{photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash}
Some of our students will love learning more about the life of gladiators, and others might not consider this their favorite topic. But here are a few videos and websites that go along with what we’re learning about gladiators and the Circus in Ancient Rome. We’ve tried to avoid anything too gruesome, but please preview and/or watch along with your kids to make sure it’s appropriate for their level and sensitivity.
VIDEOS:
DK Find Out: Gladiators – This is a quality video made for kids all about the Colosseum and different kinds of gladiators:
Italy: Gladiators – Travel Kids in EUROPE – Here’s a cute travel video for kids, about kids visiting the Colosseum:
The Colosseum, Rome – An animated educational video about the Colosseum:
Time Warp Trio – See You Later, Gladiator – This animated TV series features kids who time-travel and learn about history. Here’s a Roman Gladiator episode:
Specialized Gladiator Superpowers – From the Smithsonian Channel, here’s a short overview of the 7 main types of gladiators:
What Gladiator School Was Like – Also from the Smithsonian Channel:
Ancient Colosseum: A Virtual reality experience – Walk through the Colosseum, learn about Ancient Rome, and see parts of battles in the area (the animated fighting is mild):
History of the Roman Colosseum – Here’s a clip from a History Channel documentary. (Note: this is a great educational video and probably fine for most kids, but there is some violence discussed and depicted):
A Roman Gladiator’s Helmet – This is a clip from a BBC documentary called Meet the Romans:
Life in Rome: Gladiators – Examine a Roman sculpture showing gladiators and their weapons, from the Royal Ontario Museum:
Roman Circus Maximus – A clip from the History Channel:
Ancient History: Rome If You Want To, Circus Maximus – Here’s another short overview of the Circus Maximus:
Ben-Hur Movie Clip: The Chariot Race:
Chariot Race – A Timeline documentary (full length) all about chariot racing:
WEBSITES:
The Colosseum: Building the Arena of Death – (Not as scary as it sounds!) This is a nice interactive animation from the BBC, in which you can “Explore a plan of the Colosseum to investigate six key areas. Each shows an aspect of the sophisticated technology and planning that lie behind this incredible structure.”
Gladiator: Dressed to Kill – Also from the BBC, in this game you can prepare a gladiator for combat.
Max in the Colosseum – From National Geographic, this is a fun “mini histories” comic strip about a time-traveling mouse named Max. In this comic, Max visit Ancient Rome and the Colosseum. Click “download and print” for a larger size.
You Wouldn’t Want To Be A Roman Gladiator – Read this book online if you don’t already own it. This is a fantastic series for kids! And here are some free Activity Sheets to download, that go along with this book.
Time Warp Trio: Gladiators – This is the website that goes along with the show.
Gladiators Battleship game and Gladiators Rags to Riches game
The Colosseum in Rome today – Take a virtual tour.
Ancient Roman Plaque: Chariot Racing Scene – Click on “Play Audio” to learn more about chariot racing.
Gladiator and Colosseum coloring pages
