Dover-Sherborn Middle School

Curriculum Road Maps

 

Course Title:           Social Studies                                       Grade: 6

 

Unit:                               Rome & Greece (COMBINED STUDIES)                    


Month Presented:    April- June                       Unit Length (in weeks):     10     

 

Connections to Massachusetts State Frameworks:

The Roots of Western Civilization: Ancient Greece, c. 800-300 BC/BCE

7.24 On a historical map of the Mediterranean area, locate Greece and trace the extent of its influence to 300 BC/BCE. On a modern map of the Mediterranean area, Europe, England, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent, locate England, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, and other countries in the Balkan peninsula, Crete, Egypt, India, the Middle East, Pakistan, and Turkey.

(H, G)

 

7.25 Explain how the geographical location of ancient Athens and other city-states contributed to their role in maritime trade, their colonies in the Mediterranean, and the expansion of their cultural influence. (H, G, E)

 

7.26 Explain why the government of ancient Athens is considered the beginning of democracy and explain the democratic political concepts developed in ancient Greece. (H, C)

 

A.  the “polis” or city-state

B.  civic participation and voting rights

C.  legislative bodies

D.  constitution writing

E.  rule of law

 

7.27 Compare and contrast life in Athens and Sparta. (H)

 

7.28 Describe the status of women and the functions of slaves in ancient Athens. (H)

 

7.29 Analyze the causes, course, and consequences of the Persian Wars, including the origins of marathons. (H)

 

7.30 Analyze the causes, course, and consequences of the Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta. (H)

 

7.31 Describe the rise of Alexander the Great and the spread of Greek culture. (H)

 

7.32 Describe the myths and stories of classical Greece; give examples of Greek gods and goddesses, heroes, and events, and where and how we see their names used today. (H)

 

7.33 Explain why the city-states of Greece instituted a tradition of athletic competitions and describe the kinds of sports they featured. (H)

 

7.34 Describe the purposes and functions of  the lyceum, the gymnasium, and the Library of Alexandria, and identify the major accomplishments of the ancient Greeks. (H)

a.      Thales (science)

b.      Pythagoras and Euclid (mathematics)

c.      Hippocrates (medicine)

d.      Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle (philosophy)

e.      Herodotus, Thucydides, Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes, and Euripides (history, poetry, and drama)

f.       the Parthenon, the Acropolis, and the Temple of Apollo (architecture)

g.      the development of the first complete alphabet with symbols for consonants and vowels

 

 

Essential Question (s) Focus:

  • How are we like those who have come before us?

 

Learning Objectives:

Students will learn about the geographic influence on Greece’s development

Students will learn about the Greek gods and their myths

Students will learn about the principle rivalries: Athens and Sparta, Greece and Persia. 

Students will learn about the conquests of Alexander the Great. 

 

Skills Indicators:

  1. Demonstrate values of respect, responsibility, honesty and effort.
  2. Maintain an organized approach to learning: taking notes, completing homework and classwork, and being prepared.
  3. Identify and utilize a variety of strategies to determine the meaning and usefulness of a source.
  4. Effectively identify and express the important contributions of the societies we study, both verbally and in writing.
  5. Apply facts learned to answer unit questions.
  6. Reflect on learning and community progress..

Skills focus for this unit: ALL

 

Instructional Strategies & Activities:

  • Group/partner cooperation and teamwork activities
  • Oral presentations about Greek myths
  • Maps
  • Research and note-taking background information.

 

Materials Utilized:

Ancient Civilizations for Kids VIDEO Series: Greece, Rome, Aegean

Various readings on Greece and Rome

Ancient Civilizations

Videos from United Streaming

Greek Myths

Assessment Strategies:

Debate preparation write-up

Alexander the Great: hero or villain paragraph

Sweatbook entries

Quizzes and Hot Spots

Reflection journals.