Ancient Greece

Curriculum
 Contents
Below is a list of what is included in this document.

1. Teaching Ancient Greece

a. Short video explainer
b. What to consider
c. How to deliver
d. Learning outcomes
2. Lesson Plan Template
3. Suggested Worksheets

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How to Teach Ancient Greece
The ancient Greek
complex society, which
existed following the
Mycenaeans in 1200 BCE
ANCIENT
until the death of
Alexander the Great in
GREECE 323 BCE, became the
foundation of Western
civilization. From the
Dark Age to the Golden
Age of Greece, its
contributions in
philosophy, architecture,
literature, science, and
governance shaped our
modern societies. Teach
one of the glorious
civilizations of all time
Short video explainer using this curriculum
pack!

Before we start,
watch a short video
explainer about
Ancient Greece.
Access video using
this link:
https://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=gF
Rxmi4uCGo

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How to Teach Ancient Greece
What to consider

★ Develop geographical skills - Teaching about ancient

civilizations always begins with acquainting our learners with the
features and significance of geography. They need to be aware of
and realize the crucial role of the surroundings in the emergence
of complex societies such as the Greeks.
★ Use historical themes - Ancient and medieval history is often
presented and analyzed using themes. Themes such as Social
Structures, Political Systems, Human-Environment Interaction,
Cultures, and Economic Systems are used as a framework to
examine a region in a period of time and its historical changes.
Specific themes may include art, geography, empires, literature,
population movements, religion, war and conquest, science,
cities, agriculture, etc.
★ Identify history, religion, and mythology - Often discussed
together, it is vital to compare and contrast ancient Greek religion
and mythology. The good thing about this is we can kill two birds
with one stone. As we narrate the stories of heroism and
tragedies, we get to explore how the life and history of ancient
Greeks were shaped by religion and mythology.
★ Connect the past to the present - Relatability sparks interest.
For a lesson to be relatable, learners must connect the
significance of the past (ancient Greek contributions in varied
fields) to the present. Remember that history is not just a study of
the past. More importantly, it helps us understand our present
better.

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How to Teach Ancient Greece
How to deliver

★ Unlike other ancient civilizations, which occupied vast and

land-connected territories, ancient Greece was composed of
scattered independent city-states. But like other ancient
civilizations, we must start with geography. Using a world map
(traditional or interactive from Google Earth), discuss the
geographical location of ancient Greece. Emphasize the relative
location of the cities and the bodies of land and water in the
Mediterranean.
It is crucial to note that
ancient Greece was not
only Athens and Sparta.
There were over 1,000
city-states with main
polies such as Athens,
Sparta, Corinth, Thebes,
Syracuse, Aegina,
Rhodes, Argos, Elis, and
Erétria.
★ Aside from discussions about agriculture, trade, and other
economic activities related to geography, we may further the
discussion by asking our learners to infer the impact of physical
geography on the development of city-states and the idea of
democracy. Note that the landscape in the Mediterranean (rocky
mountains, rivers, and islands) served as physical barriers that
isolated one city-state from another. This fragmentary physical
feature made a central government challenging to consolidate. It
is safe to conclude that ancient Greek politics was regional.
Polies made a few alliances in the Classical period on threats of
foreign invasion, such as Philip II of Macedon.

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 How to Teach Ancient Greece
★ We can utilize time maps or timelines to supplement our discussion
using historical themes. Aside from learning the chronology of
events, time maps or timelines serve as a guide in presenting
change and continuity over time.

Mycenaean Period Archaic Age Classical Age Hellenistic Greece

(1600-800 BCE) (800-500 BCE) (500-323 BCE) (323-146 BCE)

● Dark Ages of Greece ● Development of ● Height of ● Incorporation

- lack of written city-states democracy with the
records ● Homer and The ● Golden Age - Roman
● Possible Iliad and The architecture & Empire
environmental Odyssey art ● Spread of
damage ● First Olympics ● Death of Greek culture
● Emergence of Greek ● Persian Wars Alexander the ● Scientific
alphabetic writing Great contributions

A sample timeline with dates and key features of each period

(from left to right) Death Mask of Agamemnon (Mycenaean Greece), Turtle coins from Aegina (Archaic
Greece), Soldiers helmet in a pottery (Classical Greece), and Tomb door (Hellenictic Greece)

★ A first-hand experience in exploring ancient Greece is to visit

museums that house Greek antiquities, and ruins in Greece.
Otherwise, we can present pictures of artifacts and ruins for
analysis. In the US, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York,
the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology in Philadelphia, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston,
and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology in Michigan have some of
the best antiquity collections.
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How to Teach Ancient Greece
★ Suppose a physical field trip to Greece is impossible. In that case,
we can turn our classrooms into mini museums with graphic-led
resources such as display posters showing the Greek gods and
goddesses, leaders, and philosophers. Smart television could
also be set up for virtual tours such as the acropolis. Learning
about Philosophy and the Humanities could be simple, relatable,
and practical.
★ Since most kids always ask the question “Why?” let’s turn their
curious minds and repeated question marks into academic yet
practical lessons in life. We do not need to go straight to the point
about Socrates and his axioms. Instead, we provide a venue for
application and theory to meet. To be relatable, here are some
animated films that have philosophical lessons in them:
○ Beauty and the Beast (2017) - For Plato,
physical reality (physical appearance) is only
perceived by the senses, while the intelligible
reality is perceived by reason. Common why
question from kids, “Why do I have freckles?
I’m not pretty!”. We may answer about
melanin and our skin’s mechanism to protect
us from the sun, but we must emphasize that
beauty is not about our physical appearance. Beauty and the Beast
○ Inside Out (2015) - Introduced by Plato and
developed by Aristotle, the theory of emotions
is a part of the human condition. Both Plato’s
The Republic and Aristotle's Rhetoric admitted
that philosophy originates from people’s
emotional responses. Common why question
from kids, “Why do grown-ups cry even when
they are happy?”. We may answer that
grown-ups have more complicated emotions, Inside Out
but what’s important is we tell them that crying
is okay and understanding others' emotions or
feelings are important. KIDSKONNECT.COM
How to Teach Ancient Greece
○ Soul (2020) - Plato’s idea of souls as they
separate from bodies upon death and travel to
the great beyond is used in the film only to
realize that our present life is worth living.
Common why question from kids, “Why can’t
they come back from heaven?” We may
answer that it’s not like going on a vacation,
and they have new missions to do. Soul
★ A critical and overarching feature of ancient Greece is mythology.
Like other early complex societies, Greek mythology is not only a
collection of stories about the acts of the gods. It is an integral
part of religion, in short, the daily life of ancient Greeks. You may
explore how to teach ancient Greek mythology in our Mythology &
Deities Curriculum.
★ Aside from dwelling on how mythology shaped ancient Greek
culture and beliefs, we can also direct a play with learners' and
parents' participation. Organize recital tragedies and comedies
featuring the works of Sophocles, Aristophanes, and Aeschylus.
★ It is also significant to discuss that despite being known for
pioneering democracy and western philosophical thoughts,
women in ancient Greece are least mentioned in male-dominated
historiography. Relating to regionalism, the narration about
women varied per city-state. In Sparta, women underwent
physical training as men, could drink wine, and were allowed to
own a parcel of land. In Athens, Aspasia and Agnodice were a
leader and a physician, respectively. Women were barred from
owning or inheriting lands or voting in most city-states. In
Athenian definition, only free men were considered citizens. Even
Aristotle believed that women were not intellectually capable of
making decisions. Despite women’s limited role in ancient Greek
society, female characters had a strong casting in mythology and
religion. Athena, Hera, Demeter, Persephone, and Aphrodite were
most revered.
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How to Teach Ancient Greece
★ Probably one of the most common yet crucial discussions on
ancient Greece is their pioneering contribution to the field of
medicine. Curious about the Hippocratic oath or ethics taken and
followed by physicians? It is taken from a Greek physician, now
known as the Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, who also used the
terms acute, epidemic, convalescence, and exacerbation, among
others. It is essential to note the concepts of change and
continuity in discussing how people then and today bridged the
causes of diseases from Hippocrates and Galen’s The Four
Humors, the Miasma theory in the Medieval period, and Pasteur
and Koch’s Germ Theory.
★ Wrap up the discussion by devising a concept map to be filled in
by the learners. Our concept map can be as complex as we can,
given that we explain the connections. Since a concept map is a
visual representation of the overall lesson, it should be easily
understood. A sample using the themes is provided below.
As a synthesis activity,
concept map-making can
be done in collaboration,
either by small or large
groups. Learners may
utilize smart boards,
traditional whiteboards,
and the classroom wall
(similar to a Gallery Sample of a simple
concept map
Walk).

★ For additional tips on how to teach ancient history, you may also
check our Ancient Egypt Curriculum.

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Learning outcomes

★ At the end of the lesson, learners must know the importance of

geography in the emergence and development of the Greek
city-states, especially the form of government, idea of democracy
and citizenship, nature of the military, trading patterns, and
isolation and independence of city-states.
★ Aside from knowing the foundation and concepts of democracy
and citizenship, in theory, our learners should be able to compare
then and today (i.e. Athenian democracy and American
representative democracy).
★ In addition to identifying the difference between ancient Greek
religion and mythology, learners must be able to comprehend how
these two shaped the ancient Greek civilization. How male
historians mentioned men and how women were portrayed in
mythology are only two aspects of gender politics.
★ More important than memorizing dates, learners are expected to
assess the change and continuity of ancient Greece over time
(from the Mycenaeans until the death of Alexander the Great).
★ Lastly, learners must appreciate and respect the importance of
material culture (artifacts and ruins) in unearthing the life of early
complex societies like the Greeks.

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 Lesson Plan Template
Teacher: Subject: Lesson:

Title: Grade: Date:

Materials Needed: Objectives:

Previous knowledge required:

Lesson delivery & discussion

Activities & assessment

Enrichment: Review:

Notes:

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 Suggested Worksheets
General lessons

★ Ancient Europe ★ Seleucid Empire

★ Ancient Greece ★ Seven Wonders of the World
★ Ancient Minoan ★ Sparta
★ Mythology & Deities Curriculum ★ Temple of Poseidon

Culture & Life People & Figures

★ Astrolabe ★ Aesop
★ Archaic Greece ★ Alexander the Great
★ Ancient Greek Architecture ★ Anaximander
★ Athens versus Sparta ★ Archimedes
★ Classical Greece ★ Archon Draco
★ Democracy (Ancient Greece) ★ Aristotle
★ Aristophanes
★ Greek Alphabet
★ Aristarchus
★ Greek Art ★ Democritus
★ Olympics ★ Epicurus
★ Euclid
Geography ★ Erasthosthenes
★ Herodotus
★ Acropolis ★ Heron of Alexandria
★ Aegean Sea ★ Homer
★ Athens ★ King Xerxes
★ Colossus of Rhodes ★ Mycenaean Greeks
★ Delphi ★ Plato
★ Greece ★ Pythagoras
★ Hellenistic States ★ Solon
★ Knossos ★ Sophocles
★ Mediterranean Sea ★ Delian League
★ Pergamon ★ Themistocles
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Mythology

★ Achelois ★ Pandora
★ Aphrodite ★ Pegasus
★ Arachne ★ Persephone
★ Ares ★ Perseus
★ Artemis ★ Polyphemus
★ Athena ★ Poseidon
★ Basilisk ★ Scylla
★ Centaurs ★ The Graces
★ Cerberus ★ The Iliad and Odyssey
★ Chimaera ★ The Muses
★ Cronus ★ The Sirens
★ Cyclops ★ The Titans
★ Gaia ★ Trojan War
★ Greek Creatures and Monsters ★ Zeus
★ Greek Gods
★ Hades
Events
★ Harpies
★ Hera
★ Heracles ★ Battle of Thermopylae
★ Hermes ★ Macedonian Wars
★ Hestia ★ Peloponnesian War
★ Hydra ★ Persian Wars
★ Medusa
★ Minotaur
★ Odysseus
★ Oedipus
★ Mythical Creatures

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