Lesson Plans x3

Lesson Plan Sequence 1

Learning Area: History: Ancient History / Year Level : 11 / Class Size: 25
Timing: 60 minutes
Topic: Spartan Society and Lycurgus
Curriculum Connections
  • The main social hierarchies for example elites, workers, slaves, ethnic groups and foreigners (where applicable)(ACHAH106)
  • The role and function of key political institutions and political positions(ACHAH110)
  • thesignificanceof the military(ACHAH128)
  • the political, economic and social impact of warfare and conquest.(ACHAH129)
  • Use historicaltermsandconceptsin appropriate contexts to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding(ACHAH090)
  • Evaluate the reliability, usefulness andcontestabilityofsourcesto develop informed judgments that support a historical argument(ACHAH097)
  • Identify the origin, purpose and context of historicalsources(ACHAH095)

Intended learning outcomes / This lesson focuses on developing student knowledge of Lycurgus and his laws in Sparta, as well as Spartan social structure and how Lycurgus’ reforms changed social structure in Sparta. Students apply historical skills to evaluate Plutarch’s essay on Lycurgus by completing a thorough source analysis and constructing a short historical argument on the political and social impacts of Lycurgus’ reforms. Students are introduced to the concept of agoge, to be explored in the following lessons.
Assessment / Class discussion, Source analyses including essay.
Prep (negotiation) / This lesson is intended to revise and expand upon students’ current knowledge of Lycurgus’ reforms and Spartan social structure gone through in prior lessons.
Procedure / Engagement: Teacher to bring up previous Bubble.us brainstorm created earlier in the unit on Lycurgus and his reforms using the Smartboard. Whole class discussion to revise concepts involved with Lycurgus’ reforms and how they impacted on Sparta. Add any new ideas and information. (15 minutes).
Learning experiences:Students are given a small booklet containing Plutarch’s essay on Lycurgus, a framework for source analysis, and a range of questions from which students can choose to construct a historical argument. (35 minutes)
Early finishers may continue reading “Gates of Fire” using the eReader on their class iPads.
Classroom organization: The lesson introduction consists of a whole class discussion. Students are then asked to work independently to complete the source analysis booklets, and then answer a quick pop quiz to finish the lesson.
Dialogue: Students are encouraged to participate equally in discussions. How did the Lycurgus reforms contribute towards Spartan military might? In what ways did they affect the way Spartan society and politics was structured?
Reflection: Students’ source analyses will be given a mark for feedback and returned in the following lesson to inform students’ of their progress.
Closure:Students participate in a short pop quiz that goes over the key content of the lesson using Kahoot! quiz software on the Smartboard so students can input answers using the class iPads. (10 minutes)
Resources / Smart board and previous brainstorming file on Lycurgus
Source analysis booklet containing Plutarch’s Lycurgus essay.
“Gates of Fire” eBook and iPadsfor early finishers
Kahoot! software and quiz.

Source Analysis Booklet

Excerpt from Plutarch’s essay on Lycurgus

Lycurgus was of another mind; he would not have masters bought out of the market for his young Spartans, nor such as should sell their pains; nor was it lawful, indeed, for the father himself to breed up the children after his own fancy; but as soon as they were seven years old they were to be enrolled in certain companies and classes, where they all lived under the same order and discipline, doing their exercises and taking their play together. Of these, he who showed the most conduct and courage was made captain; they had their eyes always upon him, obeyed his orders, and underwent patiently whatsoever punishment he inflicted; so that the whole course of their education was one continued exercise of a ready and perfect obedience. The old men, too, were spectators of their performances, and often raised quarrels and disputes among them, to have a good opportunity of finding out their different characters,and of seeing which would be valiant, which a coward, when they should come to more dangerous encounters. Reading and writing they gave them, just enough to serve their turn; their chief care was to make them good subjects, and to teach them to endure pain and conquer in battle. To this end, as they grew in years, their discipline was proportionately increased; their heads were close-clipped, they were accustomed to go barefoot, and for the most part to play naked.

After they were twelve years old, they were no longer allowed to wear any undergarments, they had one coat to serve them a year; their bodies were hard and dry, with but little acquaintance of baths and unguents; these human indulgences they were allowed only on some few particular days in the year. They lodged together in little bands upon beds made of the rushes which grew by the banks of the river Eurotas, which they were to break off with their hands without a knife; if it were winter, they mingled some thistle-down with their rushes, which it was thought had the property of giving warmth. By the time they were come to this age there was not any of the more hopeful boys who had not a lover to bear him company. The old men, too, had an eye upon them, coming often to the grounds to hear and see them contend either in wit or strength with one another, and this as seriously and with as much concern as if they were their fathers, their tutors, or their magistrates; so that there scarcely was any time or place without some onepresent to put them in mind of their duty, and punish them if they had neglected it.

Besides all this, there was always one of the best and honestest men in the city appointed to undertake the charge and governance of them; he again arranged them into their several bands, and set over each of them for their captain the most temperate and boldest of those they called Irens, who were usually twenty years old, two years out of the boys; and the oldest of the boys, again, were Mell-Irens, as much as to say, who would shortly be men. This young man, therefore, was their captain when they fought and their master at home, using them for the offices of his house; sending the eldest of them to fetch wood, and the weaker and less able to gather salads and herbs, and these they must either go without or steal; which they did by creeping into the gardens, or conveying themselves cunningly and closely into the eating-houses; if they were taken in the fact, they were whipped without mercy, for thieving so ill and awkwardly. They stole, too, all other meat they could lay their hands on, looking out and watching all opportunities, when people were asleep or more careless than usual. If they were caught, they were not only punished with whipping, but hunger, too, being reduced to their ordinary allowance, which was but very slender, and so contrived on purpose, that they might set about to help themselves, and be forced to exercise their energy and address. This was the principal design of their hard fare; there was another not inconsiderable, that they might grow taller; for the vital spirits, not being overburdened and oppressed by too great a quantity of nourishment, which necessarily discharges itself into thickness and breadth, do, by their natural lightness, rise; and the body, giving and yielding because it is pliant, grows in height. The same thing seems, also, to conduce to beauty of shape; a dry and lean habit is a better subject for nature's configuration, which the gross and over-fed are too heavy to submit to properly.

So seriously did the Lacedaemonian children go about their stealing, that a youth, having stolen a young fox and hid it under his coat, suffered it to tear out his very bowels with its teeth and claws and died upon the place, rather than let it be seen.

Source:

Source Analysis

Content / What is the main idea? For documents, list important points/phrases/words/sentences.
Citation / Who created this and when? What type of source is it?
Communication / What is the author’s bias or point of view? Who is the intended audience? Why was the source created? What is the tone of the document?
Context / What is going on in the world, country, region, or locality when this was created? What other sources might help provide answers to this question? What else do we need to know to better understand the evidence in this source?
Connections / How does this connect to what you already know?
Conclusions / What contributions does this make towards our understanding of history? How did you come to these conclusions? How does this document answer our key question: “What was the extent of the significance of weaponry and warfare in Ancient Sparta and what were the features and impacts of the formidable Spartan military?”

Choose one of the following questions and write a two-three page historical essay.

To what extent does the Spartan agoge reflect the features and values of the society at the time?

How would the rigorous and harsh training prepare Spartan boys for the realities of Spartan warfare and why was it so effective?

Lesson Plan Sequence 2

Learning Area: History: Ancient History / Year Level : 11 / Class Size: 25
Timing: 60 minutes
Topic:The Spartan Agoge
Curriculum Connections
  • The role of, and attitude towards, children and education(ACHAH108)
  • The role and function of key political institutions and political positions(ACHAH110)
  • the nature of thesourcesfor weapons and warfare, and earlyevidencefor military encounters in theancientworld(ACHAH125)
  • the life of soldiers, their training and the conditions of service(ACHAH127)
  • Use historicaltermsandconceptsin appropriate contexts to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding(ACHAH090)
  • Identify the origin, purpose and context of historicalsources(ACHAH095)
  • Evaluate the reliability, usefulness andcontestabilityofsourcesto develop informed judgments that support a historical argument(ACHAH097)

Intended learning outcomes / Students explore the Spartan military training system, the “Agoge”, and related terms and concepts. Students can identify and explain key features of the Spartan military training system, the “Agoge”, and how these shaped the lives of the people involved. Students engage with a number of historical terms and concepts to demonstrate their understanding of the topic. The lesson aims to develop positive student values and attitudes towards their learning and towards historical studies.
Assessment / Student engagement with class discussion, worksheet answers,
Prep (negotiation) / Students should have read and completed revision questions on Wikispacefor chapters of the class eReading “Gates of Fire” where the main character, Xeones, is involved in the agoge.
Students should also have prior knowledge of and awareness of the broader context of this topic through source analysis of Spartan primary sources in previous lessons. Students should have some idea of what agoge is and some of its features from yesterday’s lesson.
Procedure / Engagement: Students are given expectations for the lesson. The teacher engages students in classroom discussion about what they already know about the Spartan agoge from their reading of Gates of Fire and from historical sources, including the primary source analyses completed yesterday as well as last week. Bring up the Wikispace on the Smartboard and go through some reflections that bring up interesting ideas and concepts to discuss with the class. Use this time to explain any unfamiliar terms that are brought up. Students can refer to their source analysesfrom previous lessons and revision answers from Gates of Fire on the Wikispaceduring the discussion and to answer questions. (20 minutes)
Learning experiences:Students use their thinking from the class discussion to answer a series of short answer questions on a pre-prepared worksheet. (10 minutes.)
Students organise themselves into small groups and are asked to complete a diagram mindmapusing iPads and Bubble.us software on the features of the agoge and related concepts. (20 minutes.)
Classroom organization:Students are engaged in whole class discussion upon commencement of the lesson. Students will then be required to independently answer 10 short questions. Students will then work collaboratively by organising themselves into groups of 2-3 to create a mindmap or concept map.
Dialogue: The following example questions could be asked, to encourage students to explore concepts and big ideas, or spark thoughtful discussions. Considering the small population of the city state, how were the Spartans so successful in their military endeavours? Do you think that the harsh features of the agoge were necessary for Sparta’s military might? How?
Reflection:Students write a reflection of what they have learnt in the previous two lessons about the agoge, including misconceptions they might have had (the system is notorious thanks to Hollywood films such as “300”, which we watched earlier this term)
Closure:The lesson closure consists of students completing their reflections on the Wikispace using iPads.(10 minutes.)
Resources / Smartboardand Bubble.us software
Access to Wikispace webpage
iPads
Worksheet questions
Previous student work

WORKSHEET – Questions on the Spartan Agoge

  1. For how many years was a Spartan boy part of the agoge?
  1. Who undertook the agoge? Why were the Spartans so selective in who was accepted?
  1. Why would Spartan boys who undertook the agoge develop a stronger relationship and attachment with agoge soldiers than to their own families?
  1. What was the code followed by the agoge and by the Spartan soldiers?
  1. What qualities of boys and soldiers were valued by Sparta and the agoge? Why?
  1. What does the term “boua” mean?
  1. What education did Spartan girls receive?
  1. Why were the boys given such small food rations, and what did this often lead to?
  1. What was the krypteia?
  1. What was syssitia? How did it affect the lives and actions of agoge boys and soldiers?

Lesson Plan Sequence 3

Learning Area: History: Ancient History / Year Level : 11 / Class Size: 25
Timing: 60 minutes
Topic: Narrative Accounts
Curriculum Connections
  • The role of, and attitude towards, children and education(ACHAH108)
  • the life of soldiers, their training and the conditions of service(ACHAH127)
  • thesignificanceof the military(ACHAH128)
  • the political, economic and social impact of warfare and conquest.(ACHAH129)
  • Develop texts that integrate appropriateevidencefrom a range ofsourcesto explain the past and to support and refute arguments(ACHAH101)
  • Identify the origin, purpose and context of historicalsources(ACHAH095)
  • Apply appropriate referencing techniques accurately and consistently(ACHAH103)

Intended learning outcomes / Students apply their knowledge of the Spartan agoge to construct a realistic narrative of what it might have been like to have been a Spartan boy in the agoge. Students explore the effects that this rigorous training had on the individual lives of soldiers and on the political and social structures of Sparta, such as the effect on families. Students undertake collaborative research to support their narratives and demonstrate referencing skills. Students will be using a range of ICT skills such as camera handling, film editing, and animation to create engaging historical narratives backed up by evidence.
Assessment / Students’ narrative drafts and works in progress. Observation of students’ research methodology.
Prep (negotiation) / Students are building on knowledge of the Spartan agoge to create their own interpretation of what happened, based on historical evidence from a range of primary and secondary sources.
Procedure / Engagement: Students are given assessment task and lesson expectations. Students will be creating a narrative essay on what the Agoge would have been like, using ICT such as live action or stop motion film (cameras) and/or flash animations, etc. Over the next few days. Students put themselves into groups of 3-4and may choose how they would like to construct their narratives (10 minutes) Answer any questions students have about task.
Learning experiences:Students conduct research using library resources, including ICT resources on the internet such as online databases. Can students find any other reliable perspectives on the Spartan agoge other than those explored in lessons? (45 minutes)
Students who feel they have sufficient historical evidence to begin constructing their narratives may begin creating their narrative assessment task. This narrative task incorporates narrative from the 8 Ways of Learning pedagogy which is connected with Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander culture.
Classroom organization:Students are given instructions as a class. They will be conducting research either independently or collaboratively with their group members.
Dialogue: Ask and discuss with students questions such as “Why was the agoge so effective in establishing the formidable Spartan military?” students should consider that despite the harshness of the agoge, it was much respected by contemporaries because it reflected the functions and needs of the society. Remind students to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of the agoge in their narratives, thinking about the broader social context of what was happening.
Reflection:Students will be given individual teacher feedback on narrative works in progress to inform them of their learning. The teacher will move around the class as students work to provide assistanceand ask students questions that encourage them to reflect on their research and their understanding of the agoge in their narratives.
Closure:Remind students of the time frame for this task. Ask students to think about how education today is structured to meet the needs for society: eg being able to get a job, necessary literacy and numeracy skills, etc. Ask them to go home and write a reflection on this to share on the class Wikispace (5 minutes)
Resources / The library or computer lab will need to be booked for this lesson.
Assessment task sheets
Students’ study notes on the agoge they have compiled in previous lessons, including source analyses.
Cameras for students who want to start filming their narratives today.

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