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Upper Key Stage 2 Ancient Greece
Empire

Research the fascinating life of Alexander the Great and some of the places he and his troops saw. Recreate some of the episodes from his life through improvisation and performance.

block outcomes

Session 1 The life of Alexander

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Objectives

History

  • Ancient Greece – Study Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world.
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations.
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the expansion and dissolution of empires.
  • Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’.
  • Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

English

  • Distinguish between statements of fact and opinion. Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction.

Lesson Planning

Research Alexander's life and, work out how we know about him and assess some of the sources about his life.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To find out about Alexander the Great and assess different versions of his story.
  • To make a rough plan for a performance of Alexander the Great's life.

Children will:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the life of Alexander.
  • Assess the reliability of sources.
  • Retrieve and present information from non-fiction clearly and accurately.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 2 Other characters

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Objectives

History

  • Study Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world.
  • Regularly address historically valid questions.

English

  • Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction.
  • Provide reasoned justifications for their views.

Lesson Planning

Makeup character cards with details of the lives of some of the main people who feature in the stories of Alexander.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To research more about the main people around Alexander the Great.
  • To complete character cards and present one or more characters to the class.

Children will:

  • Address historical research questions.
  • Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction.
  • Provide justification for their views.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 3 The Greek Empire

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Objectives

History

  • Study Ancient Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world.
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilizations.
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the expansion and dissolution of empires.
  • Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’.

Geography

  • Locate the world’s countries, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of physical geography and human geography.

Art

  • Create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas.

Lesson Planning

Research what some of the cities that Alexander captured looked like and what kind of environments he travelled through.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • Explore the extent of the Greek Empire created by Alexander the Great
  • Label a map of the Greek Empire with the key physical and human characteristics.
  • Make sketches of some of the places and environments the Greek army experienced.

Children will:

  • Explain features of Alexander's empire.
  • Describe key aspects of physical and human geography of Alexander's empire.
  • Make sketches of different environments across the empire.

You Will Need

  • Atlases
  • Sketchbooks and coloured pencils

Session 4 Making scenery

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Objectives

History

  • Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.

Geography

  • Present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods.

Art

  • Create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas.
  • Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials.

Lesson Planning

Plan and make some backdrops to go with the performance of Alexander's life.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To use knowledge of the story of Alexander to choose backdrops to paint
  • To use knowledge of the human and physical geography in making backdrops for the role-play
  • To use sketches to plan and make backdrops for their role-play.

Children will:

  • Present aspects of human and physical geography in an artwork.
  • Revisit sketchbooks to plan an artwork.
  • Paint on fabric.

Provided Resources

  • Examples of backdrops for plays
  • Character cards from Session 2

You Will Need

  • Sketchbooks
  • Large sheets of paper
  • 6 old sheets
  • Poster paint and paintbrushes

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 5 Performing

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Objectives

History

  • Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.

English

  • Extend confidence, enjoyment and mastery of language through public speaking, performance and debate.

Lesson Planning

Put on an improvised performance of Alexander's life.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To role-play a scene in the life of Alexander.
  • To take part in a role-play.

Children will:

  • Present aspects of human and physical geography in an artwork.
  • Revisit sketchbooks to plan an artwork.
  • Paint on fabric.

Provided Resources

  • Examples of backdrops for plays
  • Character cards from Session 2

You Will Need

  • Sketchbooks
  • Large sheets of paper
  • 6 old sheets
  • Poster paint and paintbrushes

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

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