Download The Legacy of Ancient Greece

óνοµα __________________________________
ηµεροµηνια ___________________
The Legacy of Ancient Greece
leg·a·cy (n.): Something handed down or that remains from a previous generation or time.
What could be more American than the sight of Washington, D.C.’s inspiring monuments or the U.S.
Capitol Building? This distinctive architecture has come to symbolize the democratic ideals we hold
sacred. And yet the style of these buildings is actually a revival of the classic architecture developed
by the ancient Greeks more than 3,000 years ago.
And while many Americans think that democracy began in the United States, the idea of democracy
only took root and matured here. It too originated in ancient Athens.
The ancient Greeks were philosophers, historians, playwrights, architects, mathematicians, and
scientists. They developed the study of geometry and laid the foundation for the modern study of
medicine. Classical Greek literature and philosophy are studied in school even today. One Greek
institution, the Olympics, has become history’s most celebrated int’l athletic event.
Indeed, our modern way of life is the result of ideas handed down through the ages, and many of
them originated in ancient Greece. In this assignment, you will present a political, intellectual,
cultural, or artistic contribution of the ancient Greeks and examine how that particular contribution
continues to thrive in our country today.
This assignment contains three components:
1) research of your topic using valid, acceptable sources (no Wikipedia)
2) completion of a worksheet on your two major sources used in researching your topic – at least
one must be an Internet source (remember to use MLA format); and
3) a one-minute or longer presentation to the class. Most of your presentation should focus on
your topic as it existed in ancient Greece, but you should conclude by observing to what extent this
legacy of ancient Greece is evident in the United States or in world today.
The topics for this project are listed below:
 Geography of Greece
 Physics (Archimedes)
 Mathematics (Euclid, Pythagoras)
 Medicine (Hippocrates/Hippocratic Oath)
 Athenian Democracy & Trial by Jury
 Pericles (Strong leader)
 Fables (Aesop)
 Herodotus (the Father of History)
 the Greek Alphabet
 Athens: Culture & Society
 Sparta: The Military Polis (Culture &
Society)
 Greek warfare (weapons, armor and
formations)













the Oracle of Delphi & Greek worship
the Iliad and the Odyssey (Homer)
Philosophy: Socrates
Philosophy: Plato
Philosophy: Aristotle
Drama: Tragedy & Comedy
Theater design
Architecture
the Parthenon
the Acropolis
the Elgin Marbles
the Olympics
the Marathon (the Battle of Marathon
and Pheidippides)
Review of Requirements:
 Quality research on your topic – a minimum of two sources for your research – at least one
must be an Internet source (no Wikipedia).
 A completed worksheet explaining what makes your selected research materials quality
sources; this worksheet will be emailed to the teacher and will include working hyperlink(s).
 An EXCITING one-minute plus presentation to the class (no notes, no index card, no reading).
The focus of this project is on the oral presentation and how you engage the class – the quality of
your facts, your voice, and your body language should keep us interested from Alpha to Omega.