Download The Legacy of Classical Greece

The Legacy of Classical
Greece
In this lesson, students will be able to
identify accomplishments of classical Greek
civilization.
Students will be able to identify and/or
define the following terms:
Democracy
Parthenon
Socrates
Pythagoras
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A classical civilization is a civilization that
has given the world important ideas and
inventions that people still use today.
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Ancient Greek civilization is
considered a classical civilization.
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Athenian Democracy
• The ancient Greek city-state of Athens
developed the first democratic
government.
• A democracy is a system of government
where citizens participate in government.
• Only free men born in Athens could be
citizens. Women, slaves, and foreigners
could not vote.
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The ancient Athenians were the first
people to use voting as a form of
participation in government.
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Architecture
• The Greeks built temples with beautiful
columns.
• Greek architecture still influences people
today.
• Many government buildings in the United
States are modeled after Greek temples.
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The Parthenon was a Greek temple to the
goddess, Athena. Notice the use of
columns.
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The U.S. Supreme Court building
is clearly influenced by the Parthenon.
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Classical Greek Philosophy
• The ancient Greeks were the first students
of philosophy. They wanted to know the
meaning of life and how people should
live.
• Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato,
and Aristotle still influence people today.
• Socrates encouraged people to think for
themselves and to ask questions.
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Socrates was a great Greek philosopher.
He was tried and found guilty of corrupting
the youth of Athens. For encouraging
people to ask questions, he was forced
to commit suicide.
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The Greek Mathematicians
• The ancient Greeks also made advances
in mathematics.
• Pythagoras, Euclid, and Archimedes were
important Greek mathematicians.
• The Pythagorean theorem examines the
relationship between the three sides of a
right triangle.
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The ancient Greeks gave us many
important mathematical theorems.
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The Legacy of Classical Greece
• A legacy is defined as something handed
down from the past.
• The ancient Greeks have passed down
many important ideas and inventions to
our modern world.
• Democracy, the use of columns,
mathematical ideas, and philosophies are
just a few of the ideas passed down to
modern people from the ancient Greeks..
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The ancient Greeks were the first
people to perform plays
and write comedies and dramas.
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Questions for Reflection:
• Define legacy.
• List two important contributions of the
ancient Greeks to the modern world.
• How do Greek ideas concerning
government still influence us today?
• How do Greek ideas concerning
architecture still influence us today?
• Why is ancient Greece considered a
classical civilization?
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