Dear Parent/Guardian,
Your student is going to begin an exciting journey through the ancient Greek culture starting Monday, January 12th. The class will be transported back to ancient Greece and join a city-state (“polis”). Each group of students will then compete in a variety of tasks and activities for the glory and honor of their polis. All work will be done in class EXCEPT for the Festival Project (see below), which must be completed by the student on their own. The simulation will last five weeks and consists of several stages.
Week 1 = Academy: Students are placed into city-states and develop their identity. Here they learn to act as Greeks. This stage includes several lectures on Greek life. Students will compete as city-states in daily review quizzes.
Week 2 = Acropolis: Each city-state will construct a Greek temple within an allotted amount of time in class. Each group will be provided the same materials and given time to create a “blue-print”. “Visiting dignitaries” will judge the temples for beauty and symmetry.
Week 3 = Olympics: Each student will choose an event to participate in such as straw javelin toss, tortilla discus throw, standing long jump, etc.
Theater: Each city-state will be given a summary of an ancient Greek play. They will need to take the main idea and characters of the play and create their own re-enactment.
Week 4 = Finish Theater presentations and start Festival Project Presentations: Students will present their individual projects to the class. Directions are posted on my website at www.quia.com/pages/mevers/greekunit
Week 5: Feast: A celebration of a successful simulation completion. Awards will be presented to individuals and city-states. We will feast on various Greek foods and grape juice.
Unit Final: Students will complete an open-note “Thinking Essay” looking at a specific part of the Greek culture and how it connects to our culture today. Students be given the prompt (question) ahead of time and have time to work on a pre-write.
FESTIVAL PROJECT
This project is a requirement of the Greek simulation. I will review project requirements and due dates with students as well as provide them with over 40 different ideas that they can choose from. This project is to be done by students ON THEIR OWN TIME, AT HOME. There will be NO class time to work on the projects.
Students will be assisted in selecting their project. Projects types range from essays, plays, clothing creation, art presentations, to Greek food preparation.
I will sign off on a student’s selected project as approval that they may do that specific project. If a student wishes to change their project, THEY MUST get MY prior approval to do so.
Students will have a total of THREE (3) weeks to complete their project. Their project will be due the day they are scheduled to present. Students will present depending on their “assigned day:
Tuesday, February 3rd OR Wednesday, February 4th
If a student is absent, they will be required to present at lunch the DAY THEY RETURN, no exceptions.
SOME HELPFUL PROJECT HINTS:
- Space out the project, do not procrastinate (wait until the night before!)
- RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!! You must know your subject, present it for 3 minutes and answer questions on it!
- MUST include a visual, poster, artwork, video, etc. (Food does not count as visual).
** Remember - you must create a project AND a presentation for each item below even if it just lists the project element. Example: "Demonstrate events of early Olympic games" would mean that you need to create a presentation that discuss the early Olympics and then actually demonstrate events for your project.***
Project Ideas:
1. Research Socrates and Socratic dialogue. Write one or two page example of it.
2. Act out Homer's Iliad or Odyssey, entire epic or an important part.
3. Make Greek costumes, examples: chiton, peplos, himation. Demonstrate how each was put on/worn.
4. Research ancient Greek designs (fets), make a poster, present, explain.
5. Research Greek alphabet and explain how it influenced present-day alphabet.
6. Demonstrate events of early Olympic games.
7. Research Greek music, give presentation.
8. Research Greek musical instruments. Make one or two, demonstrate how they were used.
9. Research Greek dancing, perform and explain.
10. Act out one or two Greek myths.
11. Collect pictures of Greek art, architecture. Mount them on posterboard. Explain the pictures.
12. Make a mosaic or fresco in the ancient Greek style.
13. Make a poster with the different types of pottery and their uses: funeral urns, drinking cups, storage jars, etc.
14. Make a Greek frieze with a heroic scences from mythology or events. Use clay, flour paste, etc.
15. Research Greek pottery. Make examples.
16. Make a statute of a Greek god or goddess. Explain how you did it and about the deity.
17. Make some greek coins. Use self-hardening clay, small modeling tools, paint, etc. Explain the kinds of currency.
18. Make Greek "chlamys" (cape), decorate it with traditional ancient Greek designs.
19. Make or draw three classic Greek columns: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Label the various parts and explain the construction of the Greek temples.
20. Write an epic poem in Homeric style, perform it.
21. Make relief map of ancient Greece, explain importance of geography.
22. Make chart on Greek language, how to pronounce, demonstrate.
23. Write a mini-drama (soap opera) about Greek family.
24. Make model of Greek ship/s, explain importance of sea.
25. Create Greek newspaper/magazine.
26. Make LARGE timeline of Greek history.
27. Make clay model of Trojan horse, explain Trojan War.
28. Make model of Greek house, explain home life.
29. Perform or make video of Greek "TV" show.
30. Make poster explaining difference of Socrates, Aristotle, Plato.
31. Make a poster explaining Greek soldiers, their weapons and Alexander the Great's conquests.
32. Make some Greek masks for drama and comedy.
33. Dress like Greek warrior, explain costume, weapons, fighting techniques.
34. Using posterboard, make maze and illustrate story of Minotaur.
35. Create a board game about ancient Greece.
36. Create play about Spartan life.
37. Make a wax-covered tablet and stylus.
38. Stage the trial for Socrates' life.
39. Demonstrate Greek weights, measurement, math.
40. Research "bad" side of Greeks, example slavery, prostitution, bathing, toilets, attitudes towards women, children, special needs, animal sacrifices.
41. Demonstrate instruments a Greek doctor used.
42. Make an alphabet scroll.
43. Act out a Greek myth with up to two other peers.
44. Make up your own project. You MUST get Mrs. Evers' okay by presenting your idea and how you will achieve. Think through your idea!!!
45. Research ancient Greek food and do a presentation (with visuals) - what the Greek's ate, where it came from, how it was stored and prepared. ***Then cook a modern Greek dish and bring it in during our Feast Day to share with the class.***
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