Target Curriculum: World History and Social Science
Target Grades: 8
SOLs: HSS 8.3 and 8.10
Time: 150 minutes (three, 50-minute blocks or two, 75-minute lessons)
Objective and Goals:
To help students describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of ancient Greece from about 2000 to 300 B.C., in terms of its impact on Western Civilization, with emphasis on:
- the influence of geography on Greek economic, social, and political development;
- Greek mythology and religion;
- the impact of Greek commerce and colonies on the Mediterranean region;
- the social structure, significance of citizenship, and the development of democracy in the city-state of Athens;
- the significance of the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian Wars;
- life in Athens in the Golden Age of Pericles;
- the contributions of Greek philosophers (including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle), playwrights, poets, historians, sculptors, architects, scientists, and mathematicians; and
- the conquest of Greece by Macedonia, and the spread of Helenistic culture by Alexander the Great.
Purpose:
To teach students the vocabulary, geography and historical perspectives needed to analyze and discuss the characteristics of Hellenistic Greece and the spread of Greek culture to the far reaches of the empire with particular attention focused on the historical themes of Cooperation/Conflict, Innovation, and Cultural Diffusion.
Materials:
Student text, wall map, photos, Blackline Masters (Map of Eastern Mediterranean), notebook, paper, pencil, colored pencils, ruler, and student graphic organizer shell (outline/study aid to be completed by the students).
Procedure:
Activity 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE GEOGRAPHY OF GREECE AND HOW IT HELPED SHAPE ITS DEVELOPMENT (50 minutes)
- Using the wall map of the ancient Mediterranean world, locate Greece, Asia Minor, the islands of the Aegean, and significant cities, locations, regions and geographical features that shaped its development. Discuss how geography helped to determine Greek civilization.
- Review: the historical development of Greek civilization prior to Alexander; its mythology and religion; Athens and Sparta; Democracy (Greek Style); conflicts (Persian and Peloponnesian wars); and the Golden Age of Pericles.
- Using a Blackline Master, outline map and the atlas in their text. Have students locate the physical features, waterways, and cities that helped to define the region.
Activity 2: STUDENT DISCUSSION: GEOGRAPHY (20 minutes)
- Show pictures of current-day Greece to provide students with a frame of reference from which to conduct the class through the use of interviewing as a strategy.
- Discuss possible answers to the question: "What was the effect of Greece's geography on commerce?"
- Discuss the possible answers to the question: "Why did geography influence economic, social, and political development in early Greece?"
Activity 3: TIMELINE ACTIVITY: The New Rome & Byzantine Civilization (30 minutes)
- After providing each student with a timeline shell, have students fill-in/complete the timeline and discuss their choices for inclusion on the timeline. NOTE: each timeline should contain a minimum of ten separate events that help to define Hellenistic Greece.
- Split the class into four equal groups and assign questions for homework and class discussion on the following day.
Discussion Questions:
Group 1:
- How did Greek mythology and religion influence modern Western Civilization?
- What was the impact of Greek commerce and colonies on the Mediterranean region?
Group 2:
- Why did democracy develop in ancient Athens?
- How did changes in Greek society influence changes in Athenian government?
- Why was the Periclean Age important to the development of Athenian life and Greek culture?
Group 3:
- Why were wars with Persia important to the development of Greek culture?
- Why was the Peloponnesian War so devastating to the development of Greek culture?
Group 4:
- · Why is the Golden Age in Athens so important to modern Western Civilization?
- How was the Hellenistic Age established by Alexander the Great?
Activity 4: STUDENT PRESENTATIONS (20 minutes)
- Have each group provide a 5-minute presentation on their group homework assignment. NOTE: Experience indicates that there will be sufficient time for the teacher to ensure that the students receive an opportunity to obtain the requisite Essential Knowledge to ensure Essential Understanding.
Activity 5: GRAPHIC ORGANIZER/FEEDBACK (30 minutes)
- Provide each student with a blank Graphic Organizer shell to be completed in class with the use of their texts and classroom notes.
- Discuss the completed Graphic Organizer and ensure that every student has an accurate organizer that can be utilized as a study guide.
Observation:
This lesson permits the teacher to observe a variety of learning activities (including: individual and group activities) and allows the teacher to assess student ability to: gather, classify and interpret information; evaluate information for accuracy; separate facts from opinion; and compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities, behaviors and institutions. These skills must be nurtured and encouraged.
Conclusions:
Students will be able to develop a timeline identifying the significant events that defined the Hellenistic Greece and compile relevant information using a graphic organizer to facilitate comparison of details concerning the lesson.
For Your Information:
There is a multitude of resources to assist in the presentation of this lesson. Listed below are some of the web sites that can be utilized as readily available resources:
- http://www.mci.com/marcopolo: provides both classroom activities and lesson plans as well as a listing of panel-reviewed/approved web sites that can be safely used for in-class activities.
- http://www.nationalgeographic.com: links to National Geographic Society web sites.
- http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education: provides link to National Geographic Society and student-friendly web sites, and includes maps, student assemblies to ask questions, bulletin boards and classroom ideas.
- http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html: contains information used by government agencies on geographical, demographic, government, economic and infrastructure data.
- http://city.net: contains information on areas and countries of the world.
- http://www.nmnh.si.edu/departments/anthro.html: provides anthropology notes from the Smithsonian Institution, including recent research, teaching strategies, and a national network of anthropologists, archaeologists, and others.
- http://www.cis.yale.edu/pieris: provides the ability to conduct on-line browsing of a Teaching Resource Collection Library and includes a directory of approximately 5000 educational audio-visual and print resources on Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and global issues.
Evaluation:
Administer a 10-minute quiz to assess students' understanding of the subject matter. Material will be incorporated into unit and quarterly tests and examinations.
Extension:
- Encourage students to read Greek literature and look for examples of Greek architecture and art in their environment.
- Provide students with web sites that provide additional information regarding the Ancient Greece and the Hellenistic Age.
Cautions and Concerns:
This lesson presumes map reading and analytical capabilities on the part of the students and may require re-teaching previous instruction to some. Without basic skills, this would be a difficult lesson.
Written By: Kjeld F. Christensen
Submitted By: Kjeld F. Christensen
Grade Taught: 9 - 9
School: Woodbridge Senior High School
Division: Prince William County Schools