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The Delphic Oracle: Lesson Plan: Topic: Unit: Plos

This lesson plan examines the Delphic Oracle of Ancient Greece. Students will discuss rational and irrational means of predicting the future, and how question-askers play an active or passive role. They will learn about the oracle's role and process through a video and roleplaying its stages. Students will interpret historical oracular questions and responses, discussing the thought process required. Finally, they will consider whether the oracle required more philosophy ("ask yourself") or superstition ("ask the oracle") based on their experience.

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181 views3 pages

The Delphic Oracle: Lesson Plan: Topic: Unit: Plos

This lesson plan examines the Delphic Oracle of Ancient Greece. Students will discuss rational and irrational means of predicting the future, and how question-askers play an active or passive role. They will learn about the oracle's role and process through a video and roleplaying its stages. Students will interpret historical oracular questions and responses, discussing the thought process required. Finally, they will consider whether the oracle required more philosophy ("ask yourself") or superstition ("ask the oracle") based on their experience.

Uploaded by

api-320591165
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LessonPlan:

ComparativeCivilizations12

Topic:

theDelphicOracle
Unit:
AncientGreece
PLOs:
B2
analyseelementsandcharacteristicsthatcontributetotheidentityofcivilizations,
including:
structuresofpowerandauthority
beliefsystemsincorporatedintodailyactivities

D1
evaluatethecomponentsofvaluesystemswithinandamongcultures,including
religionandmythology

Timerequired:
80minutes
Higherlevelquestion:
Whatisthefuture?Whatdeterminesthecourseoffutureevents?

Materialsrequired:
Videos:
AncientMysteriesSecretsoftheOracleatDelphi(8:30)
Images:
ModernfortunetellingmethodsruinsandreconstructionsofDelphiApollo
andthePythonPythia.
Handouts:
FourstagesoforacularprocessSixhistoricaloracularquestionsand
responses

Time Teacheractions
Studentactions
Assessment
0/80 Ask:Whatmeansdowehaveto
lookintothefuture,toask
questionsaboutourown
futures?Howmanywayscan
youcomeupwith?

Openupdiscussionofanswers

W/partner:Discussmeansof

lookingintofuture,compilelist
ofsourcesofknowledgeabout
thefutureavailabletous.

Shareresultswithclass

6/80

W/partner:Discussmeansof

lookingintothefuture:rational
vs.Irrationaldiscussroleof
questionasker:activeorpassive

Shareresultswithclass

Ask:Ofthesemeansoflooking
intothefutureyouhave
identified:aretheyentirely
irrational,oristhereanelement
ofrationalitytothem?Isthe
questionaskerjustapassive
participant,ordotheyhavean
activeroletoplayinthe
process?

Openupdiscussionofanswers

10/80 Finalprequestion:What
authoritydoourmeansof
lookingintothefutureappeal

Raisehands:Suggestanswers

AfL:Ensure
thereisa
conceptof

to?Wheredoestheanswer
actuallycomefrom?

appealingtoan
outside
authority(god)
topredictfuture
>ifunclear,
regroupand
establishthis
conceptbefore
continuing

12/80 IntroduceDelphicoracle:
Askquestionsonaspectsthat
WhyisDelphiaholyplace?
remainunclearaboutDelphic
WhyisitconnectedwithApollo? Oracle
Whatisthe
adyton
?
WhoisthePythia?
Whatinspireshermessages?

20/80 Theoracularprocess:divide
Preparebriefskit/descriptionof Circulateamong
classintofourequalgroups,
stageoforacularprocess,
groups,AfL:ask
eachgroupreceivessummaryof presenttoclassinturn
questions
onestageoforacularjourney:
relatingto
JourneytoDelphi,
relevantDelphi
PreparationoftheSupplicant,
content
VisittotheOracle,Return
introducedin
Home
previoussection
whilegroupsare
preparingskits
35/80 Introducevideo:Ancient
Watchvideo
SecretsMysteryoftheOracle
atDelphi(8:30)
Setup:Thisvideopresentsa
starkcontrastbetweentwoways
ofinterpretingthefutureand
ourfate:supertitious(askthe
oracle)vs.philosophical(ask
yourself)

45/80 Divideclassintosixgroups>
distributeoracular
situation/questionsheets
Stressthatalloraclesrequire
interpretation,andthatifthey
appeartoinviteanobviousor
straightforwardanswer,theyare
likelymisleading

Projecthistoricaloutcomeof
oracularquestionresponseon

Circulateamong
groups:AfL>
assesswhether
groupsare
approaching
interpretation
activityfrom
historical
perspective

Ingroups,digestsituationand
devisetheirowninterpretation
historicaloracularresponse
fromperspectiveofthe
historicalquestioner

Inturn,groupcomestofrontof
class,describestheiroracular

overhead>Ask:Whatwould
thispersonhavehadtodoto
interprettheiroraclecorrectly?
Whatwouldtheyhavetoknow
aboutthemselvestointerpret
theiroraclecorrectly?

Ask:Whatpatterns,ifany,can
weseeinthekindofthought
processrequiredtosuccessfully
interpretoracles

Ask:Thinkbacktothecontrast
presentedbythevideo
superstition(asktheoracle)vs.
Philsophy(askyourself)>from
whatwehaveseenabouthow
theoraclesactuallywork,isthis
contrastanaccurateone?

Suggest:Thecorrect
interpretationoforaclesisitself
theprocessofaskingquestions
aboutoneself,knowthyself,
Shakespeare,
JuliusCaesar
,
Thefaultisnotwithourstars,
butwithourselves

question/response,presents
theirinterpretation,receives
historicaloutcome,compares
theirinterpretationtohistorical
outcome

Ingroups:discusswhatthought
processisrequiredforcorrect
interpretationoforacles

Discussinpartners,decide:
Doesthe
superstition/philosophy
contrastpresentedbythevideo
holdupbasedonwhatwehave
experienced?

72/80 Openupdiscussionofprevious Discussknowlearnaskchart


class'reading:RobinLaneFox, withpartner,shareanswers
Sparta
withclass
Howwastheexperienceof
respondingviathe
knowlearnaskchart?
Easier/harderthanopenended
response?
Whatstuckwithyoufromthis
reading?Whataresomethings
thatwoundupintheLearned
column?
Whatquestionsdidthis
readingbringupforyou?

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