Unit Plan 21 (Grade 6 Social Studies): Greek Culture and Innovation
Explore how Greek achievements in architecture, drama, philosophy, science, and mathematics shaped civic life in the polis and created enduring cultural legacies that continue to influence modern societies.
Focus: Explore Greek arts, literature, philosophy, and science as enduring legacies that shaped later civilizations.
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: Social Studies (History • Civics • Culture/Ideas)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students investigate how Greek cultural achievements—from architecture and drama to philosophy, history, mathematics, and medicine—both reflected life in the polis and influenced later societies. They examine how ideas about justice, evidence, and the common good emerge in Greek thought and continue to inform modern life.
Essential Questions
- How did Greek culture express and shape civic life?
- Which Greek ideas or innovations have the most enduring legacy, and why?
- How do we know what we know about the Greeks—and what are the limits of the evidence?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify and explain major Greek cultural contributions in arts, literature, philosophy, science, and public life.
- Trace legacies of Greek ideas to later civilizations (Roman, Renaissance, modern).
- Construct explanations that note multiple causes and acknowledge evidence limits and uncertainty.
- Interpret civic ideals (justice, rule of law, common good) in Greek texts/contexts and connect them across time.
Standards Alignment — 6th Grade (C3-based custom)
- 6.C3.Hist.4 — Identify turning points and big ideas and their legacies (e.g., democracy, philosophy, scientific habits).
- 6.C3.Hist.5 — Construct historical explanations recognizing multiple causes and limits of evidence.
- 6.C3.Civ.4 — Interpret civic ideals (justice, rule of law, common good) across cultures and times.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can describe a Greek innovation and show how it influenced later societies.
- I can use evidence from texts, images, or artifacts and explain what the evidence can and cannot tell us.
- I can connect Greek civic ideals to modern examples of justice and the common good.