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Title:
Geography of the AegeanLesson Author:
Matt Barrow and Chris PobjeckyKey Words:
Aegean Basin, arable land, barter economy, money economy, Hellenic culture, colonization, polisGrade Level:
9th grade World History ITime Allotted:
90 MinutesRationale/ Purpose (so what?)
Knowing the geographic characteristics of the Aegean Basin is critical for understanding the social, political, and economic development of Ancient Greece.
Key Concept(s):
Aegean Basin
– region of southeast Europe/northwest Asia Minor that consists of places such as
the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Dardanelles, the Black Sea, Athens, Sparta, Troy, and Macedonia.Arable land
– land that is capable of growing crops; very limited in the Aegean region
(approximately three-fourths of the land in this region is covered in rugged mountains). Barter economy– trade system where goods are directly exchanged for other goods.
Money economy
– trade system where a medium of exchange (such as coins) is used to pay for
goods or services.Hellenic Culture
– the uniquely Greek culture that developed during the Greek Dark Age;
derived from the word “Hellas”, which is the Greek word for “Greece.”Colonization
– the relocation of Greek citizens from a city-state to another area to set up a
permanent settlement; necessary in order to find sufficient food to support growing populations (due to limited arable land).2
NCSS Standard(s)
SOL Information
(As written in the Virginia SOL “Curriculum Framework” for the grade level)NCSS Theme (s) with indicators:
Culture and Cultural Diversity• Enable learners to analyze and explain the ways groups, societies, and cultures address human needs and concerns;
• Assist learners to apply an understanding as an integrated whole that explains the functions and interactions of language, literature, the arts, traditions, beliefs and values, and behavior patterns;
• Encourage learners to compare and analyze societal patterns for preserving and transmitting culture while adapting to environmental and social change;
• Ask learners to give examples and describe the importance of cultural unity and diversity within and across groups;
• Guide learners as they construct reasoned judgments about specific cultural responses to persistent human issues
SOL: WHII.5a
The student will demonstrate knowledge of ancient Greece in terms of its impact of Western civilization by:
a) Assessing the influence of geography on Greek economic, social, and political development, including the impact of Greek commerce and colonies;
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Essential Knowledge
(minimum for SOL Resource Guide)• The physical geography of the Aegean Basin shaped the economic, social, and political development of Greek civilization.
• The expansion of Greek civilization through trade and colonization led to the spread of Hellenic culture across the Mediterranean and Black seas.
Locations and places • Aegean Sea
• Balkan and Peloponnesus peninsula, Europe, Asia Minor
• Mediterranean Sea • Black Sea, Dardanelles • Athens, Sparta, Troy • Macedonia
•
Economic and social development • Agriculture (limited arable land)
• Commerce and the spread of Hellenic culture • Shift from barter to money economy (coins)
Political development
• Mountainous terrain both helped and hindered the development of city-states.
• Greek cities were designed to promote civic and commercial life.
Colonization was prompted by overpopulation and the search for arable land.
Essential Skills
(minimum for SOL Resource Guide)
Use maps, globes, artifacts, and pictures to analyze the physical and cultural landscapes of the world and interpret the past. (WHI.1b)
Identify major geographic features important to the study of world history. (WHI.1c)
Identify and compare political boundaries with the locations of civilizations, empires, and kingdoms. (WHI.1d)
Analyze trends in human migration and cultural interaction.(WHI.1e)
Analyze the impact of economic forces, including taxation, government spending, trade, resources, and monetary systems on events. (WHI.1f)
Guiding Question(s):
How did the geography of the Aegean Basin influence the development of Ancient Greece?
Assessment Tool(s):
Map Quiz
Essay Assignment
Background: How does this lesson fit into a unit of study? Looking backwards, looking forwards
Having completed a unit covering SOL WHII.4 (Development of ancient Persia, India, and China), this lesson serves as an introduction to a unit on SOL WHII.5 (Ancient Greece). Students will learn
4 where Greece is located, the various geographic features that shaped where people lived, where the people that lived there came from, and why the social life, economics, and politics of Ancient Greece were able to develop as they did. Following this lesson is a lesson on Greek mythology covering SOL WHII.b.
Lesson Objective(s) (Please number):
S.W.B.A.T.:
1) demonstrate knowledge of Greek geography by identifying the following locations on a blank map: a. Aegean Sea; b. Mediterranean Sea; c. Black Sea; d. Dardanelles; e. Athens; f. Sparta; g. Troy; h. Macedonia.
2) Assess the influence of geography on the development of Greece by writing a short essay that includes at least one example of how geography influenced each of the following:
a. Economic development; b. Social development; c. Political development.
Materials: Historical Source(s):
(include copies in materials section)• Google Earth • Power Point Slides
o Primary Source photos
Additional Materials/Resources:
(include copies in materials section)• Laptop
• Digital Projector • Google Earth • Power Point Slides • Overhead Projector • Lecture notes overhead • Map Quiz
• Essay Assignment directions
5 JUST DO IT!: (5 minutes) Display the following 3 pictures on the screen using digital
projector: the Lincoln Memorial, the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, O, Brother, Where Art Thou Movie Poster. Students will be asked to try and identify what these three things have in common and write down their answers on a sheet of paper.
Obj # See above.
Processing Activity and Procedure -include directions, question frames, assignment detail
to be given to students (these should all be made into explicit materials (e.g. see material
A), and time estimates
Check for Evidence of Understanding -Either Formal or Informal- (Checks Essential Knowledge
and Skills)
Just do it. (~5 mins)
Display three pictures: the Lincoln Memorial, the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, and the O, Brother,
Where Art Thou Movie Poster. Then have
students attempt to identify what these three pictures have in common. Students will have no longer than 3 minutes to accomplish this. Students may work together if they wish.
While students are working, ask them probing questions about the images. At the end of several minutes, a quick debrief will allow students to understand these three things are all directly connected to Ancient Greek history. The Lincoln Memorial borrows architecture (the Parthenon), the Apollo program borrows mythology, and the movie borrows Greek poetry (an adaptation of Homer’s The
Odyssey.
Transition:
Ancient Greece, not Ancient Grease (a specially made image to amuse/capture attention).
Objective
The student will demonstrate knowledge of Greek geography by identifying the following locations on a blank map:
d. Aegean Sea; e. Mediterranean Sea; f. Black Sea; g. Dardanelles; h. Athens; i. Sparta;
Students will be engaged in learning by answering leading questions while examining a close-up Google Earth exploration of the Aegean Basin.
6 j. Troy;
k. Macedonia.
Powerpoint/Google Earth (35 mins)
• Display Google Earth on screen at front of the room using a laptop and an LCD projector
o Have all of the above listed places displayed on the Google Earth map.
• Zoom in closely to examine various geographical features and ask the following leading questions:
o What do you notice about this region?
Around a sea islands mountains
o Where do you think people would have lived?
close to water/coast where they could grow
food
lower elevations o What do you notice about the
coastline of the Aegean region? natural harbors
make trade by sea logical • Accompany Google Earth presentation
with powerpoint slides showing primary source images that correspond with the above regions when appropriate (See lecture notes outline)
• After leading questions, reveal lecture notes that are to be projected (using the overhead) next to the Google Earth projection.
o Lines of notes are to be covered with a sheet of paper and only revealed as the lesson progresses. o While going through the lecture,
refer back to Google Earth
whenever appropriate to illustrate points
Blank Map Quiz (~5 mins)
Invite students to approach Google Earth projection to point out various geographic features.
At times, use a “Magic Window” to illustrate
specific/important geographic features.
Ask leading questions such as the ones above to the class.
7 o Turn off LCD projector, have students
close books.
o Pass out the blank maps of the Aegean (with only three dots marking where Athens, Sparta, and Troy would be located).
o Ask students to locate as many places listed in their objective as they can without looking at any other maps.
o After a couple of minutes, turn Google Map projection of Aegean back on
o Allow students to fill in the ones they missed, but to circle them o Collect papers
Not a graded quiz; use this to see which locations students are remembering and which ones they are struggling with.
Transition:
Ask a student to approach the Google Earth projection and point out important geographic characteristics of the Aegean Basin
o Rugged Mountains o Many Islands o Around a Sea
Objective
The student will assess the influence of geography on the development of Greece by writing a short essay that includes at least one example of how geography influenced each of the following:
a. Economic development; b. Social development; c. Political development.
FRAME Routine (~25 mins)
Blank FRAME displayed on board, have class as a whole fill in the blanks (help them out when necessary)
-Have students copy this in their notebooks as we go
• Key Topic
o Geography of the Aegean • Is about…
8 islands around a sea
• Main Idea
o Social Influence
Limited arable land and easy access to sea prompted Greeks to develop into trading societies
Easy spread of Hellenic culture
Reliance on sea trade meant many occupations were connected to the sea (fishermen, merchants, shipbuilders, etc.) • Main Idea
o Political Influence
Rugged mountains caused the development of isolated city-states
Peoples’ strong ties to their independent city-states hindered the development of a unified Greece Made government very
personal democracy • Main Idea
o Economic Influence
Limited natural resources led to colonization/sites for trade, which increased Greek wealth
Increased trade led to the development of a money economy in the Aegean Big Idea
The geography of the Aegean region directly affected how all aspects of Greek society developed. Short Essay Assignment (~15 mins)
-See attached instructions
o Students may refer to their FRAMEs
information to fill in the appropriate boxes.
The essay will demonstrate their understanding of how the geography of the Aegean influence Ancient Greek development.
9 o Instruct that the goal is for them to create a
logical, well-structured essay. o They may finish for homework
o Will be collected at the beginning of next class.
Modifications/Accommodations for Diverse Learners:
On blank maps, students will use colored pencils to draw and color the locations of various geographical features (such as mountains, important seas, different peninsulas) on the map.
Closure/Writing Prompt/Rubric:
Students will use their completed FRAMES to begin constructing a logical essay, citing specific examples of how geography influenced the social, political, and economic development of Ancient Greece.
Materials:
Google Earth
PowerPoint slides (see attached)
Lecture notes transparencies (see attached) Blank map quiz (see attached handout)
