3 class periods of 45 minutes each
Large Groups
Thinking & Reasoning
Students will study Greek culture, particularly as it relates to Homer's Odyssey. This lesson should be taught in conjunction with the Language Arts teacher, as the students read the Odyssey.
Greek maps, artifacts, attire, music, and reference books.
Knowledge of ancient Greek culture and of Homer's Odyssey.
Students will be able to identify forces that influence a culture's beliefs and traditions. The physical and human characteristics of ancient Greece will be studied in detail as they relate and influence a culture's story telling heritage.
The teacher will start the class dressed in Greek attire. Posters, ancient Greek music, and Greek arifacts placed around the room will help to set the mood of the lesson.
Introduce the early Minoan and Achaean civilizations, including the island of Crete, from 2000 B.C. to 1400 B.C.
Discuss Minos.
Discuss Linear A writing.
Discuss ships and trade.
Discuss artifacts such as frescoes decorating the palace at Knossos.
Discuss the Trojan War, King Agamemnon, Helen, and Heinrich Schliemann.
Provide lower-level students with a copy of the teacher's lecture notes. Encourage students to independently investigate Greek culture at the library or on the internet.
Quiz students on the material presented in the lectures.