Performance Task
The Voice of Greece: Blind Auditions
Objectives:
WHI.5.2 - Evaluate the effect of geography on the development of Greek civilization. (WHI.5a)
WHI.5.11 - Identify and describe the works of Greek philosophers. (WHI.5f)
Directions: Students will perform a group or individual task in order to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the
impact of geography on the development of Greek civilization. A select few students will be chosen to act as Greek Philosopher
“coaches” who will try to convince the performers to join their “team.”
All Performers: Complete the following chart before completing the task (8 points).
Choose how many performers will
be in your group:
Choose a type of performance task:
1-2
3-4
Speech
Poem
Style of performance task:
Oration
Epic
Tragedy
Comedy
Historical Role model
Pericles
Homer
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Choose a picture as inspiration for your performance:
Respond to the following prompts:
1.
Offer praise for the geography of Greece.
2 Pieces of Evidence:
2.
Issue criticism for the geography of Greece.
2 Pieces of Evidence:
Play
Draft your performance below. You must include 1 reference to your historical role model, 2 responses to the prompts, 3
references to the picture you chose as inspiration, and 4 pieces of evidence to support your responses to the prompts.
Your final grade will be determined by your completion of the table, your draft, and by your performance. The following rubric
will be used to determine the quality of your performance:
15 (A) = Performance was well prepared, rehearsed, and organized. Both prompts were addressed. All 6 vocabulary words were used correctly.
Clear evidence of understanding the objectives.
13 (B) = Performance was satisfactorily prepared, rehearsed, and organized. At least one prompt was addressed. Most of the 6 vocabulary words
were used correctly. Some evidence of understanding the objectives.
11 (C) = Performance was not sufficiently prepared, rehearsed, or organized. At least one prompt was addressed. Some of the 6 vocabulary words
were used correctly. Some evidence of understanding the objectives.
9 (D) = Performance was not sufficiently prepared, rehearsed, or organized. Neither prompt was addressed. Few of the 6 vocabulary words were
used correctly. No evidence of understanding the objectives.
8 (E) = COMPLETION OF THE TABLE AND DRAFT ONLY.
Coaches: Listen/watch each performance then offer an argument for why the presenters should pick your philosophical team
by 1) listing reasons why you’re famous and 2) explaining why your philosophy can help them improve.
Choose a philosopher:
Respond to the prompts:
Decide which life
events/accomplishments you
should use to support why the
presenters should pick your
philosophy.
Research additional information on
your philosopher and philosophy
using the internet, the textbook, or
other classroom materials. Include
at least 3 additional facts.
- Socrates: know thyself, virtues
- Plato: perfect forms, government
- Aristotle: intelligence, observation
1) List reasons why you’re famous.
2) Explain why your philosophy can help the performer improve.
- Died from Hemlock when sentenced to death for corrupting morals of minors
- Founder of the Academy (first western university)
- Poetics, Rhetoric, Politics (most famous for addressing Plato’s issues)
- Sought to understand and achieve virtue through critical inquiry (“know thyself”)
- Student of Plato, but opposed many of Plato’s teachings
- Student of Socrates who recorded his words and was affected by his death
- teacher of Alexander the Great and self-exiled after Alexander’s death
- There is a reality in physical objects, knowable through experience
- Used the Socratic method to ask students questions so that they may find answers
- Wrote “The Republic” (reviewed forms of government and concluded that only
philosophers are fit to rule – first book on political science)
1.
2.
3.
Draft your argument in the space below.
Your final grade will be determined by your argument. The following rubric will be used to determine your grade:
15 (A) = Argument was well prepared, rehearsed, and organized. Both prompts were addressed. All life events/accomplishments
were used correctly. Clear evidence of understanding the objectives.
13 (B) = Argument was satisfactorily prepared, rehearsed, and organized. At least one prompt was addressed. Most of the life
events/accomplishments were used correctly. Some evidence of understanding the objectives.
11 (C) = Argument was not sufficiently prepared, rehearsed, or organized. At least one prompt was addressed. Some of the life
events/accomplishments were used correctly. Some evidence of understanding the objectives.
9 (D) = Argument was not sufficiently prepared, rehearsed, or organized. Neither prompt was addressed. Few of the life
events/accomplishments were used correctly. No evidence of understanding the objectives.