Getting to Know Greek Gods: The Olympians Educational Resources K12 Learning, Mythology, World, Social Studies Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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Have you ever watched the Olympic games and wondered why they are called the Olympics?

Discover the origin of this event and the gods and goddesses behind the name associated with the biggest international sporting event!

Black-figured runners with the torch. Illustration in the ancient Greek style.

The modern Olympics are based on the ancient Greek athletic competition that began with a simple 100-meter dash!

The competition took place below Mount Olympus, the most sacred mountain in ancient Greece, due to the notion that it was the home of the Olympic gods.

The Olympic gods and goddesses were the offspring of the Titans, whom the Olympians overthrew during the 10-year-long war known as the Titanomachy.

The Olympic gods and goddesses were, at that time, the most well-known deities of ancient Greek mythology.

Athens

To learn more, explore Olympians. Poke around the different gods and goddesses within the articles.

To help with the family connections among the primary Greek gods, check out this simplified Greek Gods Family Tree for the Titans and the Olympians.

Now that you've learned about the Olympians' traits, learn more about their actions by choosing to read at least five Myth Stories.

You've now learned about the Olympians' characteristics, families, and stories associated with them, so move on to the Got It? section and see your knowledge in action!