Greek Education & Culture Lesson Plan

1.  Descriptive Data

Teacher ___Dustin Dearman____  Subject Area _Social Studies________  Date _12-3-12____ 

Grade Level _7___  Unit Title __Culture__________   Lesson Number _1 

2.     Plan the Lesson:

      Learning Purpose: To discuss and debate culture differences between Greeks in Athens and those in Sparta, primarily the differences between the intellectual state and a warrior state. What are their values, cultural identity and how did their institutions reflect their culture?

Standards (list local, state, or national standards which will be met upon completion of this

lesson):

H.6.7.30
Compare and contrast life in Athens and Sparta (e.g., the role of citizens, social classes, Olympic games)

H.6.7.3
Investigate characteristics of civilizations (e.g., writing, development of communities, government, religion, specialized workers, advanced technology, economic systems, education)

H.6.7.7
Examine contributions that past civilizations made to the modern world (e.g., arts, architecture, aqueducts, legal system, math, language, science, transportation)

Common Core Writing Standard

3. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

a.  Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what
is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/ effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

c.  Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

e.  Establish and maintain a formal style.

f.  Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

4. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

Goal(s): Students will have an appreciation and understanding how culture from ancient civilizations influence our present-day lives. Students will press themselves to ask “Social Scientist Questions” Who? What? When? Where? Why? And How?

Lesson Objective(s): Students will construct foldables noting differences in Athenian and Spartan Culture and values based on research from library resources. Students will identify each city-state based on a cultural moray or value system with 85% accuracy. Students will write a paragraph from the perception of a child attending the Spartan Agoge using 4-7 details from history backing up the historical accuracy of the short story.

Essential Questions:

How does culture affect a civilization? In what ways does culture shape governments, education, and other institutions? What would it have been like to go to school in Athens/Sparta?

      Related Subject Connections:

            Writing/Research/Scientific reasoning/Arts

Modifications for special needs and gifted: For special needs studetns, a foldable will already be created. They would just have to fill in the notes. For some students who have difficulty taking notes, they will be provided. Also, lower level books will be available for students to read. For gifted students, I would ask them to design a short play using puppets or with themselves as actors to identify different cultural values in either Athens or Sparta.

Assessment of Student Learning:  Formative assessment will be conducted in two ways, 1) through the foldables, the students will find six identifying characteristics of each civilizations 2) through 4-7 accurate examples of Agoge life.

Materials and Equipment needed: Cardboard paper foldables, research materials, pencil.

3.    Implement the Lesson:

      Grouping for lesson: _x_ whole group _x_ small group _x_ individual

(__5_ minutes) Set

How does culture affect a society? What aspects of our society would be different if our culture and values were different?

 (_10_ minutes) Making the Content Comprehensible (C² ):  

Using foldables, find and identify six characteristics of Athenian and Spartan Culture which make them unique.

       (_25__ minutes) Group Activity:

       Students can work in small groups or individually to research.

      

       (15 minutes) Independent Activity:

       Students will write a first-person historical fiction narrative of a child going through school in either Athens or Sparta.

4.      Conclude and Extend the Lesson:  (NMSA Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)

(_5_ minutes) Closure:

Gather students to share their thought about the differences between Athenian and Spartan life. They will share their foldables and their stories. What were the Spartan’s main cultural values? Athens? How do those values affect daily life, government, education, etc.?