UKS2: Topic: Ancient Greece Block I: Aesop
Research the historical background of Aesop, his fables and the illustrations. Discuss your learning,
create your own fables, and round off the block by explaining Aesop to younger children and reading
your own story to them!
Block A: Ancient Greece
Aesop
[5 Sessions]
By the end of this block you will
have achieved the following
outcomes:
Session 1 History, English and Art
Introduction to Aesop
Research the history of Aesop and his
fables; discover the history of the
illustrations of Aesop's Fables.
Main outcome: History
Other outcomes: English and Art

Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their
influence on the western world.
 Chn should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed
from a range of sources.
 Discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the
past have been constructed.
 Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms
such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’ inc. 'slavery'.
 Create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and
analyses.
 They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful
selection and organisation of relevant historical information.
 Chn should increase their familiarity with a wide range of books, including
myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our
literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions.
 Chn should check that the book makes sense to them, discussing their
understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context.
 Drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and
motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence.
 Chn should try to predict what might happen from details stated and
implied.
 Identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the
appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own.
 Noting and developing initial ideas, drawing on reading and research
where necessary.
 In narratives, describing settings, characters and atmosphere and
integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action.
 Pupils’ confidence, enjoyment and mastery of language should be
extended through public speaking, performance and debate.
 To create sketch books to record their observations and use them to
review and revisit ideas.
 Learn about great artists, architects and designers in history.
 Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing,
painting and sculpture with a range of materials.
Children will:
 Explain the history of Aesop.
 Explain the history of the fables.
 Explain the history of the illustrations of Aesop's Fables.
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
The links to the websites and the contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’)
have been checked by Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton
Trust’s knowledge, are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton
Trust website, you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links,
changed such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.
UKS2: Topic: Ancient Greece Block I: Aesop
Session 2 History and English
The Fables
Discuss your understanding of a story;
understand the importance of oral story
telling; retell from memory a fable they
have become familiar with and finally
assess what the stories tell us about life
in Ancient Greece.
Session 3 History, English and Art
Plan a story board
Make sketches in a sketchbook based on
other artists' work; Plan a story using a
storyboard using your knowledge of
Aesop and his fables.
Session 4 History, English and Art
Write a picture book
Rewrite a story in your own words based
on previous drafts;
Illustrate your story based on previous
drafts and sketches.
Session 5 History and English
Reading to others
Give a structured account of Aesop and
read your own story to younger children.
Children will:
 Discuss their understanding of a story.
 Retell from memory a story they have become familiar with.
 Assess what the stories tell us about life in Ancient Greece.
Children will:
 Make sketches in a sketchbook based on other artists' work.
 Plan a story using a storyboard.
 Apply their knowledge of Aesop and the fables to aspects of the story.
Children will:
 Arrange historical information into a narrative.
 Rewrite a story in their own words based on previous drafts.
 Illustrate a story based on previous drafts and sketches.
Children will:
 Give a structured account of Aesop and one of his fables to younger
children.
 Read aloud to an audience.
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
The links to the websites and the contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’)
have been checked by Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton
Trust’s knowledge, are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton
Trust website, you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links,
changed such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.
UKS2: Topic: Ancient Greece Block I: Aesop
Resources
Session 1
Provided: PowerPoint presentation with questions about Aesop; Information sheet About Aesop: his
life, the fables, the illustrations; Information sheet on How to use a sketchbook.
You will need: Access to the Internet; Notebooks or sketchbooks.
Session 2
Provided: Information sheets covering: Analysing the fables & Compare and contrast four different
versions of the same fable.
You will need: Access to the Internet; The Orchard Book of Aesop's Fables by Michael Morpurgo and
Emma Chichester Clark; Web-enabled devices to be used in groups; Sketchbooks.
Session 3
Provided: PowerPoint presentation on Examples of drawing styles used to illustrate Aesop's Fables;
Information sheet with Story board template.
You will need: Access to the Internet; Sketchbooks.
Session 4
Provided: PowerPoint presentation on Writing and illustrating a picture book; Information sheet with
Template for creating a picture book.
You will need: Story boards; Notebooks; Pencils, crayons, felt tips, paint and collage materials.
Session 5
Provided: PowerPoint presentation on reading to young children.
You will need: Access to the Internet.
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
The links to the websites and the contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’)
have been checked by Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton
Trust’s knowledge, are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton
Trust website, you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links,
changed such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.