Ancient Greece

A WebQuest for 7th Grade (History)

wdonnashouse@aol.com

Introduction

The history of Greece can be traced back to Crete, a remote island to the south of the Aegean Sea, which was completely lacking in metal resources. Later came early farmers and the civilizations of the Minoan and Mycenaean kings. In the period from 500-336 BC, Greece was divided into small city-states, each of which consisted of a city and its surrounding countryside. As you read you will experience the Greek influence on architecture, religion, culture and science that is still evident in today’s world.

As a historian, you will get a chance to pick objects from Ancient Greece that will be put away for others to see thousands of years later. You are going to find objects that represent the culture of Ancient Greece. A special time capsule will be sealed until the year 2007 when kids like you will get a chance to open it and see what Ancient Greece was like.

Task

A time capsule from the United States in the year 2001 might have information about the World Trade Centers, pictures of cities, popular music, computer games and clothing styles.

We are going to create a time capsule from Ancient Greece. We will put in objects that will help people years later understand what Ancient Greece was like. As the historian, you get to select your choice of what goes inside the capsule!

Process

1. Your first step is to discover what a time capsule is and their main purpose. To find out more about time capsules to go to this website.

2. Before you embark on your journey throughout Ancient Greece, you will individually take some time now to explore the following sites. These sites will provide you with some background information on daily life in Ancient Greece. Site One and Site Two

3. Each of you will be part of a time capsule team consisting of 3 members. All of you will be Ancient Greek researchers. You will alternate being the recorder, Internet explorer, and designer. The recorder records the information you find on the objects and writes up a detailed description of the object. The Internet explorer does the searching of websites on the computer. The designer creates the drawing/painting/model, etc. to be placed in the capsule.

4. As researchers, your group is looking for items that represent the culture, religion, architecture, science, and literature in Ancient Greece to place in the time capsule. This will include such things as Greek food, music, sports, dances, etc.

5. After your group has found at least 6 items to place in the time capsule, each group will share with another group to see if there are any objects they want to include from the other group’s list.

6. As a class, we will discuss all the objects the groups have discovered and decide on a range of items that represent all of Greek culture.

7. After discussing with the whole class, your group will decide six items that you wish to place in time capsule that your group has constructed. For each object the group designer will create a drawing, painting, sculpture, etc to go into the capsule. A detailed description is expected for each object explaining the importance that item has in representing Ancient Greek culture.

Now that you are ready to start searching for artifacts, use the internet to explore the sites below.

Ancient Greek Architecture –Find an architectural wonder of the Ancient Greek world.

Ancient Olympics –Discover how the Greeks determined the greatest athletes in their time

Greek Geography –Explore this site to find a few of the important Greek city-states

Greek Religion –Explore to find out the importance of Greek gods and goddesses. Who were the key figures on Mt. Olympus?

Slavery –What best represents a slaves life in Greece?

Greek Literature –This period was known for its poets and playwrights. Enter here to discover one of them and the works they were credited with.

Greek Philosophy –Navigate this index to find the origins of Greek thought

Greek Science –Discover the important contributions the Ancient Greeks made to the field of science and medicine.

Evaluation

Below is a copy of the rubric that will be used to evaluate your time capsule project.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Time Capsule Objects Chosen	Less than four objects are chosen and placed in the time capsule.	Four or five objects are chosen and placed in the capsule.	Six or seven objects are chosen and placed in the capsule	Chose eight or more objects and place them in the capsule.
Time Capsule Description	No objects are explained.	Not all objects are explained with 4-5 details. Explanations do not show understanding.	Explanation of objects fits requirements 4-5 details are given for each object.	Explanation of all objects fits requirements. Extra details are given.
Research and Technology Use	Team did use any links or the internet to research information.	Team used less than 3 links provided.	Team used at least 5 links provided by the WebQuest .	Team used all links provided by the WebQuest. Team found other helpful websites not provided by the WebQuest.
Group Work	Team did not work together at all.	Team worked together but did not show mutual respect. Not all members participated equally.	Team worked co-operatively. All members participated equally.	Team worked co-operatively. All members participated and gave extra effort.
Completed Time Capsule and Presentation	Time capsule shows no effort in design. Few or no objects are placed in the capsule. Team did not present to class.	Time capsule does not show effort in design. Less than 4 objects were located. Team does not present to class.	Time capsule shows effort in design. At least 6 objects were located. Team presents to class.	Time capsule shows extra effort in design. Seven or more objects were located. Team presents to class and summarizes importance of assignment.

Conclusion

As historians you have explored many facets of the Ancient Greek Civilization. You have created a time capsule and placed the objects you have discovered inside. You have helped future generations by sealing away objects from your discoveries in Ancient Greece to be recovered and examined many years later.

If kids were to find your time capsule many years later, do you think that they would be able to understand what life was like in Ancient Greece? If you were to create a time capsule that represented your life in the year 2004, what kinds of things would you include?

For additional resources concerning Ancient Greece, go to:

http://eawc.evansville.edu/grpage.htm

http://www.arwhead.com/Greeks/

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook07.html

Credits & References

The above images were taken from: http://wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/general_contents.html

The WebQuest can be applied to certain content standards dictated by The Ohio Department of Education. These standards include:

1. Describe the enduring impact of early civilizations in Greece after 1000 B.C. including:

a. The development of concepts of government and citizenship;

b. The scientific and cultural advancements;

c. The spread of religions;

d. Slavery and systems of labor.

2. Describe the cultural and scientific legacies of Greek civilizations.

3. Identify the location of significant physical and human characteristics on a map of Greece.

4. On a map identify places related to the historical events being studied and explain their significance.

We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let me know and provide the new URL.

Based on a template from The WebQuest Page