How I Am Connected to Ancient Greece

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

After the initial Fertile Crescent civilizations started to move out, people began to trade with other cities. (See the Additional Resources lesson in the right-hand sidebar for more information on Fertile Crescent civilizations).

Different groups of people invented new technologies and the number of people in the world started to grow.

Today, you are going to learn about the group of people called the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greeks lived in Greece a very long time ago. You might know something of the Ancient Greeks because of their mythology — stories about their gods and goddesses. The god Zeus is one of the most famous of their gods, and the one they considered the most powerful god.

The ancient Greeks also created the Olympic Games.

• Have you ever watched the Olympics on television?

The events have changed a lot since the days of ancient Greece, but the Olympics are still a powerful symbol of sportsmanship and country pride. To learn how the Olympic Games began, watch The Olympic Games story for kids, from NowYouKnowAbout, and think about how the games, and the overall structure and rules of the Olympics, have changed since 776 B.C.

You can discover more about the Olympics in this article, Origin and History of the Olympic Games (Scholastic).

The Olympics aren't the only interesting legacy (something handed down from generation to generation) to come from ancient Greece. Many objects, including constellations we see in the night sky, are named after Greek gods and goddesses, and the mythology that tells the stories of the Greek deities entertains modern readers and influences the writers and movie makers of today.

Ancient Greece holds so much information, it's almost impossible not to find links to modern society. Take some time to explore topics that are of interest to you using the following resources:

• Ancient Greeks: Growing up in Greece (BBC) Carefully explore the different sections of the website to discover what daily life was like for a young person in ancient Greece. Once you have read through the sections, timeline, and "Fun Facts," spend some time in the "Activities" box in the bottom left corner. There, you will find interactives that will help you learn more about the Olympic Games and Greek theater. Before leaving this site, test your knowlege by taking the quiz, also located in the "Activities" box.

• What was it like to live in an ancient Greek family? As you are going through this BBC website, be sure to click on each person in the Greek family to learn about him or her. There are resources at the bottom of the article if you would like to learn more!

• Ancient Greece Food. Before reading or listening to this Ducksters website, print out Dinner in Ancient Greece from Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar. The printout is of a Triclinium, a formal dining room. As you are reading or listening, draw in the food the ancient Greeks would have eaten. You can draw the food on the table or draw around the picture. At the end of the article, you will hear how people sat around the dinner table. Draw the people and how they sat on the lounging chairs around the table.

You discovered a lot about ancient Greece, but there is more to learn.

• Do you remember who ruled over the early Olympics?

That's right, Zeus!

In the Got It? section, you will explore Greek mythology and learn how it influenced how the people of ancient Greece carried out their daily lives.