Upper Key Stage 2 Ancient Greece
Home Life

Learn about the lifestyle and clothing of the Ancient Greek people. Research and design your own clothing and artefacts typical of Greek home life. Take part in whole class role-play, dressing up and feasting.

Session 1 Tunics and chitons

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Gain and deploy a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’ and ‘civilization’.
  • Understand Ancient Greece, Greek life, their achievements and influence on the western world.

Design and Technology

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose.

Art

  • Improve mastery of art and design techniques.
  • Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.

Lesson Planning

Learn about the lifestyle and clothing of the Ancient Greek people; design and make a decorated chiton.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To research the lifestyle of the Ancient Greek people and understand what they wore.
  • To design and make a tunic (chiton) in the style of the times.
  • To include designs on the chiton typical of decoration from this period.

Children will:

  • Gain an understanding of the lifestyle of the Ancient Greek people, including what they wore.
  • To design and make a chiton in the style of the times .
  • To include designs on the chiton typical of decoration from this period.

You Will Need

  • A large rectangular piece of fabric (bed sheet)
  • Safety pins
  • A thin belt or rope
  • Gold ribbon or shiny material
  • Fabric glue
  • Permanent markers or fabric pens (black)
  • Ancient Greek finger food (olives, bread, grapes, blocks of cheese)

Session 2 Making sandals

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Gain and deploy a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’ and ‘civilization’.
  • Understand Ancient Greece, Greek life, their achievements and influence on the western world.

Design and Technology

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products which are fit for purpose.

Lesson Planning

Appreciate the resources used by the Ancient Greeks; research their sandal designs; make and evaluate an Ancient Greek-style sandal.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand the resources available to the Ancient Greeks.
  • To create sandals out of materials available to the Ancient Greeks.

Children will:

  • Understand that the Ancient Greeks had simple resources available to them and that they made sandals which were fit for purpose out of those available resources.
  • To create a sandal out of leather/thick material and straps. To consider this question: Are these sandals fit for purpose?

You Will Need

  • Squares of leather or thick material (or a piece of car mat/foam)
  • Strips of leather, cord or thick (non-fraying) material
  • Leather hole punch
  • Strong scissors

Session 3 Greek toys

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Gain and deploy a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’ and ‘civilization’.
  • Understand Ancient Greece, Greek life, their achievements and influence on the western world.

Design and Technology

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products which are fit for purpose.

Lesson Planning

Find out about the life of the children of Ancient Greece; research their toys ad make a spinning top or wheeled creature out of clay.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To consider what life would have been like for an Ancient Greek child.
  • To consider and research artefacts found of Ancient Greek toys and make a spinning top or wheeled creature out of clay.

Children will:

  • Understand more about life as an Ancient Greek child.
  • Consider and research artefacts found of Ancient Greek toys and make a spinning top or wheeled creature out of clay.

You Will Need

  • Terracotta clay,
  • Bolster wood rods or thin wooden stick

Session 4 Music and mosaics

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Gain and deploy a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’ and ‘civilization’.
  • Understand Ancient Greece, Greek life, their achievements and influence on the western world.

Design and Technology

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products which are fit for purpose.
  • Improve mastery of art and design techniques; Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.

Lesson Planning

Learn about the culture, music and art of the Ancient Greeks; make a Greek-style sistrum out of clay; design and make a wall mosaic.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand more about the culture of the Ancient Greeks.
  • To make a Greek-style sistrum and wall mosaic.

Children will:

  • Understand more about the culture of the Ancient Greeks by researching and discussing their music & art.
  • Make a Greek-style sistrum out of clay.
  • Design and make a wall mosaic in the style of the wall mosaics found by archeologists.

You Will Need

  • A surface to mosaic (old vase, jam jar, old coaster or square of thick card or wood)
  • Squares of coloured card
  • Terracotta clay
  • Small wooden rods or long spent matchsticks

Session 5 Greek feast!

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Gain and deploy a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’ and ‘civilization’.
  • Understand Ancient Greece, Greek life, their achievements and influence on the western world.

Design and Technology

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products which are fit for purpose.

English

  • Improve mastery of art and design techniques.
  • Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.

Lesson Planning

Discover the food and cooking of the Ancient Greeks; make food typical of the Ancient Greeks; take part in whole class role-play, dressing up and feasting.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand what food the Ancient Greeks would have eaten.
  • To make food typical of the Ancient Greeks.
  • To express daily life of the Ancient Greeks through whole class role-play, dressing up and feasting.

Children will:

  • Understand what food the Ancient Greeks would have eaten and the processes involved in making it.
  • Consider why they ate these foods and what ingredients were available to them at the time.
  • Make food typical of the Ancient Greeks.
  • Express daily life of the Ancient Greeks through whole class role-play, dressing up and feasting.

You Will Need

  • Chiton from Session 1
  • Sandals from Session 2
  • Home-made toy from Session 3
  • Mosaic or musical instrument created in Session 4
  • Ingredients and fresh herbs for Ancient Greek food
  • Oven
  • Cooking utensils