Chasing Arête

The ancient Greeks sought to extend themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually, to reach their full human potential; constantly pursuing arête —a Greek word, translated as “virtue” but also encompassing the quest for excellence. The best of Greek traditions—art, athletics, and philosophy—reflect the importance of arête in all human endeavors; whether striving for perfection on the Olympic field or simple everyday tasks. This month’s Spotlight will immerse your students to Greek history and civilization, and help them see the many ways in which the culture and traditions of the ancient Greeks still influence us today.

Lessons:

Students learn to analyze and critique as they gain insight into Greek culture through the exploration of mythology.

This lesson is designed to help students shape a frame of reference for examining specific areas of ancient Greek influence on Western thought and culture.

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.

The Muses of ancient Greece inspired poets, playwrights, dancers, actors, musicians, and scientists. In this lesson, students identify the character traits of each Muse, Grace, or Fate, and study written and artistic renderings of them. They then create a line or two of literature, as well as dance, music, and choral speaking performance based on a specific Muse, Grace, or Fate.

Students explore several decades of Olympic posters, and analyze elements and principles of design such as line, space, composition, and emphasis.

Students will examine areas of ancient Greek influence on Western thought and culture and research diverse topics to assess the ways Western ideals resonate ancient Greek ideals.

Aesop’s fables are over 2,600 years old, but the stories—and their morals—are still relevant today. In this lesson, students will learn a fable, make simple masks, and retell the story as part of a Greek chorus using masks.

The primary focus of this lesson is the close study of the text of Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound. Students review some of the principles of ancient Greek drama found in Aristotle’s’ Poetics and explore some examples of well-known myths used as seminal sources. Study questions are provided, as well as topic suggestions for writing assignments, oral presentations, and special projects.