Download Ancient Greece: The Government, Culture, and Language Rationale

Ancient Greece:
The Government, Culture, and Language
Rationale: This unit encourages students to think outside their social studies textbook. Through
hands-on activities, and creative group lessons, the students are encouraged to discovery and explore
the lives of Ancient Greeks. They will create myths in the format of Ancient Greeks but relative to
today and based on current unknowns of the earth. Students will make cross-content connections in
reading, math, and science, and determine whether or not the Greeks were really as important to
current American culture as some people believe.
Unit Objectives:
1) Students will be able to identify how Greece's geography affects the growth of a civilization
2) Students will be able to make connections to modern day innovations in science, philosophy,
government and sports competitions
3) Students will be able to recognize and state main ideas of daily readings
4) Students will be able to explain and incorporate economic terms such as cause and effect and
interpret its importance in Greek society
5) Students will be able to compare and contrast the cultures of Sparta and Athens
6) Students will be able to analyze the structure of Greek city-states
7) Students will be able to replicate Ancient Greek mythology by creating explanations of current
world events
8) Students will be able to summarize basic Greek facts through the use of graphic organizers and
T-charts
9) Students will be able to interpret graphic sources of information
Unit Standards
1. 17.a.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather
information about people, places and environments
2. 17.c.2c Explain how human activity affects the environment
3. 16.a.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources
4. 16.c.2b Describe the basic economic systems of the world's great civilizations
5. 16.E.1 Compare depictions of the natural environment that are found in myths, legends,
folklore and traditions
6. 18.B.3a Analyze how individuals and groups interact with and within institutions
Complete Unit Overview
January 31
Standards:
 17.a.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather information
about people, places and environments
Objective:
 SWBAT identify how Greek's geographic characteristics effect daily life and economy
Instructional Format:
 Large Group Discussion
Description:
 As a whole group, the class will play “Where in the World is the Mystery Country” starting with
a blank map of ancient Greece. They will be asked to identify where they think the major cities
will be based on characteristics that will change as the slideshow progresses. The students may
change their answers based on the topography, relationship to water, rainfall, etc. They will not
know the name of the country until the end of class.
February 1 (Shortened day due to Achievement Net testing)
Standards:
 1.C.1b Identify themes and context (READING STANDARD)
Objective:

SWBAT create organizers for the main themes and topics of the unit in bulleted form
Instructional format:
 Individual, hands-on creation
Description:
 Foldables are large pieces of construction paper that are folded into fourths. In each fourth the
students will write the main topic of each section of the chapters and as they read throughout
the week they will add the supporting and main ideas to the sections. This allows the students
a new way of organizing their data as well as an easy way to identify what the whole class has
deemed as “important” for future assignments and assessments.
February 2 (Shortened day due to Achievement Net Testing)
Standards:
 17.a.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather information
about people, places and environments
Objective:
 SWBAT complete a map as they read along with the text to fill in the major cities, rivers, and
topography of Ancient Greece 4) SWBAT identify main ideas and supporting details of a text
Instructional format:
 Large group read aloud, individual map completion
Description:
 As a group, the students will “Popcorn” read from the textbook about the land of ancient
Greece. As we get to key regions, cities and waterways in the reading, the students will place
them on their individual maps. Similarly, students will practice finding the main idea and
supporting details (in preparation for the ISAT) by creating foldable organizers.
February 3
Standards:
 17.a.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather information
about people, places and environments
 17.c.2c Explain how human activity affects the environment
 16.c.2b Describe the basic economic systems of the world's great civilizations
Objective:

SWBAT make connections with environment and economy and explain how people use natural
resources in their daily lives
Instructional format:
 Paired reading, individual map completion
Description:
 If necessary, the students will finish their work from the class period before and then, as pairs,
the students will switch off reading about the economy of ancient Greece and how landforms,
and climate effect the economy. The will place symbols of each good on the map where they
are found, and continue collecting main ideas in their foldable organizers.
February 4
Standards:
 16.c.2b Describe the basic economic systems of the world's great civilizations
 17.c.2c Explain how human activity affects the environment
Objectives:
 SWBAT identify the causes and effects of the how the Ancient Greek economic system
functioned.
 SWBAT work in small groups to create their own cause-and-effect scenario
Instructional format:
 Large Group Discussion, small group collaborative work
Description:
 After reviewing the economic structure and system of Ancient Greece, the group will discuss
what would happen if one part of the system stopped working and how it would effect people
in Greece and in surrounding regions. They will then break off into groups of 3-4 and create
their own scenarios in response to a pre-determined problem that arises in the student's
everyday life. EX: You and your friends decide that you don't have to wear your uniforms to
school. What is the effect of this action?
February 7
Standards:
 16.c.2b Describe the basic economic systems of the world's great civilizations
Objectives:
 SWBAT identify how Greece become a power because of their economy and relationships with
other states.
 SWBAT compare and contrast Greek Army/Navy/AF/Marines in Ancient times to the military
branches in the USA today.
Instructional format:
 Group discussion, Group read aloud
Description:
 As a group we will “popcorn” read the textbook chapter about the Birth of Greek Civilization
in order to identify how Greece came to be a great power. We will discuss the similarities and
differences between modern Military branches and ancient systems and how people became
a part of the military in Greece.
February 8
Standards:
 1.C.2c Compare and contrast the content and organization of selections (READING STANDARD)
 18.B.3a Analyze how individuals and groups interact with and within institutions
Objectives:
 SWBAT create a venn diagram comparing and contrasting the Minoan/Mycenae/Phoenicians
who lived in Greece.
Instructional format:
 Individual silent reading, individual diagram creation
Description:
 While reading content from, The Age of Greece students will fill in their diagrams comparing
the three different peoples of Greece. They will create connections and differences between all
three and be asked to explain in writing how the three were similar and how they were
different.
February 9
Standards:
 18.B.3a Analyze how individuals and groups interact with and within institution
 3.C. 2A Write for a variety of purposes, including narrative, expository, and persuasive writings
WRITING STANDARD
Objective:
 SWBAT compare the Greek City State Acropolis system with modern systems in the US.
Instructional format:
 Group read aloud, group discussions
Description:
 As a group, the class will read about the Greek city-state structure and define acropolis,
oligarchy, etc. They will then read short summaries of life in the Greek States and write a
persuasive letter to the king/dictator based on which city-state they would want to live in. They
will have to be as persuasive as possible if the king is to let them into the community and must
provide details and characteristics as to why they belong in a particular city state. SEE
HANDOUT
February 10
Standards:
 16.a.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic
documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources
Objectives:
 SWBAT explain where our modern alphabet came from based on the ancient Greek writing
system
Instructional format:
 Group discussion, paired activity
Description:
 As a group, we will compare how the Greek alphabet is similar/different to the modern English
alphabet. Then, the students will write each other notes using the Greek alphabet and their
partner will “Crack” it. SEE HANDOUT.
February 14
Standards:
 18.B.3a Analyze how individuals and groups interact with and within institutions
Objectives:
 SWBAT compare and contrast using a Venn Diagram the lives of people living in Athens and
Sparta
 SWBAT present their research finds to their class peers
Instructional format:
 group read aloud, individual comparisons
Description:
 As a group we will read an excerpt from The Age of Greece that compares the lives of women,
men and children in Sparta and Athens. This will be the introduction to the students research
projects about either Spartan Sports or Athenian art. They will be placed in groups of 3-4 for
their projects that will be on going for two days.
February 15-18
Description:
 In groups, students will research Spartan sports or Athenian art based on their own choice.
They will then present their findings in a way that is interactive and engaging for their peers.
Example: Students who choose to research sports will have to present the sport to the group
and maybe even teach it. Those with the art option will have to either find pictures of the art
or create a replica.
February 22-24
Description:
 Students will be introduced to Greek traditions, arts and poetry. They will be given time to
research as small groups the different Gods and Goddesses of Greek myths and be given time
during ISAT to create their own myths about a modern event (EX: traffic, sports, homework).
This will be an ongoing assignment with timing that varies based on when the students will be
in class during ISAT.