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Ancient Greece Unit 25 complete lessons suitable for Grades 3 - 8 By Carolyn O’Reilly
Ancient
Greece
Unit
25 complete lessons
suitable for Grades 3 - 8
By Carolyn O’Reilly
T h i s u n i t o f w o r k i n v o l v e s s t u d e n t s e x p l o r i n g t h e r i c h h i s t o r y o f t h e A n c i e n t G r e e k c i v i l i z a t i o n , a n d e x a m i n i n g t h e i m p a c t t h i s c u l t u r e h a s h a d o n o u r
l i v e s t o d a y.
T h i s u n i t i n c l u d e s :
Unit planner (5wks or 25lessons) An immersion /introductory lesson Detailed lesson plans Reading and comprehension tasks Comparison tasks Creative writing Independent inquiry project Assessment rubrics
Contents
Unit Planner
Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5
Wk
1 Immersion Lesson
Where in the World is Ancient Greece?
Timeline
Social Classes
Vocab 1a
Wk
2
Two Great City-States: Athens and Sparta
Two Great City-States: Athens and Sparta
Jobs
Famous Greeks Vocab 1b Famous Greeks
Wk
3
Vocab 2a Gods Gods Olympics Olympics
Wk
4
Classroom Olympic Games!
Vocab 2b
Writing Inventions Vocab 3a
Wk
5 Inquiry Projects
Inquiry Projects
Inquiry Projects
Vocab 3b Inquiry Projects
Inquiry Project Presentations
All lessons below are hyperlinked – just click on the lesson title to go to the appropriate slide.
Immersion Lesson Activity Time Resources
What have the Greeks done for us? • Ask students to rule up the table in their workbooks (see next
page) or hand out as a worksheet to fill in • In Table Groups, rotate the Fact Sheets around the room for each
group to read and add information to their tables from.
30
mins
Table / worksheets Fact Sheets (slides 6 - 13)
Wall of Wonder • Hand students sticky notes and ask them to write 3 questions they
have about Ancient Greece that they would like to research further • When they have their 3 questions, come up and stick them onto
the Wall of Wonder (tip: I make a large sign “Wall of Wonder: What do we want to know about Ancient Greece?” – to stick students sticky notes to, then laminate it and stick to the wall for inspiration or later activities)
10
mins
Sticky Notes Wall of Wonder sign
True or False Quiz • Ask students to write 1-10 in their books and answer TRUE or FALSE
to each of these questions: 1. Women were not allowed to be seen in public in ancient Athens 2. At the Ancient Olympic Games, the athletes played naked. 3. Ancient Greeks (Athenians) invented democracy (every person
has a vote) 4. The Ancient Greeks invented theatre, and the genres of comedy
and tragedy 5. The two most influential Ancient Greek societies were the
Athenians and the Spartans. 6. Ancient Greek children slept in wicker baskets until they were
seven years old 7. Ancient Greeks ate dinner while lying on their sides 8. The Ancient Greeks invented the yoyo which is the 2nd oldest toy
in history. 9. Almost every word with the letters ‘ph’ in it is Greek. 10. A popular Ancient Greek superstition was to not eat beans as they
contained the souls of the dead. Correct as group (they are all TRUE!)
15
mins
What do I already know about these things in Ancient
Greece?
How are we the SAME or DIFFERENT to Ancient
Greeks?
What do I want to find out more about?
Government and Laws: Arts and Entertainment: Great Structures: Beliefs/Values/Religion: Writing: Social Structure: Trade:
Similarities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Differences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Democracy in Australia today What differences can you see?
Democracy in Ancient Greece
Ceramic jugs and plates
Stone statues of Olympians and gods were very popular in Ancient Greece
Stone columns for buildings were first developed in Ancient Greece
The Parthenon today
Gods were believed to be responsible for many parts of daily life
Greek writing could be found on walls, jugs, plates, statues, and much more
Aesop wrote fables to teach children morals and values
The great philosopher’s Plato, Socrates and Aristotle
Greece had fierce armies of soldiers led by commanders like Alexander the Great
Lesson 2: Where in the world is Greece??
Activity Time Resources
Map of the world • Ask students to label the 7 continents and 5 main oceans on
the blank map of the world (boxes are where labels go) • Ask: which one is Greece on?
15 mins
blank map of the world
Map of Greece • Hand out the Ancient Greece and Where’s Where? Maps • Students should use the map of Ancient Greece to help
them label the missing city states on the Where’s Where? Map
• Students can then use Atlases to see where Greece is today and answer the questions below:
1. Name 3 cities in Ancient Greece. 2. Check your atlas. Which cities still exist today? 3. What different bodies of water can be found around
Greece? Name them all. 4. Name one of the mountains on the Ancient Greece map.
• Ask students to colour code and create a Legend for their
Ancient Greece maps (including symbols for cities, mountains, ocean, seas, etc.)
• Discussion Questions: Compare the Modern and Ancient maps. Has much changed from the way Greece looked back in Ancient times to today? What are the differences?
• For extension tasks, you can ask students to add in other features NOT on the Ancient Map that are in Modern Greece.
35 mins
5 mins
Ancient Greece Where’s Where? Map Atlases
Map of Greece
Lesson 3: Timeline Activity Time Resources
When were the Ancient Greeks around? • Draw a timeline on the board with 0 in the middle, and 500yr
sections either side (far left 2900BC and far right 2013 AD/BCE) • Depending on your school, explain what BC/AD and BCE/CE
mean • BC/AD are the traditional terms for Before Christ and Anno
Domini (Latin: In the Year of our Lord) that measure the times either side of zero.
• BCE/CE are the modern terms for Before Common Era and Common Era that measure the times either side of zero.
• Ask students to rule up the timeline in their workbooks too – make sure they measure the 500yr sections and rule them equally.
• Ask students if they know any big events that can be added to this timeline. Some they might know are:
0 – birth of Christ, 1898 – Modern Olympic Games held, 2000 or year students born 2013 – today
5 mins
5 mins
15 mins
Timeline events • Handout worksheet with 5 periods of Ancient Greece
civilization. • Ask students to add the 5 periods onto their timelines • Ask students to add one event from each of the periods on to
their timelines also – choose one they understand.
15
mins
5 periods of Ancient Greece
Importance of events • Questions to answer in workbooks: 1. What was the name for the first ancient Greek civilization? 2. What event occurred during the year 1250 BCE? 3. During which period was the Greek Alphabet invented? 4. Which events from the timeline are the most important to us
today? Why?
10
mins
Lesson 4:– Social Classes Activity Time Resources
Who’s the boss? • Discussion: what are some of the different people in charge of our
society? Who would have been in charge of Ancient Greek society?
5
mins
Social Structure • Students are to draw a pyramid shape with 4 levels in their workbooks.
Explain that in Ancient Greek society, there were 4 different levels of power (Upper Class, Middle Class, Lower Class and Slaves).
• Explain: pyramid shape is used because there are the least amount of rich and most amount of poor in Ancient Greece
• Students are then to read the handout ‘Ancient Greek Classes’ as a group / individually.
• Teacher should allocate pairs one person each for pairs to make a poster for (A4 or smaller) including a picture of their person, their title, a description of what they do and how they live, and where on the social pyramid they think they would be.
People to allocate to pairs: Merchants, contractors, manufacturers, managers, tradesmen, craftsmen, artists, hoplites, slaves, school tutor Websites to direct students to for research: http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/sirrobhitch.suffolk/portland%20state%20university%20greek%20civilization%20home%20page%20v2/docs/7/ryan.html http://www.hierarchystructure.com/ancient-greece-hierarchy/
10
mins
30 mins
Workbooks Ancient Greek Classes Laptops/books for further research Poster paper
Place your person on the pyramid • Construct a large pyramid on your classroom wall (use poster paper to
make 4 levels on your pyramid) • Ask pairs of students to bring their poster person up to the pyramid
and explain who they are and what they did. They are to place their poster on the wall pyramid at the level they think and explain why.
• Ask the class if they agree, and correct if needed.
20 mins
poster paper
Extension / homework task: • Ask students to draw another pyramid in their books and try to order
the people with different levels of power in their own school or country
• Compare the two societies – which would be more fun to live in?
Ancient Greek Classes
The Ancient Greek people fit into 4 different classes – Upper, Middle and Lower Class, and Slaves. Athens – The Upper Class: The top class in Ancient Greece was the Upper Class. These people possessed the most power and highest position in society. You had to be born in Athens to be a part of the Upper Class as the rights for this class could only be inherited from your family. The upper class symbolized good civil character, good artistic taste, and highly socialized individuals. The people from this class handled all the government work, philosophy, literature and war. Athens people always got slaves to perform their hard labour work to save their own precious time. The Upper Class can also be symbolized as the Leisure Class. They kept their time for the important activities related with running the kingdom and enjoying life. Metics – The Middle Class: This was the next class in Ancient Greece. These people were not natives of Athens but came there to settle down and earn their livelihood. They were free men, but they possessed very little rights as compared to the Upper Class. They were majorly involved in the trading and manufacturing related jobs. Freedmen – The Lower Class: Freedmen were the next class in Ancient Greece and it incorporated those people who were once slaves but somehow were freed by their owner. This was the lower class category but could not gain citizenship in Athens no matter how much money they earned. These people possessed the least amount of privileges, but still got a few compared to the slaves who had zero privileges. The Slaves: This is the lowest level because Greeks never considered them as a class. These people were either rescued from war, criminals or bought from other people in higher classes. These people possessed zero rights or authority. They did not even possess the right to their own life. Very little number of slaves were Greek, mainly from other countries that were brought to Greece to serve the higher classes. The only way to get released would be to pay a ransom amount and buy their freedom, which was usually impossible.
Lesson 5: Vocabulary 1a
Activity Time Resources
Starter Activity: • Write the key terms hierarchy and pyramid on the board • Students have 2 minutes (or as long as you like) to find as
many words as possible inside each of the larger words Example – in hierarchy you also have hire, hirer, chair, ache, achy, arch, archer, archery, hair, hairy, cry, crier, air, airy, car, care, carer, race, racy, racer, etc. • After 2 minutes, ask students to count up how many words
they found in each larger word. • Reward the winners who have the most correctly spelt
words for each key term.
5 mins
Whiteboard Markers Workbooks
Spelling Words – pre-test: • Choose words from the list below to test students on – (tip:
a pre-test at the start of the week gives the students room to improve by the end of the week!)
• There are 3 levels of words to choose from where appropriate for your students – low (grade 4) medium (grade 6-7) and high (grade 8)
• Write correct words on board for students to self-correct – they can keep track of their scores on a wall chart and see if they improve when tested again at the end of the week.
10 mins
10 mins
Workbooks
Word Webs: • Students are to choose one of the words they misspelled to
create a Word Web for (see worksheet on next page)
25 mins
Word Web Worksheet Dictionaries
Lesson 5: Vocabulary
1a Ancient Greece Spelling Words US Spelling – please double check
Low (grade 3-4) Wealthy Built Office Carpenter Bodies Picture Athens Cities Doctor Enemy
Families Pray Battle Health Powerful Unlucky Ink Unpaid Movement Duties
Agora Scroll Alphabet Prettiest Wonder Victory Scroll Hero Ruler Arrange
Stone Burial Smell Brick Gods Tunic Naked Writing Divide Marvelled
Medium (Grade 6-7) Greek Sparta Military Ceramics Official Kingdom Preserved Authority Acropolis Column
History Islands Letters Zeus Married Smartest Research Quality Burden Expensive
Heroes Bartering Polis Citizen Succession Fertile Democracy Soldier Mythology Isthmus
Slave Freedman Muscular Fishing Progress Community Banquet Kneeling Parthenon Aphrodite
High (Grade 7-8) Edict Literature Astronomy Education Government Advantage Arranged Ominous Improvement Democratic
Barren Political Jealous Oligarchy Management Suspicious Translation Ceremony Peninsula Preservation
Disgruntled Hellenistic Imposed Structures Landmarks Assembly Knowledgeable Capture Artefact Philosophy
Ancient Betrayal Invaded Polytheism Treasurer Ambitious Substantial Extraordinary Magnificent Controversy
Word Web
Word Web
___________
Antonym:
Synonym:
Meaning:
In a sentence: Adjective:
Verb:
Example: Rhyming word:
Word Web
___________
Antonym:
Synonym:
Meaning:
In a sentence: Adjective:
Verb:
Example: Rhyming word:
Lesson 6: Two Great City-States Athens and Sparta
Activity Time Resources
Sparta and Athens • Watch the Horrible Histories clip, “Ancient Greece
Wife Swap” (Episode 9 on DVD or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLyW5UYPYYs)
• Write down 2 advantages of being a Spartan woman • Write down 2 advantages of being an Athenian
woman • Discuss the benefits of being a women in either city-
state
5 mins 5 mins
Horrible Histories Clip Ancient Greece Wife Swap Laptop/DVD Player Projector
Reading and Comprehension • Hand out the text ‘Two Great City-States Athens
and Sparta’ • Students to read individually or in pairs. • Answer the questions in workbooks:
1. Name 2 things Athens was famous for. 2. Name 2 things Sparta was famous for. 3. Describe the education system of Athens. 4. Describe the education system of Sparta. 5. What were 2 things Athens and Sparta had
in common? 6. What were 2 things Athens and Sparta did
NOT have in common?
10 mins 10 mins
‘Two Great City-States Athens and Sparta’
Compare and Contrast • Choose either Athens or Sparta to compare to the
city your students live in and create a Venn Diagram that compares the two .
• Include details on education, geography, military services, treatment of boys and girls, art, science, etc.
20 mins
Two Great City-States
Athens and Sparta
Athens Athens was a major trade centre as it was a port on the Aegean Sea. It traded goods such as olive oil and grapes for important things like wheat. This City-State developed a strong navy of fighting ships called triremes to defend it, and built city walls almost 2 metres thick and 7 metres tall. The world’s first democracy was developed in Athens where every male over 18 years took part in the government. Women, men born outside of Athens, and slaves were not involved though. Athens was seen as the cultural centre of Ancient Greece. All the best scholars and artists lived there to develop new ideas about literature, art, philosophy, architecture, politics and science. Boys were educated in reading, writing, maths, history and music from the ages of 7 to 12. Once 18, they would serve in the military for 2 years. Girls were not allowed to go to school though, and simply learned how to look after the home. They would usually be married at around the age of 15.
Sparta Sparta was an inland valley about 150 miles away from Athens. It’s high mountains formed a natural wall to protect the city-state from contact with outsiders and traders. Male citizens had to be soldiers and formed the strongest army of all the ancient worlds. Sparta was the only city-state to be ruled by two kings instead of being a democracy. These kings also commanded the army. Only Sparta born men were considered citizens, though women were allowed to own land. Spartan boys were educated at military school from the age of 7. They learnt reading and writing but mainly military training as they had to serve in the army til they were 30yrs old. The girls stayed home and learn the household chores, and were married off by 15yrs old. Sparta did not have any beautiful buildings or artworks like Athens as it concentrated on its army and defending its walls.
Activity Time Resources
Athens: Reading and Comprehension • Hand out the reading and comprehension
worksheets about Athens and democracy for students to complete.
20 mins
Athens and democracy worksheets
Sparta: Viewing and comprehension, writing • Watch the two clips about Spartan civilisation on
History.com titled “Spartans: Deconstructed” http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/videos#spartans-deconstructed and “Spartans” http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/videos#spartans
With this information, complete one of the following: 1) A Diary entry as a young Spartan student,
about to begin his training. Report his feelings and excitement (or fears) about his first day of soldier training.
2) A newspaper report about the Battle of Thermopylae – report about the bravery of the Spartan soldiers and the events that lead to their defeat.
30 mins
Sparta worksheet Laptop Projector
Lesson 7: Two Great City-States Athens and Sparta
Athens and Democracy The system of government called democracy was first developed in the City-State of Athens. The big difference between democracy in Ancient Greece compared to today is that only free men were allowed to be involved back then, where as today both men and women have a say. The Athenians would hold a democratic assembly every nine days at the Pnyx. This was attended by all male citizens who were allowed to speak and vote. The proposals discussed came from the council members, which was made up of 500 Athenian men randomly drawn each year. There were no written laws or lawyers to defend criminals. Basically any male citizen could bring another citizen to trial. The juries who decided their fates were very large, between 101 and 1001 men. If a citizen was found guilty by the jury, all the men would help decide the punishment. For example, harsh punishments such as being exiled could only happen if 6000 men agreed. Tasks:
Fill the gaps in the sentences below with the correct word from the word bank. 1. In Athens, only _____ were included in the democracy. 2. __________ members were _____ Athenian men randomly drawn each year. 3. The ______ were large and would include between ____ and 1001 men. 4. __________ assemblies were held every _____ days. 5. If a citizen was found _______ and over 6000 men agreed, he could be ______.
Describe what each of these words mean in a sentence:
Democracy: Citizen: Punishment: Assembly:
Word Council men juries 500 101 Bank: Democratic 9 guilty exiled
Lesson 8: Jobs
Activity Time Resources
Research Jobs • Choose 5 of the Ancient Greek jobs below to
research (using books or Internet) and answer the 4 questions for each one:
1. Describe what this job involved doing every day. 2. Would you get paid and how? 3. How did you become qualified for the job? 4. Which level on the social classes pyramid would
your job put you?
Jobs to choose from: Merchants, contractors, manufacturers, managers, tradesmen, craftsmen, artists, hoplites, slaves, school tutor
30 mins
Books or Internet for researching
Comparing ancient and modern jobs • Once you have completed the questions for the
jobs above, do a Venn Diagram comparing aspects of ancient and modern day jobs.
20 mins
Ancient Jobs Similarities Modern Day Jobs
Lesson 9: Famous Greeks
Activity Time Resources
Famous Greeks • Choose 1 famous Greek to research using the websites provided: 1. Socrates:
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greek_philosophers.php 2. Aesop: http://greece.mrdonn.org/aesop.html 3. Pericles:
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greece/pericles.php 4. Alexander the Great:
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/alexander_the_great.php • Answer these questions about your person in full sentences:
1. When was your person born and when did they die? 2. What did they contribute to Greek society? 3. What social class did they belong to? 4. How did they die? 5. Explain 5 interesting facts about your person.
30
mins
Internet Workbooks
Share your expert knowledge • Ask students to share their knowledge about the person they
researched with other students on their table. • All students should rule up a table in their books (see below) to fill in as
they talk to classmates about the different famous people.
30
mins
Socrates Aesop Pericles Alexander the Great
Birth and death
Major Achievements
Cause of Death
Social Class
Other Information
Lesson 10: Famous Greeks
Activity Time Resources Starter Activity: • Students review their spelling words from the pre-test
earlier in the week by doing Look, Cover, Write and Check in their books for each word.
5 mins
Workbooks
Spelling Words – Post-test: • Conduct a post-test with your students on the same
words you used earlier this week • Write correct words on board for students to self-correct
– then write scores on the progress chart. • Students record their progress in their book and answer
the reflection questions: 1. Did I improve my spelling since the pre-test? 2. Why do I think my spelling has improved? 3. What can I do next week to improve further?
25 mins
Workbooks Class progress chart
Facebook Profile Page: • Link: ask students quick questions about each of the 4
Famous Greeks to link back to the previous lesson • Using the template provided, create a Greek Book
Profile Page for your person. Try to fill out as much as you can using facts you have just learnt about.
5 mins 30 mins
Greek Book Profile Page template
Extension Task: Summarising information: • Create a Comic strip that shows the main events that
happened during their time in Ancient Greece, such as what they achieved, how they did so, and how they died.
30 mins
05
1015
ChrisSallyJaneBenDavid
Lesson 11: Vocabulary 2a
Activity Time Resources
Spelling Words - Pre-test: • Choose words from the Spelling List to conduct a new pre-test
with. • Write correct words on board for students to self-correct – they
can keep track of their scores on a wall chart and see if they improve when tested again at the end of the week.
10 mins
10 mins
Workbooks Class progress chart
Antonyms and Synonyms: • Students are to write their new spelling words into a table with
3 columns across as below: • Students need to think of/look up 1 synonym and 1 antonym for
each of their spelling words and write it in the table.
25 mins
Workbooks Dictionaries
Spelling Words Synonyms (similar)
Antonyms (opposite)
Lesson 12:- Greek Gods
Activity Time Resources
Starter Activity: • Watch Horrible Histories Signs of the Gods
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8tKtJTM5hc • List 2 things you notice about the gods shown
5 mins
Horrible Histories Signs of the Gods clip Projector Laptop
The Story of the Olympians • Hand out the text ‘The story of the Olympians’ for students to
read individually / or in pairs. • Students should then answer these questions in their
workbooks in full sentences: 1. Who were Zeus’ parents? 2. How many brothers and sisters did Zeus have? 3. What did Cronus do to his children? 4. Why did Cronus treat his children this way? 5. How did the children escape? 6. Who won the battle between the Titans and the Olympians?
10 mins
15 mins
‘The story of the Olympians’ text
Further research • Ask students to rule up a table in their books (see next page). • Watch the video clip http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-
greece/videos#greek-gods and fill in as much of the table in their workbooks as possible.
• Direct students to the website http://www.wingedsandals.com to learn more about the Gods and fill in any blanks in their tables.
5 mins 5 mins
30 mins
Projector Laptops Internet access
There were many other powerful gods that came before the well known Zeus. Cronus and his wife, Rhea were the King and Queen of the heavens. Cronus got power off his father, and King of heavens before him, Uranus. To defeat him, Cronus chopped off Uranus’ genitals and threw them into the sea. Naturally, Cronus won power after that. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Cronus was told a prophecy that one of his children will grow up and overthrow him to rule the heavens. To avoid this fate, Cronus did what any paranoid father would do, and ate all of his children. Naturally, Rhea, his wife, was a little annoyed that all her beautiful babies were being swallowed by her crazy husband. When her 6th child was born (Zeus) she hid him and gave Cronus a rock dressed up in a blanket. Zeus was secretly kept in Crete, where he grew up strong and ready to fight his dad as pay back for eating his brothers and sisters. When Zeus was old enough, Rhea gave her husband a poisoned drink. The drink didn’t kill him, but made him vomit up the 5 other children – Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia, Demeter. They were fully grown and ready to seek revenge on their dad. The Titans (Cronus’ crew) and the Olympians (Zeus’ Crew) fought. The brave Olympians won which fulfilled the prophecy that Cronus was told so long ago. The children of Cronus moved to live on top of Mount Olympus, the highest peak in all of Greece.
The story of the
Olympians
Image 1: “Cronus devouring his son” by Fanscisco Goya 1891
Lesson 12: Greek Gods
Name Power/ Responsibility
Where did they come
from?
What they wore
Symbol Animal
Zeus
Apollo
Aphrodite
Demeter
Hera
Artemis
Poseidon
Ares
Athena
Hermes
Hestia
Hephaestus
Lesson 13:- Greek Gods Activity Time Resources
Create Your Own God • Students are to collect one dice and roll it 4 times, recording
their 4 numbers • Each number will allocate them one of the features on the 4
lists – Head, Body, Power, Story • Students are to use their 4 allocated features and create
their own God, they need to draw a picture of their God including the allocated features.
30-60 mins
Dice ‘Create Your Own God’ Features Lists (laminated)
How to play • Students roll the dice 4 times and writes down the numbers. • Each number allocates a prompt from each category. • Once you have your 4 prompts, you can begin your story! Include a
picture of your God and at least a ½ page story of how they were created.
Example – if you rolled 2, 4, 1, 6 – your God would hold a Harp, have the
power of Death, have a Horse, and their story would include them Running away.
Ancient Greek Gods
Symbol Power Animal Event 1. Lightening 2. Harp 3. Flower 4. Weapon 5. Fruit 6. Wings
1. Fire 2. Earthquake 3. Love 4. Death 5. Birth 6. War
1. Horse 2. Duck 3. Eagle 4. Snake 5. Fish 6. Monkey
1. Fell from the sky 2. Vomited by another God 3. Punished for doing wrong 4. Fell in love 5. Dropped important object 6. Ran away
Lesson 14:– The Olympic Games
Activity Time Resources
Starter Activity: • Watch the Horrible Histories clip ‘HHTV Sport: Ancient Greek
Olympics’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdFLH9VLPJ8 • Students write down 3 interesting facts they learn during the
clip
5 mins
Laptop Projector
Olympic Games • Students will need laptops to use the website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/the_olympic_games/
• Students will need to read and summarise information from this website to answer 6 questions beginning with who, what, where, when, why and how?
(tip: Depending on your students, you may want to provide the whole question, or allow students to develop their own)
45 mins
website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/the_olympic_games/
Lesson 15 & 16:– The Olympic Games
Activity Time Resources
Compare and Contrast • Ask students to compare the Ancient Greek Olympic Games to
our Modern Day Olympic Games. • To do this they may need to research further on the Internet or
in books. • Students should display their comparisons in a Venn Diagram.
20 mins
Laptops or books
Ancient Olympic Games in your classroom! • Divide students into five City-State groups: Sparta, Athens,
Corinth, Argos, Megara. • Students will need to make a flag for their city-state and come
up with a team cheer. • Each team should read the information sheet about their City-
State and answer the questions in their workbooks.
1. Describe one character trait people from your city-state are known to have.
2. Describe the education system in your city-state. 3. What is a common job to have in your city-state? 4. Where is your city-state located and what is the land
like? 5. What other city-states are your friends, and which are
your enemies? 6. Why do you think your city-state will win the Olympics?
30 mins
Flag making materials (cloth, paint) information sheets
Let the Games begin! • Choose from the games (page 44) to hold in your classroom (an
outdoor or large empty area would be best!)
1 hour
Sparta You have endured unbelievable hardships to become a superior Spartan soldier! Taken away from your parents at age 7, you lived a harsh and often brutal life in the soldiers barracks. You were beaten by older children who started fights to help make you tough and strong. You were often whipped in front of groups of other Spartans, including your parents, but never cried out in pain. You were given very little food, but encouraged to steal food instead. If caught stealing, you were beaten. To avoid severe pain, you learned to be cunning, to lie, to cheat, to steal, and how to get away with it! Some of you are members of the Spartan secret police and enjoy spying on slaves. If you find a slave who is showing signs of leadership, you have orders to kill them immediately. You are fierce, capable, and proud of your strength. You know you are superior and are delighted to be Spartan!
Spartan Goals and Behavior at the Olympics: Win at all costs. Lie, cheat, but do not get caught! If you can't win, at least beat your archrival, those silly citizens of Athens. You are the proud Spartans! Plot secretly with other Greek city-states to sabotage any Athenian chance at victory. Cheer only for your fellow Spartans at each event. Good luck at the games.
Athens As an Athenian, you should always be courteous. You have been superbly educated in the arts and the sciences, and trained to be extremely capable in times of peace or war. Until age 6 or 7, you were taught at home by your mother, or by a male slave. From age 7-14, you attended a day school in the neighborhood where you memorized Homeric poetry and learned to play the magnificent instrument, the lyre. You learned drama, public speaking, reading, writing, math, and even how to play the flute. You attended four years of higher school, and learned more about math and science and government. At 18, you attended military school for two additional years! You are proud to be an Athenian! Famed for its literature, poetry, drama, theatre, schools, buildings, government, and intellectual superiority, you have no doubt that your polis, Athens, is clearly the shining star of all the Greek city-states.
Athenian Goals and Behavior at the Olympics: You know your archrival, those horrible Spartans, will do anything to win, even lie and cheat, but you are Athenians - you would never stoop to such boorish behavior. Cooperate with your fellow Athenians to defeat those brutish Spartans, and do your personal best! You are Athenians, the clever, creative, courteous representatives of that shining example of all that is fine and noble, the polis of Athens. Good luck in the games!
Corinth Your glorious coastal city-state has a history as a cultural and trade centre. Although your schools are not as fine as those of Athens, you have been educated in the arts and the sciences. From age 7-14, you attended a day school near your home where you memorized poetry and studied drama, public speaking, reading, writing, math, and the flute. You attended a higher school, if your parents could afford it. You also went to military school for at least two years. Your polis is famous for its bronze statues, pottery, and vase painters. You are creative problem-solvers. To solve the problem of foreign money pouring into your coastal polis, your city-state created it's own coinage, forcing traders to convert their coin at your banks. (For a fee!) To solve your problem of unemployment, you created a huge and successful public works program. Literature, culture, art, and businesses thrive in your city-state. You are proud to be a practical, productive Corinthian!
Corinthian Goals and Behavior at the Olympics: If you can't win, help Argos and Megara to defeat those vain Athenians, and those animals, the Spartans. Do what it takes, but be honest about it. You cheer the winner of each event. You greet your fellow Corinthians with warmth and good sportsmanship whenever you see them. You are proud of your abilities, your achievements, your honesty, and your obviously superior city-state. Good luck in the games!
Argos Educated in the arts and the sciences, you have been trained to be capable in times of peace or war. Although your close neighbor, Corinth, is on the coastline, your polis is located on a plain, where the weather tends to be hot and dry in the summer, and cold and wet in the winter. Your soil is not especially fertile, and you must fight the elements to grow food. In spite of this hardship, your magnificent stone sculptures of muscular athletes are the envy of many Greek city-states. You are famous for your wonderful musicians and poets. Drama is popular with plays performed in open-air theatres, drawing crowds of 20,000 or more Argive citizens! Unfortunately, you have a problem. When Athens and Sparta asked you to send supplies and troops to fight the Persians after the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE, you refused. For this decision, you are held in disgrace by the other Greek city-states.
Argive Goals and Behavior at the Olympics: Your goal is to reverse the negative reputation you currently hold in the ancient Greek world. You will have to work hard to convince other city-states that your athletes, soldiers, scholars, orators, architects and artists are as fine as the other city-states. You cheer Argive victories, and win as many events as you can. Your goal is to make sure that Athens and Sparta don't win at all. (Your plan is to throw your support to Corinth or Megara toward the end of the competition if it appears you can not win.) You are Argives, hard-working, honest, loyal, clever, creative, courteous representatives of Argos. Good luck in the games!
Megara Be proud that you come from such a respected city-state as Megara. As a coastal city-state, your history is similar to your neighbor’s, Corinth. You believe your schools are as fine as those of Athens, although any Athenian would disagree. You have been trained in the arts and the sciences. From age 7-14, you attended a day school near your home where you memorized poetry and studied drama, public speaking, reading, writing, science, poetry, the flute, the lyre, and a great deal of mathematics. Like most Megarians, you love money and have been trained to be an excellent accountant. You attended a higher school, and went to military school. Your polis is famous for its glorious textiles, which are the envy of other Greek city-states. You have your own coinage, an idea you copied from Corinth. Literature, culture, art, and businesses thrive in your city-state. You believe you offer your citizens even more freedom than Athens. (After the Peloponnesian War, Athens' famous philosopher, Plato, moved to Megara, where he remained for 10 years, so perhaps you are right! You also founded the city of Byzantium, also called Constantinople, now called Istanbul, way back in 630 BCE.)
Megarian Goals and Behavior at the Olympics: If you can't win, help Argos and Corinth to defeat those boastful Athenians and those militant fanatics, the Spartans. If it comes down to Athens or Sparta, cheer for Sparta, loudly. (They might be militant, but those are good friends to have in time of war! Besides, you are tired of hearing about wonderful Athens.) You are Megarians, proud of your history, your flourishing businesses, your world famous textiles, your freedoms, your schools, your coastal advantage - your rich and vibrant city-state, Megara. Good luck in the games!
Classroom Olympic Games
Choose as many of these games to include in your own Classroom Olympic Games and let your 5 City-States
battle it out for glory!
Short Sprint Line up two competitors from each of your City-States to compete in a sprint (length is up to you and room available!) Javelin Either use real javelin from your sports department in an outdoor area, or create your own with a 1m ruler and a long tape measure. Make sure to keep all competitors behind the line! Discus Either use real discus from your sports department in an outdoor area, or create your own with paper plates. Each City-State can decorate their own paper plate discus with a symbol or flag to make it easy to see who wins! Chariot Racing If you don’t have any chariots and horses available, use the next best thing and assign stronger students in each City-States to become the ‘chariots’ that carry a lighter competitor on their backs. Long Jump If you have a sand pit handy, or just a long space and a measuring tape, you can make your very own Long Jump event.
Lesson 17: Vocabulary 2b
Activity Time Resources
Spelling Words – Post-test: • Conduct a post-test with your students on the same words you
used earlier this week • Write correct words on board for students to self-correct – then
write scores on the progress chart. • Students record their progress in their book and answer the
reflection questions: 1. Did I improve my spelling since the pre-test? 2. Why do I think my spelling has improved? 3. What can I do next week to improve further?
25 mins
Workbooks Class progress chart
Creative Writing: • Students are to use the worksheet to write a ½ page short story
that include all 10 of their spelling words in the right context. • Include at least 3 pictures to help illustrate the story.
40 mins
Workbooks / writing template worksheet
Lesson 17:– Vocabulary 2b
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
Lesson 18:: Writing
Activity Time Resources
Greek Writing • Hand out the ‘Greek Writing’ worksheet for students
to read and complete these questions in their books:
1. Who were the first ones to develop a written alphabet?
2. What were some of the changes the Greeks made to the alphabet?
3. What did the Greeks use the alphabet for? 4. What are 2 things the English alphabet and the
Greek alphabet have in common?
20 mins
‘Greek Writing’ worksheet
Cracking the Code • Hand out ‘Code Breaker’ sheets and challenge students
to find out what the secret message is. • Students will now be able to write the Greek Alphabet
on coloured poster paper or in their workbooks.
15 mins
20 mins
‘Code Breaker’ sheets Poster paper
Greek Writing
The Greek alphabet is over 2500 years old but is still being used in Greece today. The word "alphabet" is a made-up word that combines the first two letters of the Greek alphabet - alpha and beta - alphabet. The idea of a written alphabet was not actually invented by the Greeks though – it was borrowed from another culture, the Phoenicians. The Ancient Greeks traded with their neighbors, the Phoenicians. When they saw the Phoenicians writing things down, they thought that was a very clever idea. They could see the usefulness of a written language so they changed the Phoenician alphabet a bit to suit themselves. For one thing, they added vowels. The Greek alphabet was the first alphabet to include vowels. Once they had a written language, the Ancient Greeks began to write down all their fables and myths and legends. They wrote letters to each other that shared their daily life. They wrote business contracts. They kept reports of meetings. They wrote huge epics and wonderful stories and plays. Scientists today have learned a great deal about the ancient Greeks from this legacy of writings. Like the ancient Greeks before us, we made some changes. We changed the look of the letters. We changed the way we said the letters out loud. Over time, we even changed the order of the letters. In our English alphabet, the first three letters are ABC. In the Greek alphabet, the first three letters are ABG!
The Greek alphabet
Crack the Code
__ N __ __ __ N __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ N __ __ __ __ __ __ N __ __ __ __ __ __ ____ __ __ __ __ N __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
A B G D E Z E Th I K L M
A
N X O P R S T Y/U F/Ph Ch Ps O
N
Lessons 19: Inventions
Activity Time Resources
Discussion: • What other inventions did the Ancient Greeks make?
5 mins
Workbooks
Independent Research: • Students choose one of the following inventions to
research further: maps, alarm clocks, thermometers, central heating, cranes, wheelbarrows, cannons, bronze casting, crossbow, watermill, lighthouse, vending machines, or any others you can think of.
• Use the Internet or books to find out the who, what, where, when, where, why and how your chosen invention was created.
45 mins
Workbooks Internet Greek books
Presentations: • Students should present their research in a creative
way, choosing from: 1. A model of their invention 2. A poster in the shape of their invention 3. A PowerPoint presentation 4. A dramatic re-enactment of how their invention was
created • Students should present to a group of peers who take
notes on what they learn in a table in their workbooks.
1
lesson
Invention Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
Lessons 20: Vocabulary 3a &
Activity Time Resources
Spelling Words - Pre-test: • Choose words from the Spelling List to conduct a new
pre-test with. • Write correct words on board for students to self-
correct – they can keep track of their scores on a wall chart and see if they improve when tested again at the end of the week.
20 mins
Workbooks Class progress chart
Suffixes and prefixes: • Ask students to see if they can think of any variations
of each of their spelling words by adding or taking away suffixes and prefixes (beginnings or endings) – examples from the word list below:
• Capture – captured, recapture, captures • Excavate – excavates, excavated • Married – marries, remarries, remarried, marrying
25 mins
Dictionary Workbooks
Lessons 21: Inquiry Projects
Activity Time Resources
Inquiry Projects • Hand out the ‘Inquiry Project’ sheets. • Students are to choose any topic they want to learn more about
from Ancient Greek times. • Brainstorm a list of topics they have learnt about so far and any
others they can think of.
20 mins
‘Inquiry Project’
Developing questions: • To help students develop their questions, hand out a ‘Question
Dice’ template to each student. • Each student should make either a Dice A or a Dice B with one
word on each face of the dice from the lists below: Dice A – Who, What, Where, When, Why and How Dice B – Did, Was, Might, Could, Would, Were • Cut around the outside edge and fold the inside lines to glue the
dice into a cube shape. • Students then use both dice to help them develop each of their
research questions and record in their workbooks.
20 mins
‘Question Dice’ template
Begin researching: • Students to begin researching their 6 questions using the
Internet or books.
20 mins
Internet Laptops Books
Ancient Greece Inquiry Project You will be choosing an Ancient Greek topic that you are most interested in. You will be required to develop research questions about this topic and then present this information.
Step 1: Choose your favourite topic. If you get stuck there are some examples below. Weapons & War Gods Jobs Tools Entertainment Clothes Architecture Art
Step 2: You are to develop 6 research questions about your chosen topic. The questions MUST begin with: Who… Where…. What… Why…. When… How….
Step 4: You will present your research in one of the ways below: PowerPoint
(at least one slide per question)
Speech (explaining all your questions researched)
Research Report (answers in paragraphs)
Step 3: You will be required to create a visual representation of your topic. This could be in the form of a: 3D model Painting Sculpture Animation Video Role Play
Due Date:
Inquiry Project Assessment Rubric
Low Medium High Notes
Research
Basic information about the topic included. No bibliography included.
Some interesting and relevant information about the topic included. Bibliography of sources also included.
Lots of detailed and interesting information about the topic. Bibliography of sources also included.
Proofreading Lots of spelling and grammar mistakes. Not all sentences made sense.
Some spelling and grammar mistakes. Most sentences made sense.
No spelling or grammar mistakes. All sentences were clearly written and made sense.
Presentation Little or no pictures included. Handwriting needs to be neater. Some colour included.
Some pictures included. Handwriting fairly neat. Some colour and headings included.
Lots of pictures included. Handwriting very neat. Lots of colour and headings used.
Comments:
Question Dice
Lessons 22-25: –Inquiry Projects & Vocabulary 3b
Activity Time Resources
Inquiry Projects • Students work on researching their questions and
writing up their information. • Once all research is completed, students need to
decide on how they will present their research and start creating.
3 lesson
s
‘Inquiry Project’ sheets
Spelling Words – Post-test: • Conduct a post-test with your students on the same
words you used earlier this week • Write correct words on board for students to self-
correct – then write scores on the progress chart. • Students record their progress in their book and
answer the reflection questions: 1. During this unit, I think my spelling has
(improved/not improved) because …. 2. My aim for next term is to …
20 mins
Workbooks Class progress chart
Presenting: • Students should present their Inquiry Projects to small
groups – divide groups up by what topics they have researched so all students in the group will be learning something new.
• Ask students to offer positive feedback at the end of each presentation.
1
lesson
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