Understanding Geography and
Settlement in Ancient Greece
Phase 1: Settling in Regions of Ancient Greece
HA 1.1
Period 2 Groups
1
Smith, Leah
Miller, Sadie
Dixon, Orrin
2
Seabaugh, Hanna
York, Madison
Thompson, Jordan
3
Buxton, Sydney
Peterson, Noah
Fitzen, Kim
4
Morgan, Autumn
Redmond, Jessica
Plew, Jonas
5
Dodge, Paisley
Omer, Caden
Stradley, Daniel
6
Henson, Dylan
Hardy, Katie
Curtis, Alex
7
Martinsen, Aabrey
VanWey, Taylor
8
Steffans, Alex
Sandidge, Ender
Period 3 Groups
1
Aldous, Natalie
VanWey, Conor
Valdez, Daniela
2
Allen, Baylee
Melad, Kaden
Lopez, Brianna
3
Dodge, Hyde
Longstreet, Chantel
Masiewicz, Violet
4
Harrop, Berkeley
Coombs, Jennifer
MacFarlane, Alina
5
McLinn, Abigail
Munoz Lopez, Juliana
6
Sandidge, Thaddaeus
Moroshan, Emma
Grover, Jessica
Period 6 Groups
1
Andrews, Darrien
Reece, Elisa
Sweeter, Paige
Erickson, Micah
2
Sheehan, Dylan
Hedrick, Tylar
Riess, Logan
Elliott, Katrina
3
Baker, Dallin
Zimmerschied, Grace
Metcalf, Andrew
Montz, Olivia
4
Koff, Theron
Davenport, Alyssa
Harrop, Oliver
5
Felix, Logan
Erekson, Savannah
Fusselman, Jeret
6
Sprik, Jayden
Yahr, Olivia
Heiner, Aaron
7
Jones, Lucas
Correa, Bryanna
Jacobsen, Carsyn
8
Yeomans, Brooke
Miller, Emma
Grover, Bailee
Goals

Today you will simulate how
geography affected settlement
and culture in Ancient Greece.
You will need to use the map
I’ve given you. Please glue or
tape it into your ISN notebook
on Page 27. Trim the edges and
leave plenty of space to take
note. Write Settling
Ancient Greece in your table
of contents for page 27.

Have someone in your group get
25 sheets of newspaper and
write your group’s number on
each sheet.
Getting Your Bearings

Locate the cardinal directions in Room
430

When directed, use your map as a
reference and have your group stand in
the simulated landscape to show the
location of the assigned physiographic
feature.

Crete

Ionian Sea

Adriatic Sea,

Mediterranean Seam

Aegean Sea

Gulf of Corinth

Mount Olympus

How is the room layout similar to the
map?

How is the room layout different than the
map?
How did geography affect settlement in
Ancient Greece?

You are members of rival tribes.
Each tribe is looking for the best site
to settle in Ancient Greece.

Quickly look at your map. Choose a
site to settle and as a group sit in the
corresponding area in the simulated
landscape.

You CAN NOT

Sit on desks-they are mountains

Go past the coastline (the taped
area)

You have 2 minutes to SILENTLY
settle.

Mark an asterisk on the
corresponding location to where you
are settle on your paper map.
Debrief Settlements

Why did you settle where you did?

What are the positive aspects of your site? The
negative aspects?

Reach out and try to touch hands with students in
another group. Is it easy or difficult? How would you
describe the proximity of your site to other sites?

What would you do if you wanted goods, such as
different items such as different food items or
precious metals, that aren’t available at your site?
Claiming land

Each sheet of paper represents a section of land your clan
can cultivate.

You will claim cultivatable land for your settlement by
placing as many sheets of paper side-by-side on the floor.

Sheets of paper should be placed close together so sides
are touching, but the should not overlap.

You can’t place paper on desks or outside area marked by
masking tape.

The more sheets of paper a group places on the floor, the
more productive your settlement will.
Debrief Claiming Land
Period
Group
Total # Sheets Claimed
2
1
25+++
2
2
25
2
3
25++
2
4
25
2
5
25
2
6
25
2
7
8
2
8
25+
• Which group had the most productive settlement? …the least productive?
• Why were some settlements more productive than others?
• What would you do if your settlement needed different products and you couldn’t
claim more territory?
• Describe how groups acted toward each other using one or two word phrases?
• How is this activity similar to what happened between Greek settlements in
ancient times?
Debrief Claiming Land
Period
Group
Total # Sheets Claimed
3
1
25
3
2
16
3
3
17
3
4
25
3
5
21
3
6
25
• Which group had the most productive settlement? …the least productive?
• Why were some settlements more productive than others?
• What would you do if your settlement needed different products and you
couldn’t claim more territory?
• Describe how groups acted toward each other using one or two word phrases?
• How is this activity similar to what happened between Greek settlements in
ancient times?
Debrief Claiming Land
Period
Group
Total # Sheets Claimed
6
1
16
6
2
25
6
3
25
6
4
7
6
5
17
6
6
18
6
7
26
6
8
22
• Which group had the most productive settlement? …the least productive?
• Why were some settlements more productive than others?
• What would you do if your settlement needed different products and you
couldn’t claim more territory?
• Describe how groups acted toward each other using one or two word phrases?
• How is this activity similar to what happened between Greek settlements in
ancient times?
Mark and label the eight
ancient Greek settlements
represented in our simulated
landscape onto your ISN map
on page 27. Spelling,
neatness, and placement
count!
Delphi
Thebes
Marathon
Athens
Corinth
Mycenae
Sparta
Knossos
Now annotate your map to show the
ways geography affected settlement and
culture in ancient Greece.
Use the model to the left.
• Marathon/Athens – Limited farmland
encouraged rivalries among
settlements
• Mycenae – Hillsides were ideal for
growing grapes and olives.
• Knossos – Coastal settlements
encouraged ancient Greeks to engage
in overseas trade.
• Plains: less than one-fourth of
Greece’s land was level enough for
farming grains.
• Mountains: Mountains separated
ancient Greece into small, isolated
regions.
ISN Notebook Page 26

Table of contents- Move to
Greece Ad

Create a real-estate
advertisement using words and
visuals that would have
encouraged people to move to
Greece in ancient times. Your
advertisement must include
information about the
geography of ancient Greece
and the opportunities for trade
and farming.

Color, spelling, grammar, and
neatness count!
Don’t forget your slogan!