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Was the Spartan Education System Beneficial?

Description: 

This unit follows a general introduction of Athens and Sparta including historical context, geographical location, demographics, etc. This unit will begin with teaching about the people of Athens and Sparta and the competition between the two. Students will learn about the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian Wars, focusing on the involvement of Athens and Sparta. Students will read articles describing the two city-states and the spartan education system in an open textbook. Based on their knowledge of both Sparta’s and Athens’ societal and military ventures, students will decide if the spartan education system was beneficial. They will then compose a persuasive essay on this topic.

Learning Targets: 
Compare and contrast life in Athens and Sparta
Describe the status of women and the functions of slaves in ancient Athens
Analyze the causes, course, and consequences of the Persian Wars, including the origins of marathons
Analyze the causes, course, and consequences of the Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta
Link: 
Was the Spartan Education System Beneficial?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KxkkCvxrKK4NZJMqvWWDF8zoyyYY8JnRXhXMEl0ka6w/edit
Author: 
rebecca.fazio
Content Area: 
Social Studies
World History
Language: 
English
Resource Type: 
Lesson
Licensing: 
Creative Commons Licence
Grade: 
7
9
10
Tags: 
Ied-co1
ancient greece
sparta
athens
spartan
education
persuasive essay

Student prerequisite skills and knowledge

Students should have a background understanding of Ancient Greece. They should know how to compose a persuasive essay (or this lesson can be used to teach that skill). Students will need to have and know how to use word processing programs, such as Google Docs. 

What concepts or procedures are being explained or demonstrated in this lesson object?

Students will learn about the most well-known Ancient Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta, including the daily life of citizens and the wars they were both a part of. They will build up to the essential question, which will require them to compare the two societies. Students will practice the skill of creating a persuasive essay or the skill will be taught along with the lesson content. 

What was your experience, both successes and challenges, using this lesson object with your students?

Students enjoy this task and are engaged due to its direct application to their own lives. Students work well writing and peer editing in Google Docs, but comments & editing should be monitored by the teacher.