Follow the Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic flame is one of the most important symbols of the Olympic Games. You can follow the route of the flame from Olympia to the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin, Italy. Along the way you can learn about Olympic history, geography and cartography skills.Lighting the flame was an important part of every Olympic opening ceremony since it was first used in Berlin in 1936. The idea of keeping a flame lit at the Games first used by ancient Greeks Olympia.A few months before the opening of the Games, the ceremony was held at the site of the original games, the ancient sanctuary of Olympia. An actress dressed as a ceremonial priestess, in the form of the ancient Greeks, lights the torch via the same technique used in the original Games.She uses a parabolic mirror to focus the rays of sunlight. The parabolic mirror has a curved shape. When you're taking toward the sun, the curvature focuses the rays of a single point. The energy of the sun creates a lot of heat. The priestess holds a torch in the center of the parabolic mirror, and the heat becomes the fuel of the torch, sparking a flame.If the sun do not shine on the day of the lighting ceremony, the priestess can light the torch with a fire which was lit on a sunny day before the fire ceremony.The place in a pot over a fire altar in the ancient Olympic stadium, which is used to illuminate torch.For first runner of the Winter Games, the relay actually begins at the monument to Pierre de Coubertin (the man who founded the modern Games in 1896), located near the stadium. Read this here.When light years away from the flame of the torch is first lit, the relay starts the flame is carried by the torch to its final destination. Although usually performed by runners on foot, other modes are also used. For air transport, the flame takes refuge in a safety lamp, like a miner's lamp. At night, the flame is kept in a special light cauldron.The the opening ceremony of the Olympics is the entrance of the Olympic flame into the stadium. The final torchbearer is always a citizen of the host country whose identity is kept secret until the last torchbearer moment.The give final lap around the stadium before lighting the huge cauldron with the Olympic flame. The doves were released as a symbol of peace, where the Olympics should have place.The focus is on the duration of games.You can follow the torch to the official website of the torch. There, you can read the diary of relays, with daily updates on the progress of the torch. You'll find video, a photo gallery and a detailed description of journey.You can print a map of Italy and trace the path themselves. The maps are available at the University of Texas, site, or that children can enjoy Italian Embassy.Younger development bring a lantern. The kids dltk website uses construction paper while the torch of family craft consists of a hollow tube of paper towel and tissue paper.Traveling Olympia to Turin, the Olympic flame ends its journey with the ignition Olympic torch. In celebration of the Games, the flame goes out. But this is not the end. On the contrary, it signifies the start of preparations for the upcoming Olympics Games.Caren Bugay has lots of tips and resources to improve education for children. Find more ideas, including how to use current events and movies as learning experiences, to http://www.helpyourchildrenlearn.com.