This was the fourth lesson in a ten-week unit about the ancient Greeks. We had already looked at Homer's Iliad, examining Greek ideas about heroes and roles; investigated the evidence for the Trojan War; and used topic books to identify and classify the main features of ancient Greek life. Throughout the unit ran a strong literacy strand.

Now, in an Olympic year, we turned to the ancient Olympic Games.

We knew the children would have concepts of the Olympics gained from the modern Games. So, we decided to present the class with the challenge of learning from clues found on Greek pottery - to interpret and organise the pictures painted on the pottery to create the ancient Olympic Games programme.

This active approach is particularly productive with visual and kinaesthetic learners.

(These resources are attached below)

 

Background information Ancient Greeks for teachers Teaching methods Speaking and listening The Visual Image Ancient Greece: try these other lessons Ancient Greek Government Archimedes and the kings crown Archimedes and the Syracusan War The Iliad Ancient Greek ideas: science Ancient Greek myths Socrates, Alcibiades, and Athenian democracy Boxing boys from Ancient Greece Looking at the evidence ... see Theseus and the Minotaur Finding out about the teacher Cross-curricular learning

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