Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A Message of Ancient Days
Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 11, Lesson 1: The Early Greeks (pp. 328-333)
The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Interconnectedness Early Greek civilizations grew and developed
around a flourishing sea trade.
- Review Greece's geography and climate. Point out the need and opportunities for
trade, and how the location of Crete made it a powerful trading center. Help
students make a chart comparing the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations and
their accomplishments.
- Talk about the Dark Age, especially which activities were lost during that
period. Define the city-state, and show how they rose from the Dark Age. Point
out in what ways the city-states came into contact, and sometimes conflict.
Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.
Check for Understanding
- Organize students into working groups and ask each group to come up with
specific ways in which trade affected the Greeks civilizations described in
this lesson. Have each group share and discuss.
- Ask each student to design a banner for a Greek trader, advertising his or
her wares. Encourage them to review the lesson to find ideas for what kinds of
items were traded.
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