Stage 1- Identify Desired Results

Established Goals:
● History 3.1~ The student will explain how the contributions of ancient Greece and
Rome have influenced the present world in terms of architecture, government (direct
and representative democracy), and sports.

What essential questions will be considered?

● Explanation:
○ How did ancient Greece and Rome influence America?
● Interpretation:
○ What does the use of Greek and Roman architecture, government principles,
sporting events, and art in today’s society reveal about our culture?

What understandings are desired?

Students will understand that….
● Explanation:
○ How did ancient Greece and Rome influence America?
■ The ancient Greeks and Romans have influenced our architecture, our
government, our art, and our sports.
● Interpretation:
○ What does the use of Greek and Roman architecture, government principles,
sporting events, and art in today’s society reveal about our culture?
■ America is a country that wants to be powerful and successful like the
ancient empires of Greece and Rome. The continued use of their ideas
and practices are an honor to these ancient civilizations that have
inspired today’s world in so many ways.

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?

(Knowledge)
Students will know….
● The ancient Greeks and Romans were
two groups of powerful people that
held empires and contributed a lot of
ideas that we use today.
(Skills)
Students will be able to…
● Compare and Contrast ​Ancient Greece
and Rome with present day America
● Assess​ the contributions of ancient
Greece and Rome
● These groups held two different ● Examine​ the ancient Greek and
powerful empires as early as the 8th Roman Empires and their influence
century BC. ● Compare and Contrast​ Direct and
● Architecture: Representative Democracy
○ Arches-Rome: The Colosseum ● Hypothesize​ how America would be
and Aqueducts different without the influence of
○ Columns-Greece: Greece: Ancient Greece and Rome
Parthenon ● Investigate​ the reason for the
● Contribution: The act of giving or continuation of ancient sports in the
doing something Olympics
● The government of the United States
The government is based on ideas
developed in ancient Greece and
Rome.
○ Direct Democracy: A
government in which people
vote to make their own rules
and laws
○ Representative Democracy: A
government in which the
people vote for (elect) a
smaller group of citizens make
the rules and laws for everyone
● Greece: Birthplace of democracy
(government by the people); a direct
democracy
● Rome: Republican (representative)
form of government; a representative
democracy
● The Greek and Roman influence was
spread through the domination of the
empires.
○ The ideas were taken back to
Europe and Asia by travellers,
traders, and conquerors.
○ The influences reached
America after the colonies
were settled by the Europeans
 who were already using Greek
and Roman ideas and
practices.
● America strives to be a powerful
country and we therefore use the
ancient influences to make us seem
powerful and knowledgeable.
○ Symbolism- The use of ideas
to represent ideas or qualities
○ Mimicry- ​the action or art of
imitating someone or
something

Stage 2 – Determine Acceptable Evidence

What evidence will show that students understand?

Performance tasks:
Ancient Newspaper: ​You are a new writer for The Mechanicsville Local in Mechanicsville,
Virginia. You have been tasked with ​researching​ and ​writing an article​ about the Kentucky
Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky in the hopes of becoming a published
author. Your boss has asked you to write about how the exhibit has been influenced by the
Ancient Greeks. This could include: the sport itself, the building it occurs at, and any other
information you think is relevant. Your article will be edited and read by the editor of the
Mechanicsville Local before it is published. Your spread must fill at least one 8.5 x 11 piece of
paper and be written in 3rd person. Please include at least one picture, aim to entertain and
inform your community, and make sure that the information you are including is accurate and
relevant!

Time Travelling Historian:​ You are a historian and you have been studying Ancient Greece
and Rome at work! One day you wake up and you suddenly are able to time travel so you
decide to travel back in time and meet the people that you have been learning about! While
you’re visiting the Ancient cultures, you decide to write a film script for a mini documentary
thanking the Ancient Greeks and Romans for their many contributions to our society. In the
script, you must address the four main areas of influence (architecture, government, sporting
 events, and art). You must also discuss what America’s continued use of these influences says
about our culture. Make sure that your script is at least 4 paragraph long and is both
meaningful and insightful. Your mini documentary will be shown at the Virginia Museum of
Fine Arts during the visiting expedition of artifacts and art from Ancient Greece and Rome.

What other evidence will be collected in light of Stage 1 Desired Results?

● Venn Diagrams:​ Compare and Contrast
○ Direct Democracy, Representative Democracy
○ Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Present Day America
● Webquest:​ Investigate the reason for the continuation of the Olympics
● Timeline:​ Create a timeline of the two empires and how/when their inventions/ideas
began to spread and become influential
● Prompts:
○ Assess the contributions to the world of ancient Greece and Rome. How would
the world be different if these empires never existed?
○ How would America be different without the influences of Ancient Greece and
Rome?
● STEM Activity:​ Create traditional Roman or Greek building or aqueduct using
traditional architecture elements

Metacognition:
● How will you have students ​think about the content​ throughout the unit and after the
pbe’s? (self-reflection)
○ Ask students “What did you learn by completing this task?” after the webquest
and timeline
○ Also have students come up with what they think the most important thing they
learned during the task was.
○ How did you determine that these answers were correct? Throughout the
webquest, venn diagrams, and prompts.
● How will you have students ​think about themselves as learners​ throughout the unit and
after the pbe’s? (self-assessment)
○ Ask students “How do you think you did? How did you prepare? Is there
anything you wish you had done differently?” after the venn diagrams, and
prompts
○ Ask students “What do you need to do to do your best work” before the STEM
activity. Ask them if they think they followed through on doing their best.
​Stage 3 Activities:
1. Host a Mock Olympics to get the students pumped to learn about Ancient Greece and

Rome. The students will compete in events like: Javelin Toss (with a pool noodle), Relay

Races, Obstacle Courses, Discus events using frisbees, High Jump, Long Jump, etc..

2. Self-Evaluation: “What do you need to do to do your best work” Students will complete a

self-evaluation to help the teacher learn how the students will progress best during Menu

Time. Do they like it quiet, soft music on, people talking, etc...

3. Menu Time

4. Self-Evaluation: Did you follow through on doing your best work during the activity?

Allow students to inform the teacher of what helped them and what they need help with

for the next Menu Time. Students are able to reflect on their actions to see if they worked

to the best of their abilities.

5. Design a city plan of a typical Ancient Greek City. The students have been learning about

the geographic landscape of typical Ancient Greek Cities. Students have been tasked to

use this knowledge to design a map of a city that would fit into Ancient Greece. They

must include typical elements such as: an altar for worship, high walls, a high point in the

center of the city, etc...

6. Virtual Reality tour of Ancient Greece. The students will be taken on a VR tour of

Ancient Greece on NearPod. The students will get to experience and learn about what the

Ancient culture looked like. The students will pay particularly close attention to

architecture and art during this VR tour.

7. Menu Time
8. Escape Room: Solve the Mystery of the Democracy. The students will work as a class to

solve the Mystery of the Democracy. Something terrible has happened in Ancient Rome

and the students are the only ones that can solve the puzzle and save the government!

9. Venn Diagram: Direct Democracy & Representative Democracy. The students will

complete this Venn Diagram independently using class notes. This will be collected as an

assessment of what they have learned about Democracy.

10. Metacognition: (During Venn Diagram)

a. How did you determine that these answers were correct? The students will justify

how they answered the questions and why they answered the way that they did.

This will help students learn to advocate for themselves.

11. Exit Ticket: “How do you think you did? How did you prepare? Is there anything you

wish you had done differently?” The students will answer these questions after

completing the Venn Diagram to self-assess their work.

12. Menu Time

13. Venn Diagram: Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Present Day America. The students will

create a three circle Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the differences and

similarities between the three civilizations. They will use information from their class

notes and will also be guided by sentence strips with defining characteristics of each

society.

14. Metacognition: (During Venn Diagram)

 a. How did you determine that these answers were correct? The students will justify

how they answered the questions and why they answered the way that they did.

This will help students learn to advocate for themselves.

15. Exit Ticket: “How do you think you did? How did you prepare? Is there anything you

wish you had done differently?” The students will answer these questions after

completing the Venn Diagram to self-assess their work.

16. Timeline: The students will create a timeline of the two empires and how/when their

inventions/ideas began to spread and become influential. They will be provided with

sentence strips to include on the timeline. They will also be allowed to fill in any

additional information that they find important.

17. Exit ticket:

a. “What did you learn by completing the timeline?”

b. Also have students come up with what they think the most important thing they

learned during the task was.

18. Writing Prompt: Assess the contributions to the world of Ancient Greece and Rome. How

would the world be different if these empires never existed? Students will have the choice

of typing or handwriting their responses. They will use information from their class notes

but will also be able to conduct outside research if they find it necessary.

19. Metacognition: (During Writing Prompt)

a. How did you determine that these answers were correct? The students will justify

how they answered the questions and why they answered the way that they did.

This will help students learn to advocate for themselves.

20. Exit Ticket: “How do you think you did? How did you prepare? Is there anything you

wish you had done differently?” The students will self-assess their work during the

writing prompt in order to prepare for the writing prompt they will be completing next.

21. Writing Prompt: How would America be different without the influences of Ancient

Greece and Rome? Students will have the choice of typing or handwriting their

responses. They will use information from their class notes but will also be able to

conduct outside research if they find it necessary. This piece is opinion based and will

allow for the students to work on their opinionated writing.

22. Metacognition: (During writing prompt)

a. How did you determine that these answers were correct? The students will justify

how they answered the questions and why they answered the way that they did.

This will help students learn to advocate for themselves.

23. Exit Ticket: “How do you think you did? How did you prepare? Is there anything you

wish you had done differently?” This is in response to the writing prompt and will allow

the students time to self-reflect on what they have learned and if they feel they did their

best work.

24. Webquest: The students will investigate the reason for the continuation of the Olympics

through a webquest. The students will be able to search through multiple sites to gain

information about why the world continues to host the olympics.

25. Metacognition: (During Webquest)

 a. How did you determine that these answers were correct? The students will be able

to think about their research skills and assess whether or not they found them to

be acceptable.

26. Exit ticket:

a. “What did you learn by completing the webquest?”

b. Also have students come up with what they think the most important thing they

learned during the task was.

27. Self-Evaluation: “What do you need to do to do your best work” Ask students this

question before they have their final Menu Time. This will be a time for students to finish

up tasks and to indulge in some dessert. By having student think about what they need,

they will in turn be more successful and productive while working.

28. Menu Time

29. Self-Evaluation: Did you follow through on doing your best work during the Menu

Time? This will allow students to reflect on how they completed the menu and will allow

for them to think about what they could change for the next unit.

30. PBE Newspaper: You are a new writer for The Mechanicsville Local in Mechanicsville,

Virginia. You have been tasked with ​researching​ and ​writing an article​ about the

Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky in the hopes of becoming a

published author. Your boss has asked you to write about how the exhibit has been

influenced by the Ancient Greeks. This could include: the sport itself, the building it

occurs at, and any other information you think is relevant. Your article will be edited and

read by the editor of the Mechanicsville Local before it is published. Your spread must
fill at least one 8.5 x 11 piece of paper and be written in 3rd person. Please include at

least one picture, aim to entertain and inform your community, and make sure that the

information you are including is accurate and relevant!

 References:
A. (2018, April 09). 11 Greek Influences and Contributions to Today's Society. Retrieved

from https://owlcation.com/humanities/Greek-Influences-today

James, S. (2000). ​Ancient Rome​. London: Dorling Kindersley.

Pearson, A. (2000). ​Ancient Greece.​ New York: Dorling Kindersley.

United States of America, Virginia Department of Education, Board of Education. (n.d.).

Virginia Department of Education Standards of Learning.​ Retrieved May 14, 2018, from

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/frameworks/history_socialscience_framewks/2008

/2008_final/framewks_history3.pdf