Italy

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Barbara J. Feldman

In celebration of their World Cup victory (and my recent vacation there) this week's topic is Italy. Italy is a republic in southern Europe known for its rich history, good food, natural beauty and excellent soccer team.

BBC: Romans

5 stars

Rome, Italy's capital, got its name from the legend of Romulus and Remus, two orphaned twins raised by a wolf. The Roman god Mars told the boys to build a city, but the two ended up at war with each other. Romulus won, so the city was named after him. Highlights of this wonderful BBC site include seven printable activity sheets, a quiz about Roman technology such as aqueducts and arches, a Roman timeline, and a glossary of Roman terms from "amphitheater" to "wreath."

Enchanted Learning: Italy

5 stars

A terrific introduction to Italy for elementary and middle-schoolers, including an overview of important country stats, along with lots of maps and flags to print and color. Other interesting clicks are the coloring pictures of Italian art masterpieces by Michelangelo, da Vinci and Raphael, and an overview of Italian inventions such as the battery, eyeglasses, parachute and radio. Don't leave without looking at the printable story books with simple Italian vocabulary words.

European Photo Album: Italy

3 stars

In July, 2000, Elaine M. Doolittle took a twenty-two day tour of Europe with her husband and daughter. This section of her annotated photo album covers Italy. Her adventure starts in the north ("We crossed the Alps into Italy and passed some lovely villages.") and heads south ("A ferry took us to Venice, known for its canals in place of streets.") all the way to Rome ("Rome has many beautiful fountains.") Follow Elaine to the Vatican City by clicking on its flag at the bottom of any page.

Pocantico Hills: Italy for Kids

4 stars

"Ciao and welcome to Italy (Italia in Italian)!" Teacher Terry Hongell couldn't find an appropriate website to teach her students about Italy during the Torino Winter Olympics, so she created one. Step through the slide show story book to learn about Italy, and then take the Italy Quiz. "Name one country that touches Italy." To learn a few Italian words, mouse over to "In Italian" and drag your mouse over the blank space to view the hidden Italian words. For related word search and jigsaw games, click on "Fun Things to Do."

TIME for Kids: Italy

5 stars

Tour around Italy by clicking on cities on a map (Sightseeing Guide) and then browse major events in Italy's history (History Timeline.) "Why is Italian called a Romance language? Because the ancient Romans spoke Latin, and Italian is based on Latin. Capisci?" Visit Native Lingo to hear Italian words pronounced, take an interactive quiz, and then send a picture postcard home. Fast Fact File gives you all of Italy's important stats in one place.