The Olympic Medals

Posted by Paola
The Olympic medals show a Greek goddess, the Olympic rings, the coliseum of ancient Athens, a Greek vase called Amphora,  a horse drawn, the year, and the number of Olympiad, since 1928.  Each host city is allowed to add special details. The Atlanta Committee for the Olympics selected a picture of athletes  doing the sport the medal is awarded for.

 These are some Olympic rings I saw at the Olympic Museum in Park City, Utah.

There is a total of 1,838 Olympic medals used each year of  Olympic Games. There are 604 gold medals, 604 silver medals, and 630 bronze medals. Some Olympic events don't have third or fourth placers.

In ancient Greece, the winner was rewarded with a crown of olive leaves.  Second and third placers received nothing.

In 1896,  the first placer received a silver medal, not a gold medal.  In 1904, the Olympic Games of St. Louis replaced the silver medal with a gold one. Other people didn't like this. 

Today's Olympic gold medal is actually sterling silver covered in pure gold. The Olympic medals are two inches in diameter.

The Opening Ceremony

Posted by Paola
The  Olympic Winter Games start tomorrow, and I'm going to tell you about the opening ceremony.

The modern opening ceremony started in 1896,  at that time 258 athletes from thirteen different countries marched through the stadium in Athens Greece. It is called, the Parade of Nations. First, the Greek flags comes. It is followed by Greek athletes. The rest of the countries' flags come in alphabetical order. They are followed by their athletes. There were more than 70,000 people watching at that time. Today millions of people are watching around the world.

The king of Greece announces that the Olympic games begin. Every country that participates in the Olympic games, hold a  party on the day the games begin. The party includes, music, dancing, and anything else you can think of. 

After that, the president of the Organizing Committee and the president of the I.O.C (International Olympic Committee) make speeches. Then, the Olympic flag is raised, and the Olympic hymn is played. Next, the Olympic torch lights the Olympic flame. Then, doves fly through the stadium. They are a symbol of peace. Next, the athletes and an official take the Olympic Oath. Lastly, the host city provides cultural entertainment.

Olympics

A couple of years ago we went to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and the Olympic Park in Utah. We learned a lot of things about  the Olympics, so we thought we would share some of our information with you.

Alex and Paola

 The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs

The Official Vancouver Winter Olympic site:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/

Alex:

The Torch:

http://pedrantionline.blogspot.com/2010/02/olympic-torch.html
The Olympic Rings:
http://pedrantionline.blogspot.com/2010/02/olympic-rings.html

Paola:
The Opening Ceremony:
http://pedrantionline.blogspot.com/2010/02/opening-ceremony.html 
The Olympic Medals:
http://pedrantionline.blogspot.com/2010/02/olympic-medals.html

The Olympic Torch

Posted by Alex
The torch is lit by the sun at Olympia, Greece. The torch is passed from runner to runner in a relay from city to city across the world until it reaches the host city. The flame from the torch  is used to light the Olympic Flame at the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremonies. The flame burns until the games are over.


The modern Olympic torch began at the Berlin Games in 1936. It is a link between the ancient and the modern Olympic Games.

 

Here is a picture of me with the torch at the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. We went there and saw the museum and the park.

Dinosaur Facts

Here is some facts about dinosaurs.

Dilophsaurus (the one in the back)

Length: 40 feet

Weight: 12 000 pounds

Lived: North America during early Jurassic Period

Diet: Meat.

Baryonyx (the dinosaur in front)

Length: 30 feet

Lived: England during early Cretaceous Period

Diet: Meat

Velociraptor (the purple dinosaur)

Length: 5 feet

Weight: 65 pounds

Lived: Asia, China, Mongolia during late Cretaceous Period.

Diet: Meat

T-Rex (the brown dinosaur in the back)

Length: 40 feet

Weight: 12 000 pounds

Lived: North America during late Cretaceous period

Diet: Meat

Spinosaurus ( the green dinosaur in the back)

Length: 46 feet

Weight: 6 000 pounds

Lived: Egypt during Cretaceous

Diet: Meat

This is a T-Rex trying to eat me and my sister but luckily we managed to get away.

Styracosarurus

Length: 18 feet

Lived: Canada during the late Cretaceous period.

Diet: Plants

Posted by Alex

Alexander's Dinosaur Project

Hi,
I am Alex and I am doing a dinosaur project. I am going to teach you about all kinds of dinosaurs. My favorite dinosaur is the Spinosaurus from the Cretaceous Period. I have spent a lot of time researching all kinds of dinosaurs in books and on the internet. All my work will be put in my Lap Book.

I am making the Cretaceous Period.

This is the America during the Cretaceous Period.

Horse Breed Facts

Quarter Horse

Height: 14 to 16 hands

Common Color: Sorrell (a dark brownish-reddish color)

What Is It Used For: English and Western style riding. Fast at quarter-mile races.Usaully used as a ranch horse or cow pony.

Place Of Origin: United States

Temperament: Kind and easy going attitude with outstanding performance. 

American Quarter Horse

The American Quarter horse is known as America's Horse. It is the first recognized breed of North America. In the 1700s American colonists found imported English mares and stallions with little horses that descended from a stock brought to the United States by Spanish explorers. The result was a tough reliable horse. It was used for riding, working cows, pulling plows, wagons and good for quarter-mile races. And that is where it got it's name from.

Arabian 

Height: 14.2 to 15 hands

Common Colors: Any solid color

What it is used for: Used for riding and driving. Good for any English and Western riding. Good at endurance racing.

Place Of Origin: The Middle East

Temperament: Spirited, Willing Intelligent, and kind.

Arabian

If you search the background of the world's many horse breeds you will come across the Arabian bloodlines.This ancient breed was developed in the deserts of the Middle East as far back as 2,500 B.C. Historians don't know the exact place of origin, but it was in the areas of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Egypt. To Bedouin tribes, the Arabian horse was considered a gift from God, and endurance, courage, and beauty was celebrated. Bedouin tribes are credited for selectively breeding the horse, and many of today's Arabians trace back to the ancient breeding program. The Muslim conquest of the seventh an eighth centuries helped spread the Arabian horse throughout most of the world at that time. The Arabs remarkable versatility and influence is known worldwide.

Posted By Paola