Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Grade: Third
Unit Title: Time to Meet the Greeks!
Course/Subject: Ancient Greece
Approximate Time Required: One Week
1.
Main Purpose:
The main purpose of this unit is to teach 3rd grade students about the history,
geography, and other key aspects of ancient Greece. Students will analyze the history of
Greece, by looking at their government structure, architecture, and their culture, and how
that all impacted the world today. Students will also learn about the geography of both
Greece and the surrounding countries, so that they can understand how these have
affected the development of the country. They will be learn about both the physical and
human characteristics of Greece, and how the human characteristics showed proof of
their adaptations to survive and prosper. We will explore all of this through many
methods, with a main one being reading. The students will read about ancient Greece,
through books and plays and movies either written in the time or about the time, in order
for them to understand as much as they can about the history, culture, beliefs, people, and
country, and how all of those aspects have influenced the world today.
2.
Behavioral Objectives:
The student will be able to:
I.
II.
III.
History
a. SWBAT explain the contributions of ancient Greece in terms of
architecture, government, and culture on today's world.
Geography
a. SWBAT locate Greece and other important locations in the region.
b. SWBAT describe the human characteristics of Greece
c. SWBAT describe the physical characteristics of Greece.
d. SWBAT describe how people of Greece were able to adapt to survive and
prosper
Reading
a. SWBAT demonstrate comprehension of fiction and nonfiction relating to
ancient Greece.
3.
I.
Content Outline:
History
a. SWBAT explain the contributions of ancient Greece in terms of
architecture, government, and culture on todays world.
i. Architecture
1. Minoans
a. Large towns were built around palaces
i. Palaces: private appts.; large, airy rooms,
decorated with colorful wall paintings
(frescoes); built of stone; ceilings, roofs, and
doors made of wood; 3-4 stories; built
around courtyard; light wells; store rooms
for food; rooms for religious ceremonies
ii. Smaller houses outside palace grounds: vary
in size; had storage, cooking, work, living,
and sleeping areas
b. Outdoor shrines for religious purposes
c. Elaborately decorated tombs
d. Palaces destroyed (1450 B.C.): believed to be by
volcanoes
2. Mycenaenas
a. Lived in small kingdoms, each with own cities
i. Protected by walls and being on high ground
(acropolis: high city)
ii. Buildings more than one story high, grouped
around a central courtyard, brightly painted
inside/out
iii. Large storerooms held agricultural produce
and crafts
3. Greeks
a. Simple structures of mud and brick: homes
b. Temples were most important buildings
i. Provided focus for both civic and religious
feelings
c. Public buildings made of
limestone/marble/sometimes sandstone
i. Parts made of wood (roof, frame, ceilings)
ii. Roof tiles made of terra cotta/stone tiles
d. Building were different shapes and sizes
i. Tholos: round building with a conical roof
1. Athens: sued as meeting place for
members of city council
2. Other places: religious purposes
ii. Stoa: building with row of columns at
front.
Geography
a. SWBAT locate Greece and other important locations in the region.
i. Review general map skills
1. Identify map
2. Find compass rose
3. Find legend
ii. Review previously learned locations
1. US
2. Europe
3. Great Britain
iii. Directions from Great Britain to Greece
1. GB is north-west of Greece
2. Go to the southern most tip of GB
3. Cross the English Channel into Belgium
4. Go South East through Germany, Austria, Hungary
5. Then go directly south through Serbia, Albania, until you
reach Greece
iv. Other important locations
1. Mediterranean Sea
a. Body of water surrounding Greece
b. Used for transportation/protection/trade
2. Turkey/Italy
a. Two closest countries, across bodies of water
III.
b. Used to trade
3. Athens
a. Capital of Greece
4. Middle East
a. Southern countries that are used for trade
b. SWBAT describe the human characteristics of Greece
i. Fearsome fighters
ii. Olive skin/naturally darker skin
c. SWBAT describe the physical characteristics of Greece
i. Climate
1. Cool in summer, warm in winter
2. Temperature is hot and dry
3. Average Temperature:
a. Summer: 33 degrees Celsius
b. Winter: 15 degrees Celsius
ii. Terrain
1. Varied (scenic)
a. Mountains
b. Valleys
c. Coasts
i. 40 miles from the farthest part inland
2. Lots of islands
3. Dry soil around cities
4. Volcanic
a. Between the European and African tectonic plates
b. Very volcanic
iii. Agricultural
1. Varied vegetation
a. About 6,000 indigenous species
b. Olives, figs, grain, fruit, grapes: fertile valleys
2. Less vegetation around cities
3. Couldnt do large-scale farming (high mountains)
a. Made them look at other countries for fertile land
d. SWBAT describe how people of Greece were able to adapt to survive and
prosper
i. Needed to be able to fight because they were in a position in which
they could be easily attacked
ii. Darker skin to endure the strong sun
Reading
a. SWBAT demonstrate comprehension of fiction and nonfiction relating to
ancient Greece
i. Set a purpose for reading
ii. Make connections between previous experiences and reading
selections
iii. Make, confirm, or revise predictions
iv. Compare and contrast settings, characters, and events
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
4.
5.
Worksheets
Books on gods and goddesses
Video
Smithsonian Greek exhibits
6.
Assessment:
I. History
SWBAT explain the contributions of ancient Greece in terms of architecture,
government, and culture on todays world.
Formal- graded (indicate high/low stakes) Informal- ungraded, feedback only
Entry and exit tickets (low)
Notes page
Homework (low)
Didactic questions
Projects (high)
Reflective questions
Quizzes (low)
Exit tickets, entry tickets