It's All Greek to Me

Welcome: It's All Greek to Me
Description: Students will map shipping and trade routes between Greece and America during the early 1900s. Teacher will provide maps that are simply landforms and open water. The students must use the computer to research shipping and trade routes that were used between Greece and America. The maps will be labeled with colored coded keys showing Greece's paths and America's paths. Students will research the history of olives and Olive Oil in Greek History. Students will be put into small groups of 3 or 4 students. They will research on the Internet and find a simple recipe that uses grapes, olives or Olive Oil and must have Greek origins. The students must choose a recipe that can be prepared and completed in the classroom. Each group will prepare a short presentation which highlights the production and distribution of grapes, olives and Olive Oil in Greece. They can also discuss the historical aspects of grapes and olives in Greece. Students will turn the classroom into a ship more specifically from the Late Bronze Age the Uluburun ship. Students will be given a role aboard this ship. Teacher will have the students research the crew, their duties, their characteristics, etc. Students will develop an understanding of the different forms of government that was practiced during Ancient Greece. Once they know and understand the different forms of government during that era they will be given a timeline by the teacher which they must develop 5 questions based on the timeline. The class as a whole must choose a global issue. Based on the different forms of government they them must convene as a government body to resolve that global issue. Students will do a split note taking activity on Greek geography and city-states. One side of the students paper will be notes taken from information teacher which would include a power-point presentation and classroom discussion. There will be seven categories that students must gather information on and write in the second column.
Grade Level: 6-8
Curriculum: Social Studies
Keywords: Greece, shipping, trade, ancient, greek food, democracy, greek tragedy, timeline, mapping, government.
Author(s): Cynthia Starnes