Ancient Greek Philosophers

Week 8: Greek Philosophers

 

READ:  K – 3:  How We Learned the Earth Is Round by Patricia Lauber

4 – 8:  Ancient Greece! :40 Hands-On Activities to Experience this Wondrous Age by Avery Hart & Paul Mantell (Read only pgs 72 – 79 “Think For Yourself: Philosophy”)

NOTE:  There are 4 important Great Greek Thinkers you need to remember:

1. Pythagoras:  A great mathematician & philosopher
2. Socrates: Great Philosopher.  Urged people to take a deeper look at their beliefs and spoke out against the gods.  This outraged many and he was given the option to drink poison or to leave Athens.  He drank the poison. 
3. Plato: Great Philosopher.  Socrates’ student.  Wrote down many of Socrates’ teachings.  He also wrote about the existence of Atlantis.
4. Aristotle: Great Philosopher.  Plato’s star student.  He eventually became the teacher of Alexander the Great.  He developed a classification system for science.

DISCUSS:

• Who first discovered the earth was round? (The Greeks)
• What does Philosophy mean? (love of wisdom)
• T/F There were brilliant thinkers in Ancient Greece.  (true)
• Name a famous Ancient Greek mathematician? (Pythagoras)
• What great Philosopher spoke out against the gods and had to drink poison as a result? (Socrates)
• What great Philosopher wrote down many of Socrates teachings? (Plato)
• What great Philosopher taught Alexander the Great and organized a system of classification for science? (Aristotle)

Questions for Grades 4 – 8:

• What lost city did Plato write about? (Atlantis)
• What math theorem did Pythagoras conceive? (Pythagorean theorem:  A²+B²=C² for right triangle)
• How did Aristotle feel about slavery? (thought some people were born to be slaves)
• What was a Symposium? (meeting of Greeks who wanted to explore ideas)

ACTIVITIES: 

K – 3: Using a ball, a toothpick and an eraser, do the experiment with the “boat on the horizon” in your book.  Then take a sheet, a tie or sash, and some pins and try to design Ancient Greek clothing for yourself.

4 – 8:  Go to page 41 of your text.  Using the chart listed, write your first and last name in Greek.  (Students in Grades 6 – 8 can also try to write a short sentence in Greek.)  Then, according to pg 79 of your text, Socrates once asked this question at a Symposium: “What accomplishment or possession do you most value in yourself?”   Answer this question in paragraph form and then give reasons why you feel the way you do.

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Copyright October 4th, 2013 by Gwen Fredette