Subject: history
Key stage: ks2
Year: year-4
Description: In this unit, pupils establish broad knowledge of ancient Greek civilisation. They learn about the geography and location of the ancient Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta's rivalry, and evaluate what ancient Greek myths can tell us about Ancient Greek culture.
Why this, why now: This unit uses and builds on various year 3 units on Bronze Age civilisations where pupils routinely encountered the ideas of trade, cities, law, religion and warfare. The forms of government outlined in lessons on Sparta and Athens provide contrast and comparison with the forms of government pupils have encountered in these earlier units. This unit prepares pupils for the next unit, where their knowledge of ancient Greece is enriched by thinking about the sorts of legacies left by the ancient Greeks.
Prior knowledge requirements: Pupils need to know that civilisations often leave behind artefacts and written sources. Pupils need to understand some of the main features of Bronze Age civilisations. Pupils need to have a basic grasp of European and Mediterranean geography. Pupils should understand how historians and archaeologists interact with sources and artefacts to make claims about the past.
National curriculum content: Regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
Unit lessons: