Name
The ancient buildings on the Acropolis of Athens
Topic
Exploring the buildings of the Classical Period: a creative approach to the 5th century BC architectural monuments of the Athenian Acropolis
Learning time
3 hours and 45 minutes
Designed time
3 hours and 45 minutes
Size of class
25
Description
The lesson plan is based on one of the chapters of the high school ancient history textbook which is about the classical architecture of the Acropolis of Athens. Students have been split to teams of 5 in the classroom. Each team has adopted one ancient building of the 5th century BC located on the Athenian Acropolis (Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion, Parthenon, Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia) and has done internet research to gather information about the history, architecture, and other features of the building. Subsequently, they visit the Acropolis of Athens to explore and study the buildings they have adopted in a more creative and experiential way. Students age: 14-15 years.
Mode of delivery
Location-based
Aims
1. Get the students acquainted with the dimensions, function, history, architecture, orientation, exact position of five well-known buildings located on the Acropolis of Athens (Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion, Parthenon, Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia). 2. Identify the characteristics of the classic architecture that have been taught inside the classroom (doric or ionic order, materials, attention to symmetry, façade, the use of columns, decoration and sculptures, the concept of the frieze above the columns). 3. Give pupils the opportunity to take on the role of a tour guide, to study the buildings in a creative way.
Outcomes
Knowledge, Evaluation, Synthesis
Editor
thale22
Edit
The teacher reminds the objectives giving short instructions.
10 minutes)
  • Read Watch Listen
    10
    25
    0
    All pupils stand in a circle. The teacher reminds the objectives of the visit, gives short instructions, laminated papers with the tasks each team is to undertake, worksheets and maps of the Acropolis.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Students sense the place, are involved in a brainstorming activity and exchange first impressions.
25 minutes)
  • Investigate
    15
    1
    0
    Each team heads to the monument it has adopted and has undertaken to study. At first, students individually place themselves on the site to sense the place, they think what happened there back in the 5th century BC and take notes. They also observe closely the monument and write down words or short phrases that come to mind when looking at it.
  • Discuss
    10
    5
    0
    They share their notes with each other and start discussing about the impression that the building made on them.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
The preparation of the guided tour.
20 minutes)
  • Collaborate
    20
    5
    0
    Each team prepares the guided tour of their classmates to the monument. The members of each team observe more thoroughly the monument and write down about its architectural characteristics, function, history, and sculptural decoration. They connect the information already collected during their research and study in the classroom with the building they have in front of them. They enrich their notes with useful information from the labels of the site and their personal impressions as well. They decide what information to provide during the guide and the assignment of roles between them.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Each team guides the classmates to the building it has adopted and studied.
60 minutes)
  • Practice
    60
    25
    0
    After a ten-minute break, all teams are gathered up at the entrance of the archaeological site of the Acropolis and start moving from monument to monument. Each team gives a (maximum) ten-minute tour on the ancient monument it has adopted. Guided students make questions and all exchange knowledge.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Dramatizating myths or stories related to the building.
30 minutes)
  • Collaborate
    20
    5
    0
    After a 15-minute break, each team goes back to the building it has adopted and picks one of the myths or stories related to the building, to dramatize a short part of it. To succeed this, pupils cooperatively write the dialogs, give the episode of the myth/story a title and assign roles (actor, director, cameraman).
  • Produce
    10
    5
    0
    Each team proceeds to the dramatization which is recorded by one of its members who has the role of cameraman. The video will be presented to the whole class in the follow-up activities.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Last creative activities on the archaeological site: photos, drawings, poems.
20 minutes)
  • Produce
    20
    1
    0
    The members of each team take photos, make a drawing (sketch) or write a poem inspired by the monument and the archaeological site overall and then record it on their mobile phone. The works will be presented to the whole class in the follow-up activities.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Follow-up activity: a multimedia poster entitled ‘An ancient building tells its story’.
45 minutes)
  • Collaborate
    30
    5
    0
    Each team creates in the classroom a multimedia poster entitled ‘An ancient building tells its story’. The poster includes informative texts, written by the team inside the classroom as a follow-up activity, as well as the photos, drawings, recorded poems, and dramatization video from the outdoors activities.
  • Produce
    15
    25
    0
    Students present their poster to their classmates and make comments on the work of other teams. All posters are published to the school website and blog.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0
Evaluation of the process.
15 minutes)
  • Discuss
    15
    25
    0
    The teacher discusses with the students about the outdoor activities and learning experiences, what they learned from their work, what improvements they made and asks them to make their evaluations. Each student names orally 3 surprising things, 2 interesting and 1 troubling. The teacher writes all the answers on the whiteboard in columns.
Notes:
Resources linked: 0

Learning Experience

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