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Elizabeth Washington
Elizabeth Washington
(Gainesville - United States)

Lost Civilizations - The Greeks, Romans, and Mesopotamians

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1.00 Module Overview

OVERVIEW

“Numberless are the world’s wonders, but none more wonderful than man.” 

This tribute, written nearly 2,500 years ago by a Greek, reflects an attitude that is one of the lasting contributions of the Greeks to Western civilization. Many ancient civilizations did not believe that each individual was unique and important and perhaps capable of attaining great heights. Except for the tribal leader, chief, or king, it was the duty of the individual to serve the tribe.   Individual destiny was, they believed, in the hands of animal spirits or god-kings.

The Greeks did not share this belief. They believed that man (that is, humankind) is the measure of all things. In other words, humans were not at the mercy of mysterious forces, but had the power, through their intelligence, to know the universe and thus control their lives.  In this Module you will explore the contributions that profoundly influenced the culture of the Western world. Your journey will take you to ancient Greece where the ideas of democracy and western philosophy were born.  Next you will travel to Ancient Rome where western ideas of politics and legal codes were developed.  Finally, a trip to Ancient Mesopotamia where the foundations of western religion were developed.

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Lesson 1.01 - Student Profile

Lesson 1.01 - Student Profile
  
Lesson 1.1 is designed to help facilitate that feeling of community and togetherness that is needed in all productive classroom environments. Despite being at a distance from your teacher in this course, you will find that by sharing information and opinions through e-mail and in discussions, will almost be like being in a regular classroom

By filling out your profile, you will be helping your instructor get to know you a little better.
 

1. Click on the assignment button on your tool bar. 2.  Open up assignment 1.01 Profile

3. Click on the hyperlink Assignment Files to open or download the Profile assignment to your computer  You will see questions your teacher has set up for you to fill in. Answer each question.

4.  Return to the assignment.  Type a comment or two in the comment section of the assignment.  You could also copy and paste your answers into this section if the document is less than 3 pages.  OR
5.  Click the File to Attach button and find the assignment on your hard drive.

6. Click on the Submit button to send your assignment to your instructor

Make sure everything looks the way you wish before turning in your assignment, You may edit your profile again if you need to make changes.  Within 48 hours you can check your grade using the Gradebook button on the toolbar


Assignment 1.01 - Profile

Assignment 1.1 Filling Out Your Profile
15 Points

Once you have completely filled out your profile, go to the Assignment Area to submit this assignment.

Write a brief note that lets the instructor know you have completed the profile.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In order to receive full credit for this activity, you must completely fill out all of the requested information in your profile. Be as descriptive about yourself as possible.

A few notes about your profile

  • We ask that you fill out ALL of the requested information in the profile.
  • Keep in mind that you can hide personal information, such as home phone, address, etc., so that only the instructors will be able to view it.
  • Please make sure you type in your complete e-mail address.
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Lesson 1.02 - The Birth of Democracy

Lesson 1.02 - The Birth of Democracy
  

To get a better understanding of the world that is you must unearth the knowledge of the past.  Picture yourself on the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea.  The time is around 1200 BC. And you have traveled in time to ancient Greece.  An ancient text of Greek history, written by Herodotus is in your hand.  And you read. . . .

Greek civilization had its roots not only on the mainland of Greece but also on the many islands of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. 

The Greeks were never able to become a unified nation.  In addition to the numerous islands, the geography of Greece, with its crisscrossing mountain rages and numerous valleys, cut one settlement off from the other. As a result the Greeks developed independent city-states.  There were more than a hundred city-states that made up ancient Greece.  Each one of them developed their own form of government, lifestyle and traditions and fiercely guarded their independence. At times this caused wars between various Greek city-states.  At other times the Greeks could bind themselves together if threatened by an outside force or for the Olympics.

An actual map of the known world that was drawn by the Greek historian Herodotus around 1200 BC
Several things linked all the Greek city-states together.  The first common link was religion.  You are probably familiar with Greek mythology and some of the stories.  Much of the Greek religion is found in two epic poems written around 1200BC by a blind poet by the name of Homer.  The Iliad and the Odyssey contained descriptions of the Trojan War fought between the Kingdom of Troy and the Greek city-states.  Another thing that linked the city-states together was their language.  Even taking into account different dialects, most Greeks could understand each other.
  
Assignment 1.02 - The Birth of Democracy
It was in the Greek city-state of Athens that democracy was given birth.  In this adventure you will travel back in time to ancient Greece to explore life in ancient Greece.
For this assignment you will use this wonderful site provided by the BBC (British Broadcasting System)

Click on the link to take you to ancient Greece:

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Use the tool bar on the left side of the screen to navigate through the site using various tabs

For the city of Athens answer the following questions:

1.  Who built the Parthenon and in what year was it built?

2.  Democracy means?  How many men served on the ruling council of Athens? (This was known as the assembly)  What United States government institution is this similar to?

3. What very important Constitutional right did the Athenians give us (hint: click on the Resources tab and then Writing.)?

4. What rights did Athenian women have?  Use the Resources Tab-Writing and describe how Athenian women ran their households.

5.  Was it possible for an Athenian slave to purchase their freedom?

For the city of Corinth answer the questions on the Website:


6.  How were the designs on Greek pots were made?

7.  Why would you want to drag your ship over the land?

8.  What types of government were there in ancient Greece, and which would you prefer to be ruled by?

Use the Olympia tab to find information about the ancient Olympics.  Use the Classics Tab-Visit the Ancient Olympics.  Complete the questions which leads you to the final question:

9.  What was the “Final Word” that was found between the laurel wreaths?

10.  Use the Classics Tab –“Athens Thinks Twice.”  Briefly summarize the story.

Use Resources- The writings of the historian Thucydides – for a primary source.


  
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Module Discussion

Module Discussion 


 Weekly communication is an extremely important aspect of an online course. On a regular basis within each module and at various times throughout the course there will be a discussion question posted in the Discussion Area.
When a discussion question is posted, you will be notified in the announcement area (or is part of some assignments). Your task is to enter the Discussion Area, read the discussion question, and respond to the question. You may decide to respond to the original question that the instructor has posted or respond to one of the responses that your classmates has provided. In some cases, you will be required to respond to another student’s posting. Your participation in Discussions will apply to your overall grade. 



  
 
  
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Lesson 1.05 -Module 1 Test

Lesson 1.05 -Module 1 Test
  
Please make sure you have read all the material for this Module. There is quite a bit of information covered in this module. Take time to study and review for this exam. Print out all of the text material and your assignments. The Content of the Test : The Module tests that you will take in this class will consist of Multiple- choice, True-False, Matching, and Essay Questions.  The Module Tests you take in this class will mimic the format of the Final Examination.  Questions are weighted. Expect the test questions to be various levels of difficulty. There is only one correct answer - so read the questions carefully. Study all the documents, assignments, readings, and printable notes prior to taking the test. The test is worth 100 points! You will have 45 minutes to complete the test. Good Luck!


 Be sure to complete your activity log in lesson 1.11 once you finish the test.
  
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Lesson 1.06 -Activity Log

Lesson 1.06 -Activity Log
  
Update and turn in your Activity Log.
  
Assignment 1.06- End of Module 1