The History of Ancient Greece
Third Grade Teaching Unit
Prepared by: Molly Madden
Url: http://mamadden.wmwikis.net
Elementary Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction
CRIN E05
Professor Gail McEachron
The College of William and Mary
Fall 2012
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A Historical Narrative: Ancient Greece
Introduction
Greece is positioned on the Mediterranean Sea on landmasses on and around the
Balkan Peninsula (Berson, Howard, Shoob, & Salinas, 2011). About 2,500 years ago
during the period known as “Ancient Greece”, the Greeks set the foundation of what we
call “Western Civilization” by leaving behind a host of ideas, concepts, and art that are
undoubtedly some of the most significant legacies of any era (“Ancient-Greece”, 2012,
“Ancient Greeks”, 2012). Language and the alphabet, art and architecture, and
government are just a few examples of ancient Greek’s contributions (“Ancient-Greece”,
2012). Much of ancient Greek civilization has survived either directly or with slight
variation to our day. As a result, young learners must be exposed to ancient Greece in
order to understand some of the inspirations in their own society (Rice, 1902).
When developing any unit, considering purposeful state and national standards
are vital. The SOL for History and Social Science, 3.1, requires that students can explain
how the contributions of ancient Greece have influenced the present day in terms of
architecture, government, and sports. Another important Virginia standard is 3.4. This
standard entails students will develop their map skills by locating countries such as
Greece. The unit on ancient Greece also satisfies many national standards. According to
National Council for the Social Studies, students must know selected attributes and
historical developments of various societies in Europe. These standards, along with other
learning objectives, will be emphasized and used during this unit. Please see Appendix A
for a complete list of standards.
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Key Ideas and Events
Ancient Greece developed a plethora of ideas and innovations that we still use
today. Some of the key ideas stemming from this time period surround the notions of
architecture, arts and learning, and the government. Ancient Greece was covered with
rocky, rugged mountains, but the people of Greece put rock to good use by making them
into supportive structures for their buildings called columns (Masoff, 2010). The
Parthenon, developed roughly 2,500 years ago, is one of the most famous structures in
the world. Many American buildings have been inspired by its design. Art and the
theatre were also an important part of ancient Greece. Sculptures, paintings, and mosaics
were used to decorate buildings and depict scenes from daily life (Berson et al., 2011).
Many famous playwrights came out of this era and plays were performed in theatres and
at religious festivals. Additionally, learning progressed drastically during this time as
great thinkers, such as Socrates and Aristotle, began developing their philosophies
(Berson et. al, 2011). Even our language is shaped by ancient Greek words or culture.
For instance, a “Herculean task” is one that requires much effort and “Trojans” are what
we call computer viruses (“Impact”, 2011). Athens started the world’s first democracy.
All men who owned property could participate in an assembly to vote on new ideas for
the greater good of Greece (Masoff, 2010). Today, many governments are based on the
democratic ideals of ancient Greece. In addition to these modernizations, ancient Greece
was involved in many significant events in history.
Around 1200 B.C., the epic battle between Greece and Troy occurred (“Ancient
Greeks”, 2012). This influential war, later known as the “Trojan War”, began as a battle
for Helen who was the face that launched a thousand ships. After the Mycenaean
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civilization collapsed, Greece experienced about 300 years known as the “Greek Dark
Ages” (Chandler, 1999). During this time, many Greeks had to spend their time farming
rather than developing skills such as writing. Emerging after the Dark Ages was the
beginning of one of the largest contests known to man. The Olympics began in 776 B.C.
as part of a religious celebration (Masoff, 2011). In 700 B.C., two of the most influential
poems by Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey, were written. One of the largest
contributions of ancient Greece occurred in 500 B.C. The development of democracy
was established in Athens and free men were allowed to vote (“Ancient Greeks”, 2012).
Other monumental events during the ancient Greek era were the Persian Wars that
spanned between 490-479 B.C. (Chandler, 1999). Greece finally defeated the Persians in
a huge land battle at Plataea. In 431 B.C., war broke out between the city-states of
Athens and Sparta. After 27 years of fighting and other city-states joining the battle,
Athens was defeated (Chandler, 1999). Even after war, the Greeks fought one another
and were weakened by the feud. Soon, the king of Macedonia, Philip II, conquered
Greece and his son, Alexander, became King. After Alexander’s death, his generals
fought one another for control of the Empire that left the Empire extremely fragile. In the
end, the Romans conquered the civilization and Greece became part of the Roman
Empire in 146 B.C. (Chandler, 1999).
Men, Women, Youth and Children
Ancient Greeks were extremely religious people (“Culture”, n.d.). They
worshipped numerous gods whom were believed to appear in human form and were
empowered with super strength and beauty. Ancient Greeks believed that in order to live
a happy and prosperous life, one must keep the gods happy. Temples were constructed in
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every town to worship the various god or goddess (Barrow, 2008). Mount Olympus, the
highest mount in Greece, is where the twelve most important gods and goddesses lived
because it was often so cloudy no one could see its summit (Barrow, 2008). Many
festivals were held in honor of these gods.
Ancient Greek households consisted of other family members, including
grandparents, aunts, and uncles (Berson et al., 2011). Every member of the household
had different roles that were generally divided up by gender. For the most part, men
lived mostly public lives while women lived predominately private lives.
Men’s roles in ancient Greece were consumed with the government, fields and
manufacturing, theatre, athletics, and training in military (“Greek Men”, n.d.). Most
famous individuals coming from ancient Greece, including Homer, Aristotle, Plato,
Alexander the Great, Herodotus, and Archimedes, are men (“People”, 2012). Only men
could be considered full citizens and could participate in politics (Barrow, 2008). Since
the athletes in the Olympics were nude during competition, no women were allowed to
attend the event (“Olympics”, 2012). Unfortunately, all men were not free. Male slaves
were in charge of protecting the home and acted as tutors to the young male children
(“Greek Women”, n.d.).
With the exception of women in ancient Sparta, women from ancient Greece did
not have many freedoms outside their homes (“Greek Women”, n.d.). Only with the
permission from their husbands were they able to attend weddings, funerals, some
religious festivals, and visit female neighbors. Greek women were in charge of their
homes. Their main jobs consisted of running the house, making the clothes, and bearing
children. Female slaves, however, were in charge of the household work. These jobs
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included cooking, cleaning, and working in the fields. One of the most influential women
of the time was Olympias (“Top 10”, 2011). Olympias was the mother of Alexander the
Great. She was a feared leader and became regent to her grandson after the death of her
son. While regent, she tried to seize Macedonia.
Survival for children in ancient Greece was difficult. Unwanted children were left
to die outside or adopted by another family as a slave (“Ancient Greeks: Growing”,
2012). The children of ancient Greece spent the majority of their time with their mother
(“Children”, 2012). Girls would receive their entire education and training from home,
while boys might learn their father’s trade or attend school around the age of seven. Girls
reached puberty around the age of twelve or thirteen at which point they would marry the
man that their father chose. Around age sixteen, boys began to train for their chosen
trade. In Sparta, seven-year-old boys were taken into barracks where they trained in the
military
Closing and Legacy
Although the ancient Greek civilization occurred 2,500 year ago, their legacy
continues to thrive today. Our nation devotes many of its innovations and philosophies to
ideas that were fabricated during the ancient Greece era. One of the biggest
developments during ancient Greece was the concept of government and democracy.
Although our government and democratic activities have evolved since ancient times, the
foundations were set long ago. Ancient Greek legacies are encountered almost daily in
our civilization with science, mythology, athletics, the alphabet, libraries, mathematics,
and architecture. It is evident that this ancient society impacts us today and will more
than likely have an immense influence on future generations.
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References
Ancient-Greece.org (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ancient-greece.org/index.html.
Ancient Greeks: Growing up in Greece. (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/growing_up_in_greece/
Ancient Greeks: The Greek World. (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/greek_world/.
Barrow, M. (2008). Ancient Greece. Retrieved from http://www.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/greece/dailylife.htm
Berson, M.J., Howard, T.C., Shoob, S., & Salinas, C. (2011). Virginia Social Studies. Orlando,
FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Chandler, F. (1999). Usborne world history: Ancient world. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Children of Ancient Greece (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.historylink102.com/greece3/children.htm
Culture (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.crystalinks.com/greekculture.html
Greek Men (n.d.) Retrieved from http://greece.mrdonn.org/men.html
Greek Women (n.d.) Retrieved from http://greece.mrdonn.org/women.html
Impact of Greek Mythology on Western culture. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.tree.com/lifestyle/impact-of-greek-mythology-on-western-culture.aspx
Masoff, J. (2011). Our world far & wide. Weston, CT: Five Ponds Press.
National Council for the Social Studies. (2010). Retrieved from
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards.
Olympics (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Olympics/
People. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/People/Main_Page/
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Rice, E.J. (1902). The elementary school teacher and course of study. The University of Chicago
Press. 2(6): 411-416.
Top 10 imporant women in ancient Greece & Rome. (2011). Retrieved from
http://lewrockwell.com/spl3/top-10-ancient-women.html
Virginia Department of Education. (2011). The Standards and SOL-based Instructional
Resources. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/history_socialscience/index.shtml
.
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Appendix A
Virginia Social Studies Standards:
History and Social Sciences:
3.1. The student will explain how the contributions of ancient Greece and Rome have
influenced the present world in terms of architecture, government (direct and
representative democracy), and sports.
3.4 The student will develop map skills by
a) locating Greece, Rome, and West Africa;
b) describing the physical and human characteristics of Greece, Rome, and West
Africa;
c) explaining how the people of Greece, Rome, and West Africa adapted to and/or
changed their environment to meet their needs.
3.6 The student will read and construct maps, tables, graphs, and/or charts.
Economics:
3.7 The student will explain how producers in ancient Greece, Rome, and the West
African empire of Mali used natural resources, human resources, and capital resources in
the production of goods and services.
Fine Arts:
3.15 The student will compare and contrast architectural styles of ancient cultures,
including Greece and Rome.
National Council for Social Studies Standards:
Standard 1: Family Life Now and in the Recent Past; Family Life in Various Places Long
Ago
Standard 3: The People, Events, Problems, and Ideas that Created the History of Their
State
Standard 4: How Democratic Values Came to Be, and How They Have Been Exemplified
by People, Events, and Symbols
Standard 7: Selected Attributes and Historical Developments of Various Societies in
Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe