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Lesson Plans
World Civilizations: The Global Experience ©2001
by Stearns, Adas, Schwartz, and Gilbert
Focus Lesson 2
Chapter 6: "Classical Greece and the Hellenistic World"
Chapter 7: "Rome and Its Empire"
AP* Course Description
The AP* World History course begins with a unit of study called "Foundations," which deals with the development of world civilizations prior to 1000 C.E. Focus Lessons 1 through 3 provide the basis for this study.
- Basic features of world geography
- Crises of late antiquity (third to eighth centuries)
- Key cultural, social and economic systems
- Basic features of major world belief systems prior to 1000 and where each belief system applied by 1000
- Principal international connections that had developed between 700 and 1000
- Diverse interpretations
Key Components
- Instructor's Manual:
Chapter 6, pp. 36–43
Chapter 7, pp. 44–51 - Study Guide, Vol. I:
Chapter 6, pp. 52–62
Chapter 7, pp. 63–72 - Test Bank:
Chapter 6, pp. 67–79
Chapter 7, pp. 80–93
Key Web Sites Listed in the Student Text
Given the changing nature of the Internet, you may wish to preview these sites.
- Chapter 6: p. 149
- Chapter 7: p. 169
Key Words and Terms
Chapter 6
- Cyrus the Great
- Solon
- Cleisthenes
- Alexander the Great
- Ionian
- Iliad
- Socrates
- Pericles
- Ptolemies
- Aristophanes
- Hellenism
- Pisastratus
- Delian League
- Seleucids
- Doric
- Hellenistic
- Olympic games
- Peloponnesian War
- Sophocles
- Zoroasrtrianism
- Odyssey
- oracle of Delphi
- Macedonia
- Stoics
- Corinthian
- city-state
- Persian Wars
- Philip II
- Plato
- helots
Chapter 7
- Etruscans
- legions
- Marius
- Horace
- bishops
- praetors
- republic
- Pompey
- Trajan
- plebeians
- Punic Wars
- Tiberius and Gaius
- Vergil
- Jesus of Nazareth
- consuls
- Hannibal
- Julius Caesar
- natural law
- Senate
- Carthage
- Sulla
- Livy
- Paul
- clientage
- tribunes
- Gracchus
- Ovid
Suggested Pacing
Allow one-and-a-half weeks to teach Chapters 6 and 7. The focus should be on the foundational elements of these two civilizations and comparisons between the two.
Test Strategy
It is important that students practice their essay writing skills throughout the year. You can have students write only a thesis statement based on their brainstorming of ideas about a writing prompt, or instruct them to brainstorm and write only the thesis statement and the introductory paragraph. Remind them that the introduction of an essay serves two purposes: It captures the readers' attention with a strong lead, and it introduces the focus of the essay in a thesis statement. The lead, or opening sentence, can be a surprising observation, an intriguing statement, or a quotation. The thesis statement declares what the writer intends to show or prove in the essay. Frequently, the introductory paragraph contains another sentence or two that extends the thesis statement by indicating how it will be proved; these sentences establish the organizational structure of the body of the essay.
Key Concepts
- Greek influences
By the end of Chapter 6, students should be able to assess the value and character of the classical Greek society. The use of various maps, time lines, and charts can assist students in evaluating the legacy of Greek civilization. An interesting exercise for students would be to have them analyze the meaning of democracy in different cultures and to evaluate the effects of these different theories on specific social groups. Among other topics for discussion and research is the growing power of Athens and the competition from Sparta, and the impact of alliances on the development of civilizations. - Roman Empire
The major topics for Chapter 7 should be the development of the various forms of Roman government, the rise of Christianity and its effects on society, and the decline of the Roman Empire. - Comparing Greece and Rome
By the end of Chapter 7, students should be able to compare and contrast Greek and Roman civilizations in a large compare-and-contrast chart. One way to introduce this activity is to have students read and discuss "Rome and Value Crisis," text p. 158, and "The Classical Mediterranean in Comparative Perspective, " text pp. 164 and 165.
Summing Up Student Understanding
Have students practice writing thesis statements as the first step in introducing the AP* essays. Give students the following writing prompt and have them brainstorm in three minutes all words, ideas, and facts they can think of about the topic.
Compare and contrast Roman civilization.
At the end of the time, ask students to spend two minutes writing a thesis statement that they could develop based on that list. When all students have completed their statements, divide the class into groups of three or four students and have each group critique its members' thesis statements. Before they begin, discuss with students what makes a good thesis statement (one that answers the question and not some other idea, one that can be supported by the points on the brainstorming list, and so on).
For additional practice, use the following essay prompt:
How did the social organization of classical Mediterranean society compare to that of other classical civilization in India and China?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
You might also find these additional readings useful to develop students' background knowledge or for DBQ activities:
- Aspects of Western Civilization, Vol. I, edited by Rogers—Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
- Sources of the West, Vol. I, edited by Kishlausky—Part I
- The Global Experience, Vol. I, edited by Schwartz, Wimmer, and Wolfe—Chapters 5 and 6
- Documents in World History, Vol I, edited by Stearns, Gosch, and Grieshaber—Section Two