation, peace and
unity. For more information on this year’s Olympic games and other fun Olympic-related
activities that youth may engage in, please visit the How to Get Involved Page of the official
Olympics website at www.athens2004.com.

In partnership with the City, this activity guide has been made possible by NYC2012, a
non-profit organization authorized by New York City to bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. In
addition to bidding for the Olympics, NYC2012 is engaged in working with youth throughout
New York City to teach them about the Olympic Games and all that the games stand for: peace,
sportsmanship, understanding, and fair athletic competition. Thank you in advance for your
interest and participation. I hope to see you all cheering on Saturday, June 19t h and welcoming
the torch to our City!

Sincerely,

Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor
 THE ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES
The accepted date of the first Olympiad is 776 B.C., but some think that Olympic Games
were held prior to this date. The first Olympic Games were held in the Valley of Olympia
in Greece, which is where the name is derived. Olympia was located in the small
“kingdom” of Elis. The first Olympic champion, Coroebus, was a cook from Olympia.
These early Olympics were held in a stadium and a temple built to the God Zeus. On the
specified day, “a day of games” was held to honor a god or a dead hero. Gods were very
important to the people of Olympia and throughout Greece.

The early Olympic Games were a mixture of athleticism, religion, education, culture, and
art. The early Greeks strived to improve physically, spiritually, and intellectually. They
believed that the gods would help improve their lives. They built an enormous temple in
honor of Zeus, who was considered to be the most powerful of the Greeks gods.

The first Olympic Games included a foot race, which was also referred to as the stadium
race. This race was called the Dromos. The Dromos was a foot race run the length of the
stadium. This distance became known as the stade, which was approximately 180 meters
or 600 feet. The stade served as the distance used to determine the basic length of
future Olympic Game races, even in modern times. Eventually other events were added.
Other events included a long distance foot race, wrestling, and the pentathlon. The
pentathlon consisted of five events combined. The ancient games ended after the year
934 A.D. because they were viewed by Christians as a pagan ritual. These early Olympic
Games has lasted more than 1,000 years.

An Olympic athlete was very strong, both mentally and physically. A Greek athlete would
typically eat over six pounds of meat after a day of training. Only men and boys were
allowed to compete in these Olympic Games. In time, events were set up for women.
These were known as the Herranic Games, in honor of Zeus’ wife, Hera. They were held
regularly, two years after Olympic Games.

The spirit of peace pervaded the early Olympic Games, as this was a time when the
warring cities would set their hostilities aside in what was known as the Olympic truce.
This same spirit of peace and unity is important in the Olympic Games of today.
 THE MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES
The site of the ancient Olympic Games lay buried for centuries until an archaeologist
named Richard Chandler unearthed it in 1766. However, he found himself unable to pay
for further excavation and the site lay covered until 1820 when French archaeologists
continued Chandler’s work, and uncovered the temple of Zeus. In 1875, German
archaeologists started a six-year project that unearthed the entire city of Olympia. A
French nobleman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, heard word of the project and decided to
pay a visit to the site. Coubertin loved sporting events and was fascinated by the ideals
of the ancient games. He believed that an international sports competition could
promote world peace. His efforts led to the formation of the International Olympic
Committee.

The first modern Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. Since then, with only three
exceptions, they have been held every four years in different cities around the world. The
exceptions were 1916, 1940, and 1944. No Olympic Games took place because of World
Wars I and II.

Every effort is made to vary the sites every four years. The 1904 Olympic Games were
held in St. Louis, Missouri. In the first half of the twentieth century, transportation to and
from America was slow and expensive. As boats and trains were the only means of
transportation, the travel time for the majority of the athletes and spectators attending
was many, many days. The same held true for the 1932 Games held in Los Angeles,
California. Therefore, most Olympic Games were held in Western Europe, where they
were more easily accessible to athletes and spectators.

In 1900, women began to compete in lawn tennis. Archery was added for them in 1904,
and swimming was included in 1912. Today women medal in almost all phases of
competition.

The growth of technology has also touched the Games. In 1936 the Olympic Games were
broadcast by radio for the first time and televised to theaters in Berlin. Televised
coverage began with the 1960 Games in Rome, when images of Olympic events were
broadcast around the world. Thanks to television, people who had never heard of the
Olympic Games became overnight fans.

The Olympic Games have grown in numbers of both participants and spectators over the
years. More than 1,800 athletes attended the last Olympic Winter Games, competing for
medals in more than 60 events. More than 10,000 athletes attended the Olympic
Summer Games in 1992, competing in more than 250 events. 198 nations now have
Olympic Committees. In spite of all these changes, the ideals of the Olympic Games have
remained the same. They are held in the hope of promoting world peace, understanding,
and fair and friendly athletic competition.
 THE ANCIENT & MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES
• List three things that you learned about the ancient Olympic Games:

• How are the ancient Olympic Games different from those of today? List three
differences:

• How are the ancient Olympic Games the same as those of today? List three
similarities:

• What qualities and virtues were important to ancient Olympic athletes? What
qualities and virtues are important to Olympic Athletes today?

• The first Olympic Games featured only one event. What was this first race called?
What was the distance of this race?

• What was the role of women in the ancient Olympic Games?

• Who was Zeus? What did the people do during the Olympic Game to honor him?
 OLYMPIC GAMES:
ANCIENT AND MODERN
Use the diagram below to compare and contrast the facts unique to the ancient and modern Games.

In the circle on the left, write the facts unique to the ancient Games. In the circle on the right, write the facts unique
to the modern Games. In the area where the circles intersect, write the facts true of both Games.

Ancient Olympic Games Modern Olympic Games

Both
 THE OLYMPIC CREED, MOTTO AND FLAG

OLYMPIC CREED

The most significant thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part.
Just as the important think in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.
The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

-Baron Pierre de Coubertin

OLYMPIC MOTTO

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Expresses the aspirations of the Olympic movement.

Loosely translated, these Latin words mean:

Swifter, Higher, Stronger

OLYMPIC FLAG

The flag of the Olympic Games has five interlocking rings – blue, yellow, black, green and red –
on a white background. The rings represent the five parts of the world that were joined together
in the Olympic movement: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. During the opening
ceremony of the Olympic Games, eight people carry in the flag. Five of these flagbearers
represent the continents, while the other three stand for the Olympic ideals of sport,
environment, and culture

ACTIVITIES

• Think of a motto for your class. What are the most important things that you try to do
everyday?

• Design a flag for your class. What do the symbols and colors on your flag stand for? Is
everyone in your class represented by your flag?
 ATHENS 2004 TORCH RELAY CITIES

City Distance between cities City

(in miles)

Athens, Greece 9528 Sydney, Australia

Sydney, Australia 439 Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne, Australia 5072 Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo, Japan 716 Seoul, South Korea
Seoul, South Korea 598 Beijing, China
Beijing, China 2341 Delhi, India
Delhi, India 2751 Cairo, Egypt
Cairo, Egypt 4467 Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa 3762 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 4779 Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico 1555 Los Angeles, USA
Los Angeles, USA 1595 St. Louis, USA
St. Louis, USA 467 Atlanta, USA
Atlanta, USA 748 New York City, USA
New York City, USA 334 Montreal, Canada
Montreal, Canada 3441 Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp, Belgium 25 Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, Belgium 106 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam, Netherlands 426 Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland 39 Lausanne, Switzerland
Lausanne, Switzerland 324 Paris, France
Paris, France 213 London, England
London, England 712 Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, Spain 546 Rome, Italy
Rome, Italy 436 Munich, Germany
Munich, Germany 313 Berlin, Germany
Berlin, Germany 508 Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden 246 Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki, Finland 558 Moscow, Russia
Moscow, Russia 469 Kiev, Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine 658 Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey 314 Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia, Bulgaria 747 Nicosia, Cyprus
 ATHENS 2004 TORCH RELAY
NEW YORK CITY, JUNE 19, 2004
Four U.S. cities, Los Angeles, California, St. Louis, Missouri, Atlanta, Georgia, and New York City, will
have the honor of hosting the ATHENS 2004 Torch Relay. New York City will celebrate the arrival of
the Olympic Torch with an approximate 34 mile run through the streets of the City, followed by a
public celebration honoring the Olympic Spirit and the ATHENS 2004 Games.

"On behalf of all New Yorkers, we are honored that the Athens Organizing Committee has
selected New York to participate in the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. As a participant in
this great international event, New York will join 34 cities in a worldwide tour that will return
the Olympic Torch to its ancestral home in Greece. When the Olympic Torch arrives in New
York, we will join the world in honoring the spirit and the unifying principles of the Olympic
Games, and the Torch Relay presents us with a unique opportunity to highlight the shared
passion, energy and excitement New Yorkers feel for the Olympic Games," stated Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg, at the Torch Relay press conference, January 23, 2004.

On Saturday, June 19, 2004 show your support of ATHENS 2004 Olympics by cheering on the torch
and the torchbearers as it travels to all five boroughs of New York City. Visit www.nyc.gov in early
June to find out more information on the event and the route.

HOW CAN WE BE A PART OF OUR CITY’S OLYMPIC SPIRIT ON JUNE 19, 2004?
There are many ways your school, class, club, band, group or team
can show New York’s Olympic Spirit. Here are just a few:

Design a large banner or poster showing that New York loves the Olympic Games and
welcoming the Torch to NYC.

Make signs to display in school and wave along the route when the Olympic Torch comes
through New York City on Saturday, June 19, 2004.

Play instrumental or recorded music as the Torch goes by – make sure the runner can feel the
energy of New Yorkers!

Wear your sports or other team uniform and come out as a group and cheer as a team.

Share your ethnic culture by waving a flag or dressing in your traditional national dress and
show the rest of the world what a vibrant and diverse place New York City is.

Design and dress in festive costumes – how would you dress up as a torch? Or you and your
friends could wear the colors of the Olympic rings and be a real-life Olympic flag!
 OLYMPIC TORCH

• Can you design the torch for Athens 2004?

• What colors would you use?
Torch Instructions
Color in the torch. Attach it to
an empty paper towel roll
wrapped in aluminum foil and
wave around your own Olympic
torch as a runner goes by.
 A
starting number 6
each step is +3
solve for (n)
answer is n=12

B
starting number 7
each step is +5
solve for (n)
answer is n=47

C
starting number 8
each step is (+3-2)
solve for (n)
answer is n=17
 NEW YORK CITY MAP ACTIVITIES

• What are your favorite landmarks in New York City? List them below and
then draw their location on the map.

• Put a star on the map where your school is located.

• What is your favorite Olympic sport? Label some of the places in New
York City where you can play your favorite sports. For example: My
favorite sport is swimming and I like to go swimming at the Sunset Park
Swimming Pool.

• Can you match the sport with the venue where they can play? Can you
label on the map the sports venues?

Basketball Madison Square Garden

Cycling Central Park
Volleyball Riverside Park
Tennis Arthur Ashe Stadium
Baseball Yankee Stadium

• If you could be an Olympic Athlete, what sport would you play? Can you
think of a good place in New York City where you could train for this
sport? If so, label it on the map.
 NEW YORK CITY

Bronx

Manhattan

Queens

Brooklyn

Staten Island
 OLYMPIC RESOURCES

The enclosed materials have been reprinted with permission from Griffin
Publishing Group and the Amateur Athletic Foundation.

Additional Olympic education materials are available at:

ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games – www.athens2004.com

International Olympic Committee – www.olympic.org

United States Olympic Committee – www.usoc.org

New York City Olympic Bid Committee – www.nyc2012.com

Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles – www.aafla.org

Griffin Publishing – www.griffinpublishing.com

Look for more Olympic education activities in the New York Daily News
on May 17, May 24, June 7 and June14.

For more information on the June 19, 2004 ATHENS Olympic Torch Relay in
New York City, visit www.nyc.gov in early June.