I did this Ancient Greece study with my boys a couple of years ago when they were in 2nd and 4th grade. It is really a myth-focused study rather than history-focused, but I found it to be a great introduction to the stories and literature of ancient Greece.Earlier this month I realized that even through we spent an entire school year on ancient Greece, I hadn’t posted our study or much about it at all. I checked out so many books from the library attempting to determine the best books for the stories. My kids really enjoyed our year in ancient Greece. Because it has been a couple years, some of the video links no longer work. I’ve attempted to find new ones if I remember what the video was supposed to be. Also, I had my kids watch some documentaries about ancient Greece at the end of the year, but I didn’t write down the video names at the time.
The study is listed chronologically, but there were times where we deviated from the order because a library book wasn’t available at the moment we came to the book in our list. Sometimes we had to substitute a book because the library book I had chosen was lost and no longer in their system.
- Locate Greece on the map
- Ancient World
pg 20-23
- Watch End of Minoan Civilization video on Youtube (sorry link is no longer working).
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths
– In the Beginning and Pandora’s Box pg 9-14
- Ancient World pg 24-27
- Mycenaean buildings video on Youtube (sorry link is no longer working)
- Watch Mycenaeans- Homer, archaeology, Troy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5VTmNK9o80
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths – Persephone and the Pomegranate Seeds pg 15-20
- Watch Waif of Persephone http://vimeo.com/7965460
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths – Echo and Narcissus pg 21-25
- Watch Echo and Narcissus video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztn9tH20dP4
- Wings
by Jane Yolen and Dennis Nolan – story of Icarus and Daedalus (the man who invented the labyrinth for Minotaur)
- Watch The Storyteller Greek Myths Daedalus and Icarus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yp_igX-sDs
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths – Arachne the Spinner pg 32-35
- Watch Arachne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW3Bbav7w4A
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths – King Midas pg 36-40
- Watch King Midas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM9ZriTXZPcand The Golden Touch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1CmVmslJ1818 min total
- Perseus
by Warwick Hutton – picture book mythology (Medusa’s head, Andromeda, and King Polydectes)
- Wathc Storyteller Greek Myths – Perseus and Gorgon http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqh0zs_the-storyteller-greek-myths-perseus-the-gorgon_school
- Pegasus, the Flying Horse
by Yolen
- The Twelve Labors Of Hercules
by Riordan and Balit. Story book with pictures.
- Watch The Labors of Heracles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPJBovmveOA
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths – Apollo and Daphne pg 60-61
- Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xTtoX9e6447 min
- Watch Storyteller Greek Myths – Theseus and the
Minotaur http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqh152_the-storyteller-greek-myths-theseus-and-the-minautor_school
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths – Jason and the Golden Fleece pg 66-70
- Watch Jason and the Argonauts 1963 version
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths – Orpheus and Eurydice pg 71-74
- Watch The Storyteller Greek Myths Orpheus and Eurydice http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqh16c_the-storyteller-greek-myths-orpheus-and-eurydice_school
- The Race of the Golden Apples
by Claire Martin
- Watch Atalanta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-77_cVnmUQ
- Read Aesop’s Fables for Children
– The Wolf and the Kid through Belling the Cat
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ by Rosemary Sutcliff– The Golden Apple pg 6-13
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Eagle and the Jackdaw through The Fox and the Grapes
- Watch The Country Cousin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTUElAXvKFI
- Watch The Fox and the Grapes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op6_4e0mMN0
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – Ship-Gathering and Quarrel with the High King pg 14-22
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Bundle of Sticks through The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf
- Watch Peter and the Wolf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siWFe7FXo7Y
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’
– Single Combat pg 23-33
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Gnat and the Bull through The Lion and the Ass
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – The Women of Troy and The High King’s
Embassy pg 34-46
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Frogs who wished for a king through The Boys and the Frogs
- Watch the Rat and the Elephant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L__Fcesevso (sorry, no longer working)
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – The Horses of King Rhesus and Red Rain pg 47-56
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Crow and the Pitcher through The Ass and the Load of Salt
- Watch the Grasshopper and the Ants http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1DgihKHVI
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – Battle for the Ships and the Armour of Achilles pg 57-68
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Lion and the Gnat through The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – Vengeance for Patroclus and Funeral Games pg 69-78
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat through The Fox and the Stork
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – Ransom for Hector and the Luck of Troy pg 79-91
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Travelers and the Sea through The Wolf and the Lean Dog
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – Warrior Women and The Death of Achilles pg 92-103
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Fox and the Lion through The Wolf and the Ass
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – Poisoned Arrow pg 104-108
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Monkey and the Cat through The Fox and the Leopard
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ – The Wooden Horse pg 109-117
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Heron through The Mule
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’ –The Fall of Troy pg 118-125
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Fox and the Goat through The Farmer and His Sons
- Watch Helen of Troy
- Make Trojan Horse pinata (see post about this art activity)
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Two Pots – The Goatherd and the Wild Goats
- Watch Goose Golden Egg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y-sEKSMT5w
- The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey – The Cyclops – 17
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Spendthrift and the Swallow – Mercury and the Woodman
- The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey The Lord of the Winds – The Enchantress
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Frog and the Mouse – The Eagle and the Beatle
- The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey The Land of the Dead – Sea Perils
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Old Lion and the Fox – The Goatherd and the Goat
- The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey Telemachus Seeks his Father – Farewell to Calypso
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Miser – The Fox without a Tail
- The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey
The King’s Daughter – Phaeacian Games
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Mischievous Dog – The Fox and the Pheasants
- The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey – Return to Ithaca – The Beggar in the Corner
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – Two Travelers and a Bear – The Eagle and the Kite
- The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey – The Archery Contest – The Slaying of the Suitors
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Stag, the Sheep, and the Wolf – The Bees, the Wasp, and the Hornet
- Watch Bill Cosby’s Aesop’s Fables http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jON9jB6KPws25 minutes
- The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey Peace in the Islands – end
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Lark and Her Young Ones – The Ant and the Dove
- Watch the Fox and the Crow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYx5Uw6TWiQ
- Watch the Ant and the Dove http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-1MQij1bK8
- Odysseus And The Cyclops
by Warwick Hutton – picture book on Odysseus and Cyclops
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Man and the Satyr – The Lion’s Share
- The Orchard Book of Greek Myths
– Freedom for Prometheus
- Aesop’s Fables for Children – The Mole and His Mother – The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle
- Ancient World pg 50-55
- Life in a Greek Temple
by Shuter
- Watch Secrets of the Parthenon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLCW0zKR4xk
- Make Parthenon out of rice krispie treats and cookies (this one worked for a few minutes until it
started falling apart!
- Watch documentary about ancient Greece
- How Would You Survive as an Ancient Greek?
By MacDonald
- You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Slave in Ancient Greece!
By MacDonald
- Watch documentary about ancient Greece
- How to Be an Ancient Greek Athlete
by Morley
- The Spartan Hoplites
by Park and Love
- Watch The 300 Spartans
- Ancient World pg 56-57
- Alexander: The Boy Soldier Who Conquered the World
by Adams
- Watch Alexander the Great documentary
- The Life of Alexander the Great
by Nicholas Saunders
- Decisive Battles of the Ancient World
of Greek battles (Gaugamela, Marathon, Thermopylae)
- Complete timeline
This is amazing! Thank you so much for all these ideas that we can use to soak ourselves in Greek mythology this year!
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Thanks so much for your really informative recommendations. Daughter is very into Greek myth after a course last year, and we are doing “all” the Ancient civilizations this year, so adding in more Greek would be great for her!