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Click on the links to visit the recommended websites.
Websites to visit
Website 1
Watch a short video about the history of the Olympics.
Website 2
Find out about the sports of the ancient Olympics. (Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage.)
Website 3
See pictures of athletes painted on ancient Greek pots. (Scroll down and click on a sport.)
Website 4
Solve a map puzzle about the ancient Olympics, drive a chariot or try a fun quiz. (The website uses Flash and may not work on all browsers.)
Website 5
Paint a Greek pot online. (Click on "Ancient Greece".)
Websites to visit
Website 1
The official Olympic Games website, with medal tables, facts and information about athletes and sporting events. (Scroll down to find links to summer and winter Olympic Games webpages.)
Website 2
Follow the action of the latest Games at the official Olympic Channel.
Website 3
Explore A to Z guides to Olympic sports. (Click on "Winter Sports" or "Summer Sports" then choose a sport.)
Website 4
See Olympic medals from all the Olympic Games.
Website 5
Official website of the Paralympics, an Olympic-style event for disabled athletes.
Websites to visit
Website 1
Find out about Olympic legends Usain Bolt, Nadia Comanici and many more. (Scroll down to "Featured Athletes".)
Website 2
Watch video clips of Olympic athletes' winning moments. (Scroll down and click on a clip.)
Website 3
See athletes taking part in the marathon event of past Olympic Games. (To watch more videos of Olympic athletes, click on a clip in the playlist on the right.)
Website 4
Sporting heroes from ancient times.
Website 5
Find out about athletes of the Paralympic Games.
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Young Reading Series 2
The story of The Olympics
“...bang up to date”
Time Out Kids Book of the Week
“The best brief account for children...accessible, informative and cheap.”
The Evening Standard
Minna Lacey has been writing books for Usborne since 2004, about all kinds of topics - from machines and nature to Christopher Columbus and the Olympics. Born in London, Minna worked as a journalist in Bogota, Colombia, and New York before returning to London to write. She loves reading, drawing, photography, ping pong and Salsa dancing, and has two children called Finn and Poppy.
A beautifully-illustrated trip through time looking at the history of the Olympic Games, right through to the event we know today.
Child Education Plus – Ten of the Best Olympic Resources
The Story of the Olympics by Minna Lacey, offers an entertaining run-down of the history of the Games. It gets out of the starting blocks with the notoriously nude Ancient Greeks - did you know they declared peace for a month either side of the event so people could travel to and from it safely? - and crosses the finishing line bang up to date with BMX cycling in Beijing. The inclusion of issues like the banning of women offers a springboard for discussion, and uplifting personal stories, such as black runner Jesse Owens' triumphant competition in Nazi-ruled Berlin, are potent reminders of the spirit of the Games.
Time Out Kids Book of the Week
This is one title from the Usborne Reading Programme, published to coincide with the Beijing Olympics. It offers a lively and engaging look at the story of the Olympic Games from its foundations in Ancient Greece to the global spectacles seen by today's audiences. From Series 2 of the Usborne Reading Programme, this book is intended to support independent readers who are growing in confidence. A clear font is used and the layout is uncluttered. The book is heavily illustrated with cartoon style illustrations, which add a lightly humorous touch. Topics covered include a chapter on great Olympic heroes and there is an appendix listing all the dates and venues of the summer and winter Olympics. The framework for the Usborne Reading Programme can be downloaded from the Usborne website
Write Away
Gives younger children an ideal opportunity to share in the excitement surrounding the Olympic Games.
Parents in Touch
Perfect for new readers who are growing in confidence, this Usborne Young Reader offers all the facts and is packed with bright, colourful illustrations – a KS1 essential read.
The School Run
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