Weekly Online Lesson Online Lesson Archive Grade Level: 4-8 Subject: Geography/Sports

Olympics Down Under

The 2000 Summer Olympics are officially set to begin in Sydney Australia on September 15, 2000. There top teams of athletes from around the world will compete for the gold in events ranging from archery to wrestling. Sydney is in the final stages of preparation, and venues are receiving final directions as teams arrive for pre-competition practice.

This week's online lesson will help you get into the Olympic spirit and prepare you for the coming weeks of exciting competition and drama as the world meets in the land down under. You will visit Australia online, preview the venues where specific events will be held, and find which athletes are favored to win.

Australia Online

Australia, also known as the "Land Down Under," is the only county in the world that takes up an entire continent. It is the native land of the Aborigines, and the home of kangaroos, koalas and crocodiles. For a simple introduction to this unique place, visit About: Australia. As you read, go ahead and explore any of the links you see. For example, click Australians to learn more about residents of Australia, or click Strine to learn about their peculiar brand of English. You can learn about the Animals of Australia, or visit the Great Barrier Reef. Most people in Australia live in big cities like Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney, this year's Olympic host. Visit each of these links and more.

For a brief history of Australia's multicultural heritage, visit Yahoo Travel Destinations: Australia. Who in 1779 suggested that Britain could solve prison overcrowding by transporting convicts to Australia? When was gold discovered there? Who helped protect Australia from Japanese invasion during World War II?

Olympic Torch Route

In the great tradition of carrying the Olympic torch across the host country, Australia's 100-day torch trek is the longest in Olympic history. Visit Sports Illustrated's Olympic Torch Route page to see the route and learn about major points along the way. The trek began on June 8 at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Ayers Rock) and has since traveled through the interior and around the perimeter of the continent. Click each point on the route (red numbers) and read the brief description of the place in the box below.

Olympic Venues—Photo and 3D

Maybe you're interested in seeing some of the venues (places) where Olympics events will be held. What's even better is flying above a 3D simulation of Sydney to see the venues. This year you can when you visit the Olympics 3D Venues site. When the site opens you will see static images of specific venues; see others by making a selection on the left. Use the controls below the image to zoom in and out.

The real fun, however, is taking a realistic 3D Flight Over Sydney. To take the flight you need to install the free TerraExplorer program on your computer. If it's not already installed, you will be asked to install it when you click the link.

Gold Medal Predictions

Now is the time to make your predictions of who will come away with the gold during this year's games. Brian Cazeneuve of Sports Illustrated has already made his Medal Picks for 2000, and you can find them all at this site. U.S. favorites include Brian Viloria in Boxing, Maurice Greene and Michael Johnson in 100- and 400-meter sprinting respectively, Venus Williams in singles tennis, the U.S. women's soccer team, and of course the Dream Teams of men's and women's basketball. Which athletes are favored to win your favorite Olympic sports? Who do you hope will win?

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