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Year 6
Curriculum Area: History Unit 14 Who were the Ancient Greeks?
Wars and Warfare

Links to other curriculum areas:
(National Curriculum 2000/NNS/NLS/QCA Documents)

 

Overview
Introduction
Context
 Preparatory work
The Lesson

Introduction

This lesson plan contributes to QCA History Study Unit 14 – Who were the Ancient Greeks? It provides some ready-made ICT resources, complete with question prompts for teachers to help pupils find out about warfare during the time of the Ancient Greeks using historical artefacts. The activity described in this lesson plan could be adapted to any other study using artefacts.

Context

The lesson could be carried out using just one classroom computer, but teaching and learning would be greatly enhanced with the use of a data projector. The best option would be data projector and Interactive Whiteboard together with an ICT suite or set of laptop computers.


ICT competences required by:

Teacher

Ability to:

  • use a data projector
  • use a ready-made PowerPoint presentation
  • demonstrate how to insert text boxes in Word

Child

  • Insert (or learn how to) text boxes in Word

Teaching Approaches

The presentation allows the teacher to control the pace at which information is made available to pupils. It is a reusable resource and it could provide a model for other curriculum contexts, or be shared with colleagues.

The choice of an appropriate website means that all pupils have access to relevant information simultaneously. Information found in this way can be easily transferred into other applications e.g. using cut and paste.

Why use ICT?

The presentation gives the teacher a reusable, ready-made resource which introduces the topic in an interesting way using historical evidence. It allows teachers to focus the pupils' attention and to raise important issues for the whole class.

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The Learning Objectives

To infer information about Greek wars and warfare from illustrations
Vocabulary: hoplites, text boxes, armour, greaves, helmets, catapults


Preparatory work

Teachers should acquaint themselves with the PowerPoint presentation What can we learn about Greek soldiers.ppt
Ensure that the Word document Greek soldier.doc is available for all pupils to access.
 


The Lesson

Whole Class Teaching

Q What information can we find out about Greek soldiers by looking at pots?

Show Slide 2 a section of a Greek vase.
Teacher records responses on flip chart which may include suggestions such as:
spears, helmet, swords, breast plates, arrows, decorated shields, bare feet.

Now click to reveal the text on Slide 2.

Q Can you see the greaves on this Greek vase?

The boy at the bottom right is about to attach a greave to a soldier's leg.

Show Slide 3

Q What more can you learn from this Greek vase?

Further weapons can be seen such as: trident, bow and arrow, different kinds of helmets, robes etc.

Show Slide 4

Explain to the pupils that this is the same vase, but viewed from the reverse.

Q Does this tell us any more about Greek warfare?

Hopefully the pupils will suggest: horses to transport, weapons, people, to fight on. There is also what appears to be a catapult on the right hand side of the illustration. The horse has armour.

Show Slide 5

This is a recent drawing of a Greek foot soldier.

Q How do we know that it is historically accurate?

The pupils should be able to identify common features seen in the original pots reflected in this illustration.

Click to reveal the text.

Q What further information does this provide about hoplites?

Slide 6 has been intentionally left blank.

Main Activity

Explain to the pupils that they are going to apply what they have just learned about Greek soldiers by labelling a diagram.

Pupils work in pairs on the computer. Open the file called Greek soldier.doc Encourage the pupils to read the instructions contained in the text boxes describing how to insert Text Boxes which they will use to label the drawing. They can then delete the text boxes and insert their own.

Encourage pupils to label the drawing with the information they have learnt earlier but also to explain how each part of the armour provided some protection for the soldier.

Plenary

Show pupils Slide 7 which shows photographs of two Greek pots. Explain to pupils that each image shows a Greek soldier defeating a Persian soldier.

Q In which country do you think these pots were made? Why?

Q What kind of weapons and armour can you see on the Persian soldier?

Spear, sword, bow and arrow

Q Which side had the better armour and weapons?

You may want to show pupils Slide 8 which shows a modern sketch of a Persian soldier. Text labelling the weapons will appear at each click of the mouse.


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