Lesson Overview:

This lesson is designed to bring students in general touch with major sources from which the knowledge of ancient Greece has been retrieved. Students will recognize that what we know of ancient Greece has come to us mainly through generations of scholarly research and analysis of artifacts recovered in archeological digs. Students will survey a “virtual” ancient Greece dig site, searching for “clues” deductively or inductively to support or challenge assertions on aspects of ancient Greek life. Teams will then share their findings in large group presentation, citing specific clues found in the artifact display of the “virtual” dig site.

Length of Lesson:

Five 45-minute periods

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• acquire understanding of the roles archeology and cultural anthropology play in reconstructing history.
• practice the process of "reading" an artifact.
• collect graphic examples of a range of ancient Greek artifacts.
• analyze and arrange graphic material into a working “virtual” dig site.
• review the processes of deductive and inductive reasoning.
• use these processes of logic to challenge or validate selected assumptions about ancient Greek life and culture.
• construct and share conclusions based on evidence collected from the "virtual" digsite.
• plan and assemble (optional) a special display that demonstrates understanding of a range of aspects of ancient Greek life and culture.

Instructional Plan:

Activity A

Any study of ancient Greece provides a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about the science of archeology, including the process of archeological digs, how to "read" artifacts, the interaction between and among scholars and archeologists in the search to reconstruct history, and to discover, through specific "clues," how the past has influenced the present - our cultural outlook, our institutions, our perception of the "ideal," even our behavioral patterns, role perceptions, ideas about education, law, architecture, and our achievements in the arts. The following assignments suggest ways to get students into this study.

Consider asking for volunteers (or selecting participants) to research and give an oral presentation on each of the following well-known archeologists who focused on uncovering the "evidence" of the ancient Greeks’ past:

• Heinrich Schliemann (1870s)
• Charles Robert Cockrell (1911)
• Carl Biegen (1930s)
• others

Activity B

Initiate an open discussion of students’ impressions of the sciences of archeology and cultural anthropology. Ask students to define the word "artifact," giving particular attention to the role "artifacts" play in reconstructing history and in constructing profiles of civilizations of the past and the culture of various time periods of present civilizations.

If time allows, invite an archeologist to make a presentation to the class on "How to Read an Artifact." (Museums, historical societies, universities, county archeologists in areas dedicated to preserving historical sites, for instance, may be able to provide a specialist for that purpose. Check those in your local area. If you live in the Washington D.C. area, the Smithsonian used to have a staff member they would send out in the greater Washington area to prepare students for museum visits.)

An alternative - or companion - approach to the above would be to provide a few artifacts that present a challenge to "decode" and ask students to "read" each artifact from the following points of view:

• What material(s) is the artifact made out of?
• Does the nature of the material provide any clue to the geographical area or type of environment in which it was made?
• What was or is the artifact used for or what purpose does it serve?
• Does the nature of the design and/or use or purpose reveal any clues about the time period in which it was constructed and/or used?

If an archeological dig is underway in the school area, consider scheduling a field trip to observe the processes of dig, recover, and "read." In some places, students can be active participants in the process (the London Towne site in Annapolis, Maryland, for instance).

Activity C

Explain to students that what we know of ancient Greece has come to us mainly through generations of scholarly research and analysis of artifacts, such as the following, recovered in archeological digs:

• manuscripts that include maps, sketches, manuals, philosophical treatises, written copies of orations, dialogues, historical accounts, a wealth of great literature in various genres
• vase paintings (small vases, large urns, amphoras)
• carvings on and design of other pottery, such as cups
• architectural ruins of temples, palaces, theatres, houses, other structures
• funerary monuments, tombs
• small statutes
• carvings on temple friezes, plaques, tiles, sanctuaries
• picture writing on frescoes, sarcophagus
• sculptures
• artifacts such as sculpted coins, jewelry, weapons, shields

Write the list of the above sources on the board, and/or circulate handout sheets, indicating an allotted number for student sign-up to search, in Web and print media, for information on each type of the above artifacts.

Ask students to sign-up for their choice, recognizing they might have to take a second or third choice to honor number distribution.

Explain that the primary goal of the assignment is to collect effective graphic examples of their type of artifact (copies of print media; downloaded copies from Web).

These copies will be assembled on a large panoramic display board (or for a large class, three or four display boards placed around the room to avoid congestion) and will serve as a "virtual" archeological dig site for scholarly research "detective" work on ancient Greece.

When the display board(s) has been completed, consider initiating the following assignment:

Introduce the definitions of, or ask students already familiar with the meanings to explain, the terms "deductive" and "inductive" reasoning. Clarify that "deductive" reasoning starts with a basic premise and assembles specific examples that argue the validity of the premise. In "inductive reasoning", a basic premise or conclusion is reached through inquiry, observation, and analysis of specific examples. (Students familiar with Sherlock Holmes could perhaps give an anecdotal example of the two reasoning processes from a Holmes text - The Hounds of Baskerville, for instance.)

When students seem comfortable with the definitions of the two processes, initiate the following assignment:

Students will work in pairs as research "scholars" to search for clues about ancient Greek life in the artifact display found on the "virtual" ancient Greece dig site. The pairs will be divided into two teams: an Alpha Team and a Beta Team.

Each working pair assigned to the Alpha Team will collect specific proof that supports or challenges the validity of the stated assertions through searching for "clues" deductively. Each working pair assigned to the Beta team will forge assertions on aspects of Ancient Greek life by searching for specific "evidence" inductively. Both teams will share their findings in large group presentation, citing specific clues found in the artifact display of the "virtual" dig site.

Alpha Team: Collect specific evidence from the display board that challenges or proves, inductively, the validity of each of the following assertions: (Emphasize the words "challenges" and "proves.") Construct a written list of specific evidence that supports an assertion; construct a brief written explanation of why an assertion should be challenged.

Ancient Greeks believed in the concept of "two worlds" – an "earthly" world and a "spiritual" or "supernatural" world peopled by identities that interacted very closely with the humans of the "earthly" world. (Use evidence from your artifacts to give some specific examples of the nature of this interaction.)

• Music was an important part of Greek life.
• The Greeks were fierce warriors.
• The Greeks did not value luxury items.
• The Greeks were a seafaring people.
• Order, balance, and symmetry are important ideals shaping Greek architecture.
• Greek sculpture does not portray emotion.
• Other?

Beta Team: Draw conclusions from evidence found on the display board to construct a minimum of five one-sentence assertions about each of the following topics:

• Role of women in Ancient Greek life
• The interaction of the Ancient Greeks with nature (animals, birds, foliage, farming)
• Relationships between the Gods and humans
• What are some things that seem to be particularly valued in Ancient Greek life?
• Evidence of a well-developed level of technology
• Social interactions (class structures? Was there an "elite" group(s)?)
• Other?

Activity D

Arrange the room in a formal panel presentation format.

Ask members of each team to divide out the responsibilities for presenting a summary of their findings to the class on each topic on their team "search" list. Advise the presenters to be prepared to fend questions and to identify supporting evidence on the "virtual dig" display board(s) .

Consider adding the written summaries and the one-sentence assertions to the "publication" of creative writing samples developed in the previous lesson, Gods, Heroes, and Other Celebrated Greeks.

Suggestion for a culminating experience:

As a way of helping to reinforce a large view of the findings from the "virtual" archeological dig, consider having students construct a plan for an Ancient Greek Bazaar (or Marketplace). If time and space allow, consider actually setting up displays, in bazaar or marketplace fashion, of "homemade" artifacts: sketches; models; replicas; other modes of copies, etc., and perhaps inviting another class(es) to visit. Such a visit would give students a chance to explain the nature and uses of the "artifacts" assembled, thus further inculcating the goals of the lesson.

To initiate the activity, divide out responsibility for developing plans for specific display or exhibit designs. Ideally, students would generate all of the ideas for designing the activity. Below, however, are some suggested possibilities for display or exhibits and a range of "artifact" facsimiles that might be included.

Note: Students would need to decide if they would want to limit the display to a certain time period in ancient Greek history or to a certain geographical place (for instance, Athens) or to make the display eclectic.

Theater

• (masks; costumes; vignettes of scripts and brief recordings of students reading excerpts from the great Tragedies; also a small model of the Theatre of Dionysus or Epidaurus, complete with a deus ex machina);
• perhaps include brief intermittent "live" performances of part of a scene from a comedy or a tragedy

Technology

• minted coins; a display of types of metals used; models of warrior instruments such as helmets, spears, shields; ship models; chariots; farming instruments, including irrigation techniques; black-smithing, perhaps with a small model of the Hephaesteum

Fashion

• jewelry, including hair ornaments; dress: material used in and design of such items as tunics (chiton), peplos (a type of shoulder drape), himation (a cape), including colors other than white linen and decoration such as embroidery; warriors’ "uniforms"; make-up and such items as unguents and perfume; hair styles

Music and Dance

• display of types of instruments; perhaps someone explaining Pythagoras’ theory of music composition; intermittent performance by a flute player accompanying a dancer; castanets (type used by dancers); a "scholar" giving a brief explanation of type(s) of dancing and where dance and music were positioned within the culture (used at rituals, kind of celebrations, etc.)

Artisan Displays (or limited to Visual Arts)

• pottery, vase paintings, sketches of designs on coins, miniatures of sculptures, sketches of designs on buildings, monuments, etc.; demonstration or display of rug weaving, textile spinning. (Perhaps an arrangement could be made with an art teacher to have some working time in art class to prepare a display.)

Greek Households

• sketch of basic design of a floor plan of a "regular" house; model of a structure made with facsimile of "authentic" building materials; furniture; decorations; gardens; kitchen facilities. A "scholar" could be on hand to explain how specifics of the household design and accouterments mirrored cultural outlooks ( such aspects as male-dominated society; role of women, etc.)

Architecture

• sketches or models of Greek temples and/or other prominent structures: basic designs; materials used; "engineering" and aesthetic considerations. Here, again, a "scholar" could be on hand to give explanations.

Sports

• perhaps a map showing the main centers where games were held; a replica of an olive branch, with brief explanation of significance; a "victory" ode to an athlete (a common practice); a list of types of sports; a display of accouterments used in sports and sports training; (javelin, discus, hoops, punching bags, practice dummies, etc.); description of an Ancient Greek gymnasium by a "scholar."

As noted, the above activity could be limited to the development of the planning stage for a Bazaar or Marketplace. Each collaborative group (3 to 5 students) would be responsible for sharing, in large group presentation, and turning in a written sketch of the overall plan, an account of (1) how they would set up their booth and decorate it (2) what "artifacts" they would display and the rationale for the choice, and (3) what specific explanations would be given by the "scholars" manning the booth.

If a "live" Bazaar or Marketplace were developed, and time and space allowed, consideration could be given to inviting parents.

As a concluding, multimedia activity, have students explore the website Winged Sandals, where students can engage in interactive quizes and activities like "Ask The Oracle" and a "Who's Who" quiz of gods and famous figures in ancient Greece.

Assessment:

Students must demonstrate:

• evidence of serious and cooperative participation in research and collaborative assignments (a student-generated peer evaluation rubric for small group collaborative assignments perhaps could be helpful)
• substantive contributions to class discussion, reflecting serious dedication in follow-through of assignments
• range and depth of analysis in content of oral presentation
• quality of organization, rhetorical skill, and poise in oral presentation
• quality of creative thinking and evidence of serious effort in display preparation and presentation
• serious and productive engagement in all class activities, including listening, note-taking, sharing, and required formal responses

Sources:

Print:

• Blegen, Carl W. Troy and the Trojans.
• Cottrell, Leonard. The Bull of Minos. Henry Holt & Company, Inc., 1958.
• Gordon, Edward J. et al, ed.. Understanding Literature. Boston: Ginn and Company, 1967
• Grosvenor, Melville Bell, editor-in-chief, and National Geographic Society Book Service staff. Greece and Rome: Builders of Our World. Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society, 1971
• Hale, William Harlan, author and editor-in chief, and American Heritage staff, eds . The Horizon Book of Ancient Greece. New York: American Heritage Publishing Co, Bonanza Books, 1984
• Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1942
• Lawall, Sarah, and Mack, Maynard et al. eds. The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Second Edition: New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2002
• Lombardo, Stanley, ed. The Essential Homer. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2000
• MacKendrick, Paul L. The Greek Stones Speak.
• Schliemann, Heinrich. Troy and Its Remains.
• Schliemann, Heinrich. Results of the Latest Researches and Discoveries on the the Site of Homer's Troy 1881. Amos Press. New York, 1976.

Authors:

• Jayne Karsten, English, Grades 9-12
  The Key School
  Annapolis, MD US