To think about:
The two specifications;
The possible combinations
The teaching
Planning the first lessons
Teaching (AL) Classical
Civilisation
Starter
• Look at the set of images
• What links each one to the classical world?
• Other possible images and their links?
AL Classical Civilisation
• When choosing spec and modules:
• breadth, balance, coherence (if all three possible)
• What resources are available (including extra-curric)
• Give Ss a version of selected sections of spec –
discuss aims as well as content
• Brief overview of inter-connections: history, culture,
religion, etc
• Aim to capture the excitement of the Ancient World
- intellectual, philosophical, political, military.
Teaching
• Show the parallels (and differences) with modern world
and debts owed: language, laws, literature, engineering,
city life etc.
• Build in research tasks (small groups or individuals) using
variety of source material, (primary and secondary);
access books, articles, films, internet.
• Extended writing:
• discuss techniques, eg meaning of ‘discuss’, ‘analyse’, etc.
• Plan first extended piece together, going back to basics
such as purpose of intro, conclusion, development of line
of thought, use of supporting evidence.
Bear in mind
• Excitement of the Ancient World:
• showing that these were real people whose
writing/artefacts, etc. grew out of the particular
historical and political situations, within religious and
ideological paradigms;
• at same time they reacted as human beings with
similar feelings to men and women throughout history
and present age.
• Keep asking yourself: What do the Ss need to know
to understand the course?
Specifications
• In threes, consider the OCR and AQA specifications and
decide, given free choice, which you would choose and
why? You don’t all have to choose the same one…
• Having chosen, select the AS and A2 modules you would
teach and why.
Extension: two Odyssey (AS) and two Aeneid (A2) papers:
• compare and contrast
• content, the types of questions asked, the overall demands
of the papers (imagine preparing a quick guide for your
students).
• Advantages and disadvantages?
• In what ways does each seem more or less appropriate
for your (hypothetical) students?
Teaching Epic
• How much background do Ss need to know before
tackling the texts?
• basic information about Homer &/ Virgil i.e. when they
were composing/writing, why and for whom
• legends of Troy
• Greek and Roman religion
• e.g. anthropomorphism; sacrifice; intervention of Gods in
human affair; relationship between the gods.
• conventions of epic poetry
• use visuals – videos/ pics of Mycenae; Schliemann’s
treasures “I have gazed on the face of Agamemnon”
• chart with the heroes and gods supporting each
side/their favourites and relationships
The Aeneid
• Begin with images (ppt) – discussion of characters, what
might happen (could adapt – one or two pics per pair/all
on one page/version of consequences
• Potted Roman History – mix of research & presentation?
• Base it on Aeneid dominoes?
• Watch Augustus video: e.g. I, Caesar
• With some prompts to listen out for – follow-up
discussion/produce as a gap-fill?
• Clip from Troy – Aeneas receives sword (of Rome)
• What to look for (ppt)
• Elicit from them what might be in story…
Aeneid - What to look for
• Characters – page
each?
• Techniques (eg
similes, flashbacks,
metaphors)
• Themes
•
Aeneas in the Underworld
•
•
•
•
Homeric elements
Roman elements
Fate and the gods
Relationships
between mortals
and immortals
• Relationships
between fathers and
sons
• Relationships
between men and
women
• Concepts of heroism
• Aeneas’ and Rome’s
mission
•
Purcell’s opera
What might be in the story?
I turned their suggestions (where possible) into ‘l’ words,
partly for my own fun and partly to aid memory:
• Leader of the Trojans – Aeneas
• Love
• Lust
• Lavinia (foreign bride)
• Last night of Troy
• Long journey
• Little Ascanius
• Land (search for a new one)
• Lots of supernatural: gods, ghosts and spirits
Summaries on the basis that they
don’t really spoil the story…
1. Queen Dido in
Carthage
2. Flashback – Troy’s fall
3. 7 years of wandering
cf. Odysseus’ journey
4. Love story:
1. sex in a cave in a storm
5. Anniversary games
6. The Underworld
1. Aeneas arrives in Italy
– war breaks out
2. Shield of Aeneas
3. Night raid
4. War – youthful death
5. More war
6. The end
Plan the first lessons on the text
• You have taught introductory lessons, setting the
historical context and themes
• Plan the first 1h lesson on Book I
• Then the outline of the next two lessons; you will
probably not move beyond Book I but depends on
your group and how you approach it
• Use the AQA and/OCR Sample SoW if they
appropriate.
Iliad
•
•
•
•
•
•
See SoW
Intro to Odyssey/Iliad
Peleus & Thetis ppt
Book I Info gap
Technical terms
Book I writing frame