Classical+Greece

=Unit 9: Classical Greece=

Unit Objectives

 * Identify Greece and Rome as classical civilizations
 * Compare and contrast characteristics of Sparta and Athens
 * Recognize important people, ideas, and achievements of Athens
 * Summarize key events in the rise and fall of Athenian power and culture
 * Recognize important leaders and achievements of the Persian Empire
 * Describe characteristics of Greek art, architecture, and literature
 * List changes that occurred as a result of the rule of Alexander the Great
 * Recognize the geographic factors that influenced the development of independent city-states in Greece
 * Locate on a map the boundaries of the Persian Empire
 * Locate on a map the extent of Alexander's conquests

Key Words
**tragedy:** a type of Greek play that explored family relationships or relationships between humans and the gods **Delian League:** a defensive alliance among the city-states of Greece led by Athens **plague:** an infectious disease of animals and humans caused by a bacterium **anarchy:** absence of any law and order; the failure of democracy **aristocracy:** rule by a few **philosophy:** the study of truth, knowledge, and the things of fundamental importance in life
 * classical:** relating to the civilizations and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500
 * oligarchy:** a government in which a small group of people holds all the power
 * democracy:** rule by the people
 * satrap:** the governor of a province in ancient Persia
 * Pericles:** the foremost statesman of Athens during its golden age
 * comedy:** a type of Greek play that poked fun at human flaws or failings
 * orchestra: ** the circular or semicircular area of a Greek theater that held the chorus or actors
 * Peloponnesian War: ** war (431-404 B.C.) between Sparta and Athens, which led to the fall of Athens
 * monarchy: ** rule by one person

**Lesson 1: Classically Different Ways of Life** In history, the term "classical civilization" refers to the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome between about 50 B.C. and A.D. 500. A classical civilization is also "timeless," in that is ideas and institutions have continued to influence people over the centuries. In classical Greek society, two city-states stand out --Athens and Sparta. Their people shared language, religion, and great pride in being Greek. But in other ways they could not have been more different.

Lesson Objectives

 * Explain that Greece and Rome are referred to as "classical civilizations"
 * Identify characteristics that pulled the Greek city-states together and those that drove them apart
 * Describe important characteristics of life in Sparta
 * Define //oligarchy//


 * 1) Read Intro to Part 3, pages 279-283 in //The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages.//
 * 2) Complete The Reading Guide as you do your reading
 * 3) Read pages 285-289 in your book. As you read, list at least three characteristics or features that pulled the Greek city-states together and three that pulled them apart in your history journal.
 * 4) What was the life of a Spartan like? How is yours different? Do you think you would have survived as a Spartan? Complete [[file:MS_WDHISTA_09_01_spartan.pdf]].. Complete the last question based on your experiences and personal characteristics. (you will finish this sheet in the next lesson)

Lesson 2: Athens
Sparta was a city-state where life centered on military battles. Athens, in contrast, was a city-state where people loved to argue about ideas. Athens was a city-state of peace, plenty, and wisdom. Over time, men who were lucky enough to be citizens participated in government to a degree never before seen anywhere.

Lesson Objectives

 * Identify key characteristics of life in Athens
 * Compare and contrast government and values in Sparta and Athens
 * Identify democratic reformers and their accomplishments in Athens
 * Identify people who could and could not be citizens of Athens
 * Define democracy and describe why Athenian democracy was groundbreaking

10 Tribes of Athens Democracy Then and Now

2. Visit Athens to learn more about the daily life of Athenians. 3. Read pages 295-297 in your textbook. Complete the last column of the sheet What is a Spartan Life? from the previous lesson 4. Imagine being a speaker at a ceremony in which the first honorees are inducted into an Athenian Democracy Hall of Fame. It is a great honor. How would you explain democracy? What would you say about the groundbreaking nature of Athenian democracy? Who would the inductees be? The candidates are: Athena; Cleisthenes; Croesus; Poseidon; Solon; Tellus. Write your speech in your history journal. In your speech answer the questions posed in the first paragraph. Then, select the three best candidates and incorporate their contributions into your speech.
 * 1) Read Chapter 1, pages 290-295, in // The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages //and answer the following questions in your history journal:
 * Athena wanted to be the ruling goddess of the city of Athens. Which god challenged her for that title?
 * From what part of Zeus was Athena born?
 * How did Athena differ from most newborns?
 * What were Athena's primary symbols?

Lesson 3: An Empire Threatens
The Greek city-states were quite different from each other, but when another civilization threatened some outlying Greek communities, Athens came to their aid. Who threatened the Greeks? It was the Persian Empire, the largest empire the world had yet known. Who were the Persians? How far did their power extend? And how did they organize and control such a vast territory?

Lesson Objectives

 * Locate on a map the borders of the Persian Empire at its height, its capital, and the countries that lie within its ancient borders today
 * Describe the main accomplishments and characteristics of the Persian Empire and its leaders

4. Between 600 and 400 B.C. the Persian Empire grew at a tremendous rate as the Persian rulers conquered one nearby land after another. It would take determination and brilliant strategy for any group to stand a chance against the Persians. Were the Greeks ready for this challenge? To find out, Read Chapter 2, from the beginning to "The Brave Three Hundred", pages 299-306 in // The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages. //
 * 1) Read the information on the Documenting the Persian Empire sheet and record significant events and accomplishments on the chart.
 * 2) Read //The Persian Empire// by Don Nardo
 * 3) Review the map on pages 300-301, 626, and 630 to answer the following questions:
 * At what longitude was the westernmost point of the Persian Empire at its peak?
 * What two seas were part of the northern border of the empire?
 * Along what river was the southernmost part of the empire?
 * Along what body of water was the original part of the Persian Empire?
 * At what latitude was the center of the original empire?
 * What natural feature formed the eastern boundary of the empire?
 * Consider what you know about the physical geography of the region shown on the map. You have studied the geography of Egypt and Mesopotamia. What explanation can you give for the fact that Cyrus or Darius did not claim the land between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf?
 * Rounded to thousands, how many miles are between Cyrene in North Africa and the point where the Indus River meets the 30°N latitude line?
 * You can see that the Persian Empire was big. Very big. What present-day countries lie within its ancient boundaries? Use the map of Eurasia on page 626 in your text to find out. To orient yourself, use the latitude and longitude lines on the empire map as well as physical features like rivers and seas.

Lesson 4: Free to Flourish
The Persian Empire had grown in size and power and even spread from western Asia into parts of Europe and Africa. How could the Greeks--a group of loosely connected city-states--defend themselves against such a mighty force? Which culture would prevail in Europe over time?

Lesson Objectives

 * Summarize the main events of the First and Second Persian Wars
 * Explain the importance of the Athenians' victory in the Persian Wars
 * Identify the Oracle of Delphi

Herodotus and the Persian War Herodotus and the Persian Wars

The Athenians faced great challenges in protecting their homes and land. Summarize the main events f the First Persian war by answering the questions below in your history journal (if necessary review your reading of pages 299-306).
 * 1) How did Darius first approach the Greeks to gain their lands? What was their response?
 * 2) Where did the Persian army enter Greece? What city was most at risk? Why?
 * 3) Although the Athenians were unprepared for war, what three things did they have in their favor?
 * 4) What was the Spartans' role in the Battle of Marathon?
 * 5) When the Athenians discovered silver one in their lands, what did their citizens decide to do with their new wealth? Why?
 * 6) Explain the role of the oracle at Delphi.

Marathon was a remarkable battle and an important turning point for the Greeks. Yet just 10 years later the Persians threatened again, and the Greeks realized they would have to band together to combat their common enemy. Read how the Greeks fared in the second attack of the Persians in Chapter 2, "The Brave Three Hundred" to the end, pages 306-309. As you read, answer the questions below in your history journal.
 * 1) When did the Persian Empire next attempt to conquer Greece? Who led this attack? Why did they think they would be successful?
 * 2) Describe the Persian invasion of Greece?
 * 3) How did the Greek navy fare against the Persian navy?

Lesson 5: A Golden Time
When the Persian Wars finally ended, the Athenians looked over their ruined city. How could they rebuild after such devastation? Pericles, a man of great vision and energy, thought Athens could b even better than before. He pictured a city of magnificent buildings and beautiful artwork. He saw an educated population with more political power than the world had ever seen. He envisioned a society that all the Greek city-states--all the world--would emulate. How did the Athenians respond?

Lesson Objectives

 * Identify Pericles
 * Recognize key characteristics of Athenian democracy
 * Analyze a primary source to assess Athenian values


 * 1) Read The Age of Pericles by Don Nardo
 * 2) Read Chapter 3, pages 311-317, in //The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages.// As you read complete The Reading Guide.
 * 3) Write a brief personality profile of Pericles. Be sure to include when he lead Athens, some important events in his life, who influenced him, and why he is remembered today.

Lesson 6: Art and Architecture
The Greeks valued reason and logic and appreciated balance in many aspects of life. More than any people before them, they admired and honored the individuals you have seen with other civilizations, art and architecture reflects a society's values. Think abut the connections between values and art as you look more closely at the artistic achievements of the Greeks during the golden age of Pericles.

Lesson Objectives

 * Recognize the purposes and characteristics of Athenian architecture
 * Analyze Athenian art and architecture for characteristics of style

Elements of Greek Design


 * 1) Read Chapter 3, pages 317-319 (including the sidebar about the Parthenon), in //The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages//.
 * 2) media type="custom" key="25149424"media type="custom" key="25149756"
 * 3) Choose and complete one of the following activities:
 * Sketch a model of the Parthenon
 * Construct or carve a metope from modeling clay
 * Write about or draw a building in the Greek style for your town. Describe or show what it would look like, and where it would be located. Show or describe the Greek elements of the structure

Lesson 7: The Play's the Thing
The ancient Greeks gave the world a new form of storytelling--the play. Greek plays first took place during religious festivals, and the form reached its height during the Age of Pericles when huge outdoor theaters were built across Greece. The works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes, and Euripides--the most famous playwrights of ancient Greece--are still considered some of the greatest plays ever written.

Lesson Objectives

 * Recognize the main characteristics of Greek theater
 * Describe the development of Greek theater
 * Identify Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides and their contributions to literature

Ancient Theater Introduction to Greek Tragedy

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 * 1) Read Chapter 3, pages 319-325, in //The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages.//
 * 2) Where does the word drama come from? The word thespians?
 * 3) Write a short paragraph about what you learned about Greek plays. Who were some of the most important playwrights?

Lesson 8: The Decline of Athens
Athens achieved remarkable success in the years after the defeat of Persia. rt, architecture, drama, and an even more democratic government were examples to all of Greece and beyond. But while most Greek city-states admired the Athenians and looked to them for leadership, others resented them. Eventually, war broke out between Athens and Sparta. The Peloponneisan War, which lasted for years, ended with the surrender of Athens to Sparta. The Spartans replaced the Athenian government with an oligarchy, but a year later the Athenians overthrew the oligarchy and returned democracy to the city.

Lesson Objective

 * Identify the Dalian league
 * Describe the main cause of the Peloponnesian War
 * Explain the main reasons for Athens' defeat in the Peloponnesian War
 * Recognize the results of the Peloponnesian War

Peloponnesian Wars Thucydides on the Plague The Plague in Athens

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 * 1) Complete The Reading Guide as you read Chapter 4, pages 326-330 in //The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages.//
 * 2) Prepare a one-page summary describing the causes of the Peloponnesian War, what Athens could have done to avoid the war, and the main reasons for Athenian defeat.

Lesson 9: Different Perspectives
Our experiences influence the way we see events. Athenians took enormous pride in their accomplishments and way of life. When Pericles made a speech honoring those who had died defending Athens, he explained why the entire world should admire Athens. Many other Greeks thought the Athenians were far too proud, and some even viewed the city-state as an arrogant bully.

Lesson Objectives

 * Analyze primary sources to discern differing viewpoints about Athens
 * Recognize how other Greek city-states reacted to Athenian dominance


 * 1) Complete the Delian League Sheet.
 * 2) Read Chapter 4, pages 330-336 in //The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages.//
 * 3) Define the following terms in your history journal:
 * anarchy
 * aristocracy
 * democracy
 * monarchy
 * philosophy

Lesson 10: Three Great Thinkers
The Athenians loved to learn. They found all kinds of study worthwhile, and they asked questions about everything--about how the world works, about the nature of right and wrong, and about the value of government. Among the greatest thinkers of ancient Greece were Socrates, Plato,a nd Aristotle. Many of their ideas have influenced our thinking today.

Lesson Objectives

 * Define philosophy, monarchy, aristocracy, democracy, and anarchy
 * Identify Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and their key ideas and achievements

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The Greeks Plato Aristotle Socrates Aristotle the Mathematician

The Athenians asked questions about everything--about ow the world works, about the nature of right and wrong, and about the value of government. Some of the questions they asked were:
 * What is a good life?
 * How do we live a good life?
 * What is justice?
 * What is it possible to know with certainty?
 * What is the universe made of?


 * 1) In your history journal, answer the following: Which of the questions considered by the ancient Greeks do you think are most important today? Identify your choices and/or write your own questions bout issues you think are important today.
 * 2) Read Wise Guy: The Life and Philosophy of Socrates
 * 3) What do you think Socrates meant when he said, "The unexamined life is not worth living"?
 * 4) Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

Lesson 11: Alexander the Great


When someone is called "the great," what does it mean? Why is Alexander known by that epithet? What made him great? How did Alexander's personality, policies, and conquests affect his empire and the world?

Lesson Objectives

 * Identify Alexander the Great
 * Locate on a map the areas Alexander conquered
 * Explain how Alexander's actions and conquests changed the world

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7 Wonders of the Ancient World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World


 * 1) Read Chapter 4, pages 336-339, in //The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages.//
 * 2) Read //Alexander the Great// by Demi
 * 3) Complete [[file:MS_WDHISTA_09_13_Alexander.pdf]].
 * 4) Visit Alexander of Macedon to learn more about the many battles Alexander fought during the years of his conquests

Lesson 12: Review & Reflect

 * 1) Review your history journal for this unit
 * 2) Complete the unit assessment