Life in Ancient Greece

Companion to: Chapter 2, Lesson 2: "History Close-Up"; Chapter 7, Lesson 2 Skill: "Using Reference Books."
State Social Studies Outcomes:

Inquiry
- Locate information about local, state and national communities using a variety of traditional sources, electronic technologies and direct observation.
Geography
- Locate and describe cultures and compare the similarities and differences among the roles of women, men and families.

Guiding Questions

Greece has buildings that are over 2000 years old. Why do buildings in the United States look like ancient Greek buildings? What was life like in Ancient Greece?

Goals of Lesson

Through the lesson, students will learn how to research history through architecture by locating buildings in Greece and Rome, Washington D.C. and Ypsilanti that look similar. Students will use a reference page on Ancient Greece to learn what life was like 2,500 years ago.

Vocabulary

architecture (p. 42 of Share Our World)
culture (p. 25)

Tools

architecture worksheet
blank culture chart (below)

Activity

Part I: Web Research/Inquiry

Culture is everything that makes up the way of life in a community.

Have students answer the question, "How would your life be different if you lived in ancient Greece?" by conducting research.
Go to the website: http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/ this site is divided up by aspects of culture such as clothes, food, economy, environment, religion.
Have students fill in the chart based on their research:

Culture Chart

	Ancient Greece	Ypsilanti today
Clothing
Food
Literature
Natural Environment
Sports
Important Buildings (architecture)

Some answers:

	Ancient Greece	Ypsilanti today
Clothing	Tunics, sandals, blankets	Jeans, T-shirts sweatshirts
Food	Meat, fish, olive oil, wine Wheat bread. Food had to be blessed	Peanut butter sandwich, fruit, carrots, fish, meat.
Literature	Long poems (epics), plays, speeches	Stories, movies
Natural Environment	Hot, hard to grow food, next to ocean	Cold in Winter, next to river, hills, trees
Sports	Played naked. Running, jumping, throwing javelin or discus. No co-ed sports	Soccer, football
Important Buildings (architecture)	Temples, built 440 B.C., palaces, tombs	Schools, City Hall, Library, University buildings

Part II: Architecture

Architecture is the design of a building, such as a house.

Have students examine the pictures on the Buildings worksheet. Some are from Ypsilanti. Some are in Washington D.C. and some are from Greece or Rome, Italy.
Have students go to their U.S. maps and find together- Ypsilanti, Washington D.C., Greece and Rome, Italy.
Complete the architecture worksheet.
Discuss how the buildings in Greece, Rome, Washington D.C. and Ypsilanti look similar. Why were buildings in Ypsilanti and in Washington D.C. made to look like buildings in Greece?