Fun Ancient Greece Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook

I have a fun Ancient Greece homeschool unit study and lapbook. Also, look at my pages Best Homeschool Unit Studies and Lapbook Ideas.

About 2,400 years ago ancient buildings in Greece were shining marble temples dedicated to the gods of Mount Olympus. Myths were part of the every day of Greeks. We know about these stories because they have been passed down to us.  Also there is much Greek art that has survived to our day.

But why study Ancient Greece?

Greece has often been called the “birthplace” of Western civilization” because many of their thoughts about science, man, and politics are studied today and respected.

The first period is called the Mycenaean civilization and was from 1600 B.C. to close to 1100 B.C. The second period started about 800 B.C. and this was when their art, written language and architecture were revived.

Ancient Greece Homeschool Unit Study

Greeks – Masters of the Seas

In the 5th B.C.E., Greek Colonies stretched from the Iberian Peninsula to the Black Sea.

There are two geographic facts to explain why they were so spread out. 1)Their land is very mountainous and rocky with most of the fertile or farmland in only a few valleys and along the sea coast. 2) Nearly all of Greece was no more than one or two day’s travel from the sea. The sea became Greece’s source of power and greatness.

Books to use:

Seven Wonder of the Ancient World – why put this here?

Because this list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was created by the Greek, we felt it important to place them here. Also, it’s not surprising that the list included mostly Greek structures. {5 of the 7 wonders are credited to the Greeks.}

Temple of Artemis   

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Ancient Greece Lapbook

Herodotus and Thucydides

During the fifth century B.C.,  Herodotus and Thucydides, invented what we call today historical writing. Herodotus’ account of Greece’s wars with Persia earned him the nickname the Father of History. Thucydides wrote a more serious, and more factual, record of the later wars between Athens and Sparta.

Latitude and Longitude

The Greeks did not invent maps but they did come up with ideas to make maps more useful. Claudius Ptolemy, the last of the great Greek mapmakers, compiled an eight-volume Geography around A.D. 150.

Latitude: This measures distance north or south of the equator.

Longitude: This measures distance east or west of the prime meridian. The prime meridian is an imaginary line that runs from pole to pole and passes through Greenwich, England.

Daily Life in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greeks saw themselves as part of a household. The household included  immediate family members, but also distant relatives and slaves all living under the same roof. The head of the household was the oldest male.

Vocabulary Words

• polis – The Greek word for city. Many words we have today come from this word. {police and politics}
• democracy – The people of Athens invented this type of government which is political rule by the people.
• city-states – Independent states ruled from one central city.
• Acropolis – A fortress on a hill in Athens with strong stone walls enclosing temples.
• Mount Olympus – The highest mountain in Greece. The Greeks believe the gods and goddesses lived forever on top of the mountain and looked down on them.

Lapbook Layout

 Ancient Greece Covers/Pieces to Decorate Lapbook or Notebook Page

Also, we love, love the hands-on ideas and unit study by Home School in the Woods. You can study Ancient Greece so many times and come away with many different angles. So be sure to check out their hands-on ideas too.

Minibooks

Ancient Greece Notebooking Pages

 

Ancient Greece Prek Unit Study

Prek K Unit containing 20 printables.

Some of the Ancient Greece resources we used and like:

• Eyewitness Ancient Greece: Step into the World of Ancient Greece―from Greek Gods, Myths, and Festivals
• Tools of the Ancient Greeks: A Kid’s Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Greece
• History Pockets: Ancient Greece
• Hands-on History: Ancient Civilizations Activities – Teacher Resource

{We got both resources second hand and were actually pleased with them}

More Ancient Greece Hands-on Activities

25 Page Download from the British Museum gives a lot of nice background information on Ancient Greece.

How to Get the Free Ancient Greece Lapbook

Finally, how to grab the free page lapbook and notebooking pages. It’s a subscriber freebie.

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