Ancient History – Year 11
Unit Title Investigating Ancient History – The Nature of Duration 16 hours
Ancient History 4 Weeks
3. The Representation of the Ancient Past
• Leonidas I
• The Spartan Mirage
Unit Description Students investigate ways in which the ancient past has been represented. The Historical concepts and skills content is to
be integrated as appropriate.
Outcomes
A student:
AH11-6 analyses and interprets different types of sources for evidence to support an historical account or argument
AH11-7 discusses and evaluates differing interpretations and representations of the past
AH11-9 communicates historical understanding, using historical knowledge, concepts and terms, in appropriate and well-structured forms
AH11-10 discusses contemporary methods and issues involved in the investigation of ancient history
Historical Concepts and Skills Assessment
• Explain the meaning and value of sources for an historical Student research and then presentation
inquiry (ACHAH007, ACHAH009) • Students will research a specific issue related to the topic
• Analyse sources to identify and account for the different provided in the assessment task, and then give a presentation of said
perspectives of individuals and groups in the past (ACHAH010) topic to the class.
• Analyse and synthesise evidence from different types of
sources to develop reasoned claims (ACHAH008) Assessment for Learning
• Identify and analyse problems relating to sources in the • Formal and informal discussions individually, in pairs and
investigation of the past (ACHAH011) groups
• Analyse the extent and nature of continuity and change over • Specific activities focused on historical inquiry and the critical
time (ACHAH001) evaluation and interpretation of sources.
• Presentation of research to cohort
• Form judgements about historical significance, recognising that
significance may be attributed for different purposes
• Analyse and evaluate contested interpretations and
representations of the past (ACHAH011, ACHAH012)
• Use evidence from a range of sources to inform investigation
and research (ACHAH005)
Content Teaching, learning and assessment Differentiation
Students investigate:
• The • Students partake in a diagnostic assessment task to ascertain background
representation of the knowledge about Leonidas I, Sparta, the 300 and the Battle of Thermopylae. Students are
ancient past in the given the option of either:
modern world, for • KWHL task
example in art, myths • Kahoot quiz https://create.kahoot.it/details/2fbbe3d7-1ca8-4eb6-acaf-30a7d1196e98
and legends,
• Both, students have the option of completing both tasks, but this is not compulsory.
memorials, museums,
the media, film, • Students then participate in an open class discussion and brainstorming exercise
documentaries, about Leonidas I, Sparta, the 300 and the Battle of Thermopylae using the popplet mind-
multimedia and mapping tool. The results are input and displayed by the teacher on the whiteboard in real
interactive media time for the class to see (with a hardcopy to be handed out by the teacher next lesson).
• The various
ways a person, site,
society or event from
the ancient past has Leonidas I
been represented over • Students are divided into groups and allocated a representation of Leonidas I from a Structured
time, for example by modern world perspective, for example in art, myths and legends, memorials, museums, the Teacher provides the
contemporaries of the media, film, documentaries, multimedia and interactive media. They are then asked to scaffolded KWHL task
time and in later times collaboratively research and contextualise their source, and to present their findings to the and the Kahoot quiz.
class. Representations include:
• The reasons for marketing – Leonidas Fresh Belgian Chocolate Teacher also provides
the differing toys - various students with specific
representations statue – Leonidas statue representations of
• A critical sculpture: Ernesto Bazzaro Leonidas I in the
evaluation of the modern world to avoid
comics: 300 overlap and provide a
representations using
literature: Richard Glover variety of source
available sources
painting: Jacques Louis David material
games: Total War mods
film: The 300 Spartans, 300.
Students are asked to consider:
• The purpose of the representation
• Where it is located, who made/owns it
• When was it constructed and how long is this from the ancient past
• Is the representation accurate.
Students are to write a summary of their findings and if they believe the modern
representations of the ancient past have shaped their views on history.
• The various Leonidas I Extension
ways a person, site, Students ‘create’ an
society or event from Students are to watch a video: Leonidas of Sparta Biography: Warrior king of the alternative timeline, in
the ancient past has Greek city-state of Sparta - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDPt2mow5t4 which Leonidas I
been represented over Students are to take notes and then write a brief account or create a mind-map survived the battle of
time, for example by (popplet) on how the video represents the ancient past and Leonidas I in particular. Thermopylae. This is
contemporaries of the presented to the
time and in later times • Students are to construct a timeline on Leonidas I (from birth to death). They are to class, and a
conduct their own research and utilize the interactive timeline website: discussion ensues on
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/timeline-30007.html how this could affect
• Students are provided with a few examples of websites to access as a scaffold: our perception of the
• Explain the https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/king-leonidas-sparta-and-legendary-battle-300- ancient past.
meaning and value of thermopylae-002848
sources for an historical Extension
• https://www.ancient.eu/Leonidas_I/
inquiry (ACHMH007) In pairs, students
discuss and then
• Identify and research other ancient
Herodotus, The Histories
analyse problems historians who have
Students watch a quick two-minute video on analysing sources – History Source covered Leonidas I
relating to sources in
Skills - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZboWB617o and Thermopylae.
the investigation of the
Students take notes on: Nature of a source, Origin, Purpose, weighing the strengths Choosing one, they
past (ACHMH011)
and weakness of these three points and then reach a conclusion on the reliability of share their findings
the evidence. Including inherent bias or vested interest of writer and the relevant with the class. Some
experience or expertise of the author of the source. suggested ancient
historians include:
Students are then introduced to the meaning and value of sources for an historical • Plutarch On
inquiry through the work of Herodotus, The Histories. Sparta
Students are provided with a biography and overview of Herodotus, the ‘father of • Plato Laws
history’, including content. • Thucydides
In an open class discussion and brainstorming activity students discuss Herodotus’ The Peloponnesian
stated purpose of his great work ‘to prevent the traces of human events from being War
erased by time’ (Hist, 1.1). • Xenophon The
Student responses are entered by the teacher into the mind-mapping popplet tool Politeia of the
and displayed on the whiteboard. Spartans
Source Nature Origin Purpose • Diodorus
Herodotus Siculus Thermopylae
The Each pair of students
Histories share their findings
Strength & with the class.
Weaknesse
s
• The various Assessment for learning – Source analysis Extension
ways a person, site, Students research
society or event from • Students watch a five-minute video: Why is Herodotus called “The Father of History”? other ancient
the ancient past has – Mark Robinson – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A542ixwyBhc historians and provide
been represented over • Students take notes for open class discussion after video a summary on the
time, for example by • Class does a think pair share exercise on Herodotus and his role in shaping historical historian of their
contemporaries of the inquiry choice.
time and in later times
• Students are given select excerpts from Herodotus’s The Histories, pertaining to
• The reasons for Leonidas I, Thermopylae, Persian wars. Students are to choose one excerpt and conduct a
the differing source analysis based on what they know of Herodotus’, in regards to: nature, origin,
representations purpose and reliability/bias. How do subjective written accounts compare to say
• A critical archaeological evidence?
evaluation of the OR Structured
representations using • In pairs, students are provided select excerpts from Herodotus’ The Histories, Teacher provides the
available sources pertaining to Leonidas I, Thermopylae, Persian wars. Students are to conduct research into excerpts from The
the event the passage describes, from contemporaries of the time or modern
representations. Does the additional source agree or disagree with Herodotus’ account? Histories.
Why do you think that is? Provide a reasoned response arguing the merits of your evidence,
• Analyse sources for or against. Teacher also provides
to identify and account • Students present their findings to the class and then participate in a mock debate on a few examples of
for the different Herodotus, either for or against. other ancient sources
perspectives of contemporaneous
individuals and groups with Herodotus.
in the past
(ACHMH010)
• Use evidence
from a range of sources
to inform investigation
and research
(ACHAH005)
• Analyse and
synthesise evidence
from different types of
sources to develop
reasoned claims
(ACHMH008)
• The various • Students watch a quick five-minute video: This is Sparta: Fierce warriors of the Structured
ways a person, site, ancient world – Craig Zimmer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7V1a1lBLO Students are provided
society or event from • In an open class discussion on how Leonidas I and Sparta have been represented with an example of
the ancient past has both, contemporaneously and in more modern times - students are introduced to the concept ancient sources in
been represented over of the ‘Spartan Mirage’ first espoused by the French historian, Francois Ollier. The ‘Spartan relation to the
time, for example by Mirage’ has its antecedents in the pro-Athenian ancient sources and authorities on Sparta, ‘Spartan Mirage’.
contemporaries of the and even to some degree served the purposes of the Spartans themselves.
time and in later times • The continuance of the ‘Spartan Mirage’ over time coincides either positively or
negatively in accordance with the social or political realities of the time it is enacted. For
• The reasons for example, Machiavelli, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Thomas Moore, Fredrich Engels, Jean-Jacques
the differing Rousseau, and even Adolf Hitler were all influenced to some extent by the ‘Spartan Mirage’.
representations • In groups, students identify instances of the ‘Spartan Mirage’ in ancient sources or
• A critical modern texts. What would be the possible motivation for this? As a scaffold students are
evaluation of the provided with two versions of the same famous incident from two separate ancient sources;
representations using Herodotus and Plutarch, and an example of a modern source, Evaluating the Spartan
available sources Mirage – http://www.worldhistory.biz/ancient-history/54200-evaluating-the-spartan-
mirage.html
• Students present their finding to the class.
Extension
• Plutarch, the ancient biographer, wrote a famous series of Parallel Lives of great Create parallel lives of
ancient Greeks and Romans. Unfortunately, the one on the Spartan King Leonidas I did not Leonidas I and either
survive, whilst the comparison of Alexander the Great with Julius Caesar did. a historical figure from
• Using the resources you have created during your studies on Leonidas I, design a the ancient or modern
visual or written representation of Parallel lives for Leonidas I from: world.
• Ancient sources Perhaps, you could
• Modern representations of Leonidas I. choose a figure from a
• Students are to compare and contrast the ancient representation of Leonidas I with diverse and varied
its modern representation, and give reasons for the differing representations. culture.
• https://www.penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/home.htm
l
Resources
Books
Herodotus, (1996). Herodotus: the histories. London, Eng.; New York: Penguin Books,
Plutarch, ., Talbert, R. J. A., Scott-Kilvert, I., & Plutarch,. (2005). Plutarch on Sparta. London: Penguin.
Websites
AncientOrigins.net 2015, King Leonidas of Sparta and the Legendary Battle of the 300 at Thermopylae. Date accessed 30/08/2018, from
https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/king-leonidas-sparta-and-legendary-battle-300-thermopylae-002848
Biographics 2018, Leonidas of Sparta Biography: Warrior king of the Greek city-state of Sparta. Date accessed, 30/08/2018, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDPt2mow5t4
Cartwright, Mark. 2013, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Date accessed, 30/08/2018, from https://www.ancient.eu/Leonidas_I/
Kahoot quiz. Date accessed 30/08/2018, from https://create.kahoot.it/details/2fbbe3d7-1ca8-4eb6-acaf-30a7d1196e98
Mrfoleyrevision 2014, History Source Skills. Date accessed, 30/08/2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZboWB617o
Penelope.uchicago 2018, Plutarch, The Parallel Lives. Date accessed 30/08/2018, from
https://www.penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/home.html
Popplet mind-mapping tool. Date accessed, 30/08/2018, from www.popplet.com
Readwritethink.org 2018. Date accessed 30/08/2018, from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/timeline-30007.html
TED-Ed 2017, Why is Herodotus called “The Father of History”? – Mark Robinson. Date accessed 30/08/2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=A542ixwyBhc
TED-Ed 2016, This is Sparta: Fierce warriors of the ancient world – Craig Zimmer. Date accessed 30/08/2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=M7V1a1lBLO
WorldHistory.Biz 2015, Evaluating the spartan Mirage. Date accessed 30/08/2018, from http://www.worldhistory.biz/ancient-history/54200-evaluating-
the-spartan-mirage.html
Images
http://davidderrick.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/david-thermopylae.jpg
https://deadliestblogpage.wordpress.com/1-leonidas/
https://foursquare.com/v/leonidas/4c9774e738dd8cfa8fc0e362?openPhotoId=5698df29498e459d23f5b2a8
https://www.headfonia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Noble-Leonidas-1.jpg
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0190/3868/products/300_Movie_Series_1_KING_LEONIDAS_WOUNDED_VARIANT_Figure_Reel_Toys_Pk_1024x1
024.jpg?v=1461793916
https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9781140783756-uk.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_300_Spartans#/media/File:Three_hundred_spartans.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_(film)#/media/File:300poster.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_I#/media/File:Helmed_Hoplite_Sparta.JPG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_I#/media/File:3420_-_Milano_-_Ernesto_Bazzaro_(1859-1937)_-_Monumento_a_Felice_Cavallotti_(1906)_-
_Foto_Giovanni_Dall%27Orto_23-Jun-2007.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_(comics)#/media/File:300_comic.jpg
Reflection Evaluation
