Third Grade Social Studies Greece: It’s Not That Scary Marlo Mong September 16, 2008

1. Third Grade Social StudiesGreece: It’s Not That ScaryMarlo MongSeptember 16, 2008

2. Teaching Greece…it’s not that scary • SS3H1 The student will explain the political roots of our modern democracy in the United States of America. • Identify the influence of Greek architecture (columns on the Parthenon, US Supreme Court building), law, and the Olympic Games on the present. • Explain the ancient Athenians’ idea that a community should choose its own leaders. • Compare and contrast Athens as a direct democracy with the United States as a representative democracy. Think • Abstract • Ideas • Law • Democracy • Direct • Representative • Concrete • Ideas • Olympics • Architecture

3. Concrete Ideas • Your students can make immediate connections to these ideas! • We borrow from others all the time. • Engage students in an activity that discusses why we do this. • We participate in the Olympics. • Share background info about the ancient Games. • http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/olympics/olympicorigins.shtml • http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_658.pdf • Compare ancient Olympics with modern Olympics. • Why do we continue this tradition? • http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_668.pdf • http://teacher.scholastic.com/ACTIVITIES/athens_games/modern.htm • Have your own Olympics!

4. Concrete Ideas • We build buildings like ones from ancient Athens • Show pictures of the Parthenon and US Supreme Court. • What do they have in common? COLUMNS! • Explore buildings in your community that have columns. • What is special about these buildings, the Supreme Court, other monuments in Washington DC, and the Parthenon? • Help students think about the kind of activities that would be done in these buildings. • Why is this important to students? Look within our own communities to see the influence of others.

5. Concrete Ideas • Vanishing Georgia http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/vanga/html/vanga_homeframe_default.html Macon, ca. 1935. City Hall, located at 511 First St., was erected in 1836 by the Monroe Railroad for use as a bank. Over the years it has been used as a warehouse, hospital, Georgia Capitol toward end of Civil War. It has been renovated several times. It has been used as the City Hall since 1860. Its architecture is Greek Revival. Sandersville, before Feb. 13, 1921. Masonic hall located on Haynes Street at the southwest corner of the square was built ca. 1855-1856. It was the only public building spared from burning by General William T. Sherman during the Civil War. About 1909 the lower floor was utilized as the public library begun by the Transylvania Club. On Feb. 13, 1921 the structure was destroyed by fire and about 7000 volumes in the library were lost, too. Athens, early 1900s. University Chapel on University of Georgia campus Identify the influence of these ideas on the present!

6. Accessing Vanishing Georgia Use Galileo (http://www.galileo.usg.edu) …your media specialist has your password. Click on Databases A-Z, then the letter V. Vanishing Georgia is the first website that will pop-up!

7. Search by keyword, city, or county

8. Search results

9. Image and annotation

10. Enlarged image

11. Now…back to foundations of democracy! • Teacher background knowledge – Students do not need to know this, this is just background info to help teachers! • Athenian democracy • Demokratia = people-power • “Citizens” of Athens were allowed to participate in government. • A radical idea of the time • Official and jurymen were selected by “lot” to serve on Council of 500 or participate in Assembly • More fair manner of representation by ordinary people • Elections were thought to be corrupted by the wealthy • Members of the Council or Assembly voted directly on laws • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekdemocracy_03.shtml

12. Abstract Ideas • We vote in order to make decisions about our government. • Hold a mock election to make a decision about something important to the class. • Everyone has a chance to vote which is a direct democracy. • We choose our own leaders. • Discuss why we can’t all go to the Capitol in Washington, DC to vote on all our laws. • Explain we vote on a person who has the same beliefs and ideals and are experts on what makes a good law to vote on laws for us. • Because we choose someone to represent us, we are a representative democracy.

13. Abstract Ideas • We live in a democracy. • Explain to students we have a voice in the laws our government makes by voting on the right person to represent our beliefs. • Our voice is heard most in making community laws. • Help students decide what to do if their chosen representative doesn’t listen to their voice. • Choose another representative or run for office • We have a government that shares powers. • Teach about the three branches of government. • Discuss what checks and balances mean. • Why do we need these? • How does this protect our voice?

14. Don’t Forget the Frameworks • Remember… • This unit is about the foundations of democracy. • We’re not expecting 3rd graders to understand the culture of ancient or modern Greece. • The Greece elements of the standard need only a few days of instruction. • This unit is an introduction as to how our government in the United States operates.