Gr.

8 Ancient Greek Culture

Students are to hand in their notes at the end of a section so I can look over them
and make sure all information is correct and all there so I can make sure they are
truly learning.
There is marks for the graphic novel, the mapping of Ancient Greek sites, the fill in
the blank work shop and a test
All Lectures longer than 15-20 minutes there will be a 2-5 minute stretching,
meditation, short energy booster activity (Simon Says, or along those lines) .
I would like to organize an Olympics for all grade eights for a day activity. The
classes will compete against one another, individually (teachers switch classes) and
as a large group. The classes will compete and earn points for doing math problems,
science experiments, history questions, poetry/theatre and doing physical activities.
(Promote the spirit of community and friendly competition, of fairness and equality
for all.)

1 class: Origin Story

GLO: Students Will Be able To Describe an overview of the Theogony and the
creation of our universe through the lens of an ancient Greek person.KI-016
Describe the importance of Greek myths in ancient Greek culture.
Hand the students the fill in the blank and their copy of the Theogony as they enter
the class.
(5-10 minutes)
Class discussion:
- A little talk about how fun and interesting the study of Ancient Greek culture
is, how much there is to learn and even more mysteries yet to be solved. How
this is just a very brief overview of what can be learnt in this subject.
- Ask the class why am I starting with mythology, what is the purpose of
learning about ancient ways of viewing the world.
(5-10 minutes) (video length: 5:36)
Video doing a quick overview of the main parts of the Theogony. Students are to do
a fill in the blank along with the video.
- Replay if students did not get all the information filled in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2zYc71i32I
After the movie ask if this reminds them of anything about our scientific view (Big
Bang). Talk about how many other ancient religions and views can be a simpler
explanation of science, to some degree.
(15-20 minutes)
Read the Theogony to the students, get some of them to read a section. Help guide
them with the tougher words.

2-3 Classes: Olympians

GLO: Students Will Be Able To use their research skills to look up information about
two Olympian gods and share their information to their classmates. VH-011
Appreciate stories, legends, and myths of ancient societies as important ways to
learn about the past.
I-pads needed and maybe booklets made.
First Class: (30-35 minutes)
Each table is assigned a number and two Gods to research. They are to answer the
following questions; What is an alternate name for them? Who are they related
and/or married to? What attributes do they have? What powers and influence do
they have? What is one story that they are a part of? Tell the students they are to
hand in their research notes at the end of class, that they will get them back
tomorrow.
1: Zeus and Ares
2: Poseidon and Athena
3: Hades and Apollo
4: Aphrodite and Artemis
5: Hephaestus and Hera
Exit Slip (5 minutes): students are to write a short paragraph about which God they
enjoyed researching about and why or what are their thoughts about Hesiods
Theogony.

Second Class: (30-35 minutes)

- If the students havent finished answering all the questions, get them to
finish doing their research and start this class the next day.
Hand back the research notes to the students as they enter the class.
Tell the students they are to have one 1, one 2, one 3, one 4 and one 5 per table.
Just make sure to have all ten gods at each table. Once they are in their groups,
they are to tell the other students what they have learnt about the two gods they
had to research. The other members are to write down what the other students are
teaching them.
Students are to hand in their research notes at the end of class.
Exit Slip if needed: get the students to write what they thought about their
experience with this activity.

4-5 Classes: Heroes

GLO: Students Will Be Able To use their inquiry skills to do research on an Ancient
Greek Hero and make a picture book of one of their stories. VH-011 Appreciate
stories, legends, and myths of ancient societies as important ways to learn about
the past.
I-pads and booklets needed
First Class:
(30-35 Minutes)
Get the students seated and hand out a fill in the blank worksheet to the students.
They are to watch these three movies and fill in the blanks as the movies are being
played. Pause every few minutes and ask the students if they got everything. Ask a
random student what they got for one of the fill in the blanks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-3rHQ70Pag The Odyssey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faSrRHw6eZ8 The Iliad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QadXWlhkWq8 Herakles

(5-10 Minutes)
Talk to the class and ask them if they think anything can be used from the Ancient
Greeks Myths to extrapolate about how Ancient Greek society was organized and
their daily lives. How the Ancient Greeks stories about the gods and of
men/demigods were similes and metaphors about their own lives.
Get students to hand in the fill in the blank at the end of class.
Second Class:
I-pads (1-2 Days) and Booklets made
Hand out the assignment booklet to the students as they enter the class. Once
seated go over the assignment with the students. They are to choose one of the
three Greek Heroes they learnt about yesterday.
- They are to create a seven page graphic novel of a Greek Hero, front page is
to be a cover page and a reference page is to be on the back of the booklet.
- Each page is to have an illustration of the scene (Hand Drawn, A Picture or
From a Greek Vase Painting)
- Each page is to have a paragraph describing who is in the scene, a brief
overview of what is happening and how they think it describes how Ancient
Greek society was.
Third to Fifth Class:
Students are to continue to work on their research and create their graphic novel.

1 Class: Geography
http://ancient-greece.org/images/maps/map-divisions/9-greece.jpg
(30-35 Minutes)
I-pads, SMART Board and Textbook
GLO: Students Will Be Able To use their inquiry skills to find important locations
throughout Ancient Greek times around the Eastern Mediterranean.
Students are to find the locations of 15-20 important places throughout Ancient
Greek History and mark its location on their own map, they are also to write one to
two sentences about why it is important. This is for marks and is to be handed in at
the end of the class.
Athens, Sparta, Knossos, Troy, Mycenae, Thebes, Hellespont, Ithaca, Corinth,
Rhodes, Olympia, Byzantium, Eleusis, Delphi, Mt. Olympus, Marathon, Salamis.
Exit Slip (5 minutes): students are to write about which place they want to visit and
why.

4-5 Classes: Bronze Age: Minoan and Mycenaean Civilization

GLO: Students Will Be Able To describe the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures and
their art and architecture.
KH-031 Identify people, events, and ideas in ancient Greece and Rome.
KP-046 Identify factors that influenced the rise and decline of ancient Greece and
Rome.
KE-056 Describe technologies and achievements in ancient Greece and Rome.
Examples: architecture, transportation, weapons, aqueducts.
VI-005 Appreciate the enduring qualities of the arts, architecture, science, and ideas
of ancient Greece and Rome.
First Class:
(30-35 Minutes)
Show the students a quick video of a reconstruction of Knossos
You are to hand the students a page with the layout of Knossos and the other
pictures from the power point.
Describe the palace at Knossos, the layout and the uses of several of the rooms
(light wells and halls/great rooms). You are also to describe the art of the Minoans,
their frescos and pottery. Also describe what we know of their religion. Linear A
Students are to copy down the information from the power point slides.
Second Class:
I-pads
(30-35 Minutes)
Students are to answer the following questions about the Minoan culture. Three or
more complete sentences.
- When did the Minoan culture exist?
- What was the Minoan social structure like?
- Who did the Minoans interact with?
- Where did they get their power from?
- Why did the Minoan culture collapse? (No single reason!)
Exit Slip (5 minutes): students are to write what they find most interesting about the
Minoan culture and why.

Third Class:
(30-35 Minutes)
You are to hand out a page of the layout of Mycenae and the other pictures from the
power point.
You are to describe the layout of Mycenae and how it differed from Minoan palace
building. You are to describe the art and the two grave circles (A and B). Linear B.
Students are to copy down the information from the power point slides.
Forth Class:
(30-35 minutes)
I-pads and booklet made
Students are to do research so they can answer the following questions about
Mycenaean culture. Three or more complete sentences.
- When did the Mycenaean culture exist?
- Who did they interact with?
- Where did the Mycenaean culture get its power from?
- What was the Mycenaean social structure like?
- Why did the Mycenaean culture collapse? (No single reason!)
Exit Slip (5 minutes): students are to write about which society they would rather be
in and why?

5-6 Classes: Athens and Sparta, the rise of their power.

GLO: Students Will Be Able To describe the two different societies of Athens and
Sparta. How they were created and how the two societies operated their daily lives.
They will be able to describe some key figures from each society and some major
events in the two cities lives.
- KI-015 Compare and contrast life in Sparta and Athens. Examples: social
roles, education, governance, beliefs.
- KH-031 Identify people, events, and ideas in ancient Greece and Rome.
- KC-002 Describe the rise of democracy in ancient Greece.
- KC-003 Compare criteria for citizenship and participation in government in
ancient Greece and in contemporary Canada.
- KP-046 Identify factors that influenced the rise and decline of ancient Greece
and Rome.
- KE-056 Describe technologies and achievements in ancient Greece and
Rome. Examples: architecture, transportation, weapons, aqueducts.
- VC-001 Appreciate the contributions of ancient Greece to modern concepts of
citizenship and democracy.
- VI-005 Appreciate the enduring qualities of the arts, architecture, science,
and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome.

First Class:
(5-10 Minutes)
As the students walk into the class hand them the page about the Dark Ages for
Ancient Greece. Once seated briefly describe how after the collapse of the
Mycenaean culture, the archeological record shows no grand building or use of
writing for hundreds of years. Get the students to talk as a class as to why they
think that the Dark Ages happened and what may have happened during the Dark
Ages.
(30-35 Minutes)
Give the power point presentation on Sparta. Describe the dual monarchy and
government of Sparta. Citizenship, rights and slavery (helots). The military training
and education of children (boys and girls). Talk about daily life. Patron god of Sparta.
King Agis II
Students are to copy the information from the slides.

Second Class:
(5-10 Minutes)
Ask the students what they know about Athens, have a quick class discussion.
(30-35 minutes)
I-pads
The students are to do research to answer the following questions about Athens?
- When was Athens founded?
- Who created democracy and when did they do it?
- How did you become a citizen of Athens?
- What rights did you have as a citizen of Athens?
- List three famous people from Athens? Write two or more sentences of why
they are famous.
- Where did Athens gain its wealth (hint: a mine) and power?
- What helped make Athens impenetrable for many years? (hint: fortifications,
their main military power (Navy/Army) and Piraeus)
Students are to hand in their notes so I can look over them and make sure all
information is correct and all there so I can make sure they are truly learning.

Third Class:
(5-10 Minutes)
Students are to think of how democracy compares and contrasts between the
Ancient Athenians and Canadas democratic system.
(10-15 Minutes)
Students are to talk with their table group about what they think compares and
contrasts between the two systems. What they think about the differences between
the two.
(10-15 Minutes)
As a class we will write down all the similarities and differences the students think
there are. Discussing about what the students like and/or dislike about the
differences.

Fourth to Sixth Class: Persian Wars

Students are to copy the information from the slides, pictures from slides are to be
given out. They will be given the pictures from the slides in their own booklet. The
students are to do a fill in the blank worksheet and hand in after the videos are
done. Each one has 15-20 questions.
Talk about Herodotus, Thucydides and Plutarch. How this is what we believe
happened from their contradicting histories. Talk about how you need to look at all
aspects of life to find the truth, there is no one right perspective and we need to
critically think of things in order to find the truth.
Give the power point presentation describing the Persian wars. The Ionian Revolt.
First Invasion. Battle of Marathon: (21:53 Minutes) Show the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgijJ-zdHow to the students. Second invasion
and the battle of Thermopylae. Battle of Salamis: (11:07 Minutes) Show the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bJfOc7eEkc to the students. Battles of Plataea
and Mycale. Greek counter-attack and the Wars of the Delian League.

5-6 Classes: Art and Architecture

GLO: Students Will Be Able To tell me what art style for pottery belongs to what time
period. Describe Athens Acropolis and the Parthenon. Tell me about poetry (Epics:
Homer and Hesiod, Callimachus, Sappho, Solon) and plays (Electra)
- KH-032 Identify ways in which todays world has been influenced by the ideas
of ancient Greece and Rome. Examples: the arts, philosophy, science,
mathematics.
- KE-056 Describe technologies and achievements in ancient Greece and
Rome. Examples: architecture, transportation, weapons, aqueducts
- VI-005 Appreciate the enduring qualities of the arts, architecture, science,
and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome.
First Class: Athens Acropolis/Agora and Architectural Styles
(4:32 Minutes)
Show this quick video, no notes or worksheet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=xP-FsX0QW88
(30 Minutes)
Give the power point presentation. Talk about the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Styles.
Describe the Parthenon and the architectural styles used. Talk about the several
other buildings on the Acropolis. Explain what happened at the Agora. How the
square street system came to be.
Exit Slip (5 minutes): students are to talk about what they have enjoyed the most so
far about learning about the Ancient Greek Culture.

Second Class: Pottery

(5-10 Minutes)
Show the students the following videos:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lhjorlyfNw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zby6kwuIxZw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCriQNA8kBQ
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l5MWxI-gRg&spfreload=1
Ask the students if or what they know about the style of Ancient Greek pottery was
used to make the animations. If they can tell what each scene was about, tell them
that each video was used from actual pottery designs used by the Ancient Greeks.
(30-35 minutes)
Give the power point presentation to the students. Describe they development of
early pottery forms by the Minoans and Mycenaeans. The Dark Age and Geometric
Period. The Orientalizing Period. Black and Red Figure pottery.
The students are to copy the information from the slides and will be given a booklet
of the pictures from the presentation.

Third Class: Poetry

Students will get a copy of all the poems going to be talked about.
(5-10 Minutes)
Read the students the poem by Callimachus, Aetia fr. 1. Along the way ask the
students what a word means and or what the passage is talking about.
(10-15 Minutes)
You will then tell the class that the Epics of the Gods and Heroes were huge, long
poems. That they were written in the Dactylic Hexameter and describe how the
style worked.
(10-15 Minutes)
Read a couple fragments from Sappho, Alcaeus and Anacreon. Ask the students
what they think each passage is talking about or what they think of it. Talk about
how they changed the ways of how to write poetry in Ancient Greece, stood up to
the rigidness of the old and paved a way for new thinking.

Fourth Class: Plays

(5-10 Minutes)
Briefly describe how plays worked in Ancient Greece. Number of actors. Costumes.
Stage. Chorus.
(30-35 Minutes)
Have the students act out the play The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus. Ask the
students at the end if time what they think they can extrapolate from the play about
the daily lives of Ancient Greeks (funeral practices and anything else).
Fifth Class: Philosophy
Hand out the practice test for the students. Tell them to answer the test on their
free time and if they can answer all the questions correctly they will ace the test
coming up.
(35 minutes)
I-pads needed
The students are to do research on the life of Socrates and his teachings. They are
to answer the following questions for marks. List their resources and each question
should have four or more complete sentences.
- When did Socrates live
- Where did he live
- What were his teachings about
- Who were his pupils and who were his enemies
- Why was he sentenced to death
- How do you feel about what happened to Socrates.
If the students have not completed it by the end of class give them the next class to
finish the assignment and give those done a fun worksheet on Ancient Greece and
Rome. If done collect at the end of class.

3 Classes: Alexander and the rise of Greece as a super power.

GLO: Students Will Be Able To describe the birth and childhood of Alexander the
Great, along with his rise and conquest of Asia Minor into the Indus Valley. How he
reshaped the face of the Earth and directed the future for centuries to come (Even
to today).
- KH-032 Identify ways in which todays world has been influenced by the ideas
of ancient Greece and Rome. Examples: the arts, philosophy, science,
mathematics...
- KP-046 Identify factors that influenced the rise and decline of ancient Greece
and Rome.
- KE-056 Describe technologies and achievements in ancient Greece and
Rome. Examples: architecture, transportation, weapons, aqueducts...

First Class: Life of Phillip II and his rise to power.

(15-20 Minutes)
(7 minutes) show the students https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCUs43CYMoI.
They are to fill in the blanks on the worksheet. (10 minutes) go over the answers as
a class.
(15-20 Minutes)
Present the power point presentation and describe the childhood of Alexander III.
His adolescence and education. His exile and return. Students are to copy the
information from the slides and will be given copies of the pictures used in the
slides.

Second Class: Accession of Alexander the Great

(30-35 Minutes)
(11 Minutes) show the students https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LsrkWDCvxg.
They are to do a fill in the blank worksheet. (15 Minutes) go over the answers as a
class.
Exit Slip (5-10 Minutes): students are to write about their thoughts on Philip II and
Alexander the Great.
Third Class: Conquests of Alexander the Great and Empire Building
(6 Minutes) show the video http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-hellenistic-period-
definition-history-quiz.html#lesson to the students.
(30 Minutes)
Give the power point presentation describing the conquests of Persia, Egypt, and
parts of India. About his death and the creation of the Antigonid, Attalid and
Ptolemaic dynasties. The students will copy the information from each slide and will
be given copies of the pictures used.

Test day. Class has entire period to write. Students who finish early can do silent
reading or may work on homework from another class.