Introduction and Summary
The book Adventures in Ancient Greece was written by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Bill Slavin. This story is about a set of twins and their younger sister who want to see the Olympic Games in the future. They stop by Jullian T. Pettigrew’s Travel Agency and inform him of their wishes and he hands them a book. Once they open the book, the three of them are transported back to ancient Greece. Once there, they see all of the culture, arts, customs of Greece and of course the Olympic Games. They have a lot of adventures in ancient Greece and all while they read from this book to get the information about what they are witnessing.
“Democracy in Athens – Are you at the Pnyx yet? Pay close attention. History is being made here! Greece is the first place where ordinary people get to rule their own country. The ancient Greeks call this kind of government ‘demokratia’ (‘demos’ means people, and ‘kratos’ means power). Later in history, it will be called ‘democracy’.”
Curriculum Connections
This story focuses on the life and culture of ancient Greece. It shows the contributions to the world in the future as well as the advancement they have made themselves. The book includes the study of art, architecture and construction. It also focuses on government, politics,civics, agriculture, as well as the so famous sports and competition. (VA SOL 3.1)
Additional Resources
- Greek Gods Word Search: This is a word search referencing the Greek Gods
- Olympic Event Match Up: This online activity tests the students’ knowledge on how well they know the sports the ancient Olympians competed in.
- Time Line of Ancient Greece: This activity, geared for older students provides eight distinct periods in Greek history and is up to the student to research what took place and create a picture in that time slot.
Book: Adventures in Ancient Greece
Author: Linda Bailey
Illistrator: Bill Slavin
Publisher: Kids Can Press, Ltd.
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 48
Grade Range: 3rd – 5th
ISBN: 978-0329-00072-1