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Teacher's Guide for CALLIOPE: Greece vs. Persia

Teacher's guide prepared by: our staff.
Mark It On the Map
Hang a world map on the wall and locate the inset section found on page 16. Using the scale of miles on the world map, determine the approximate size of the area connected with this issue and compare with the continental United States. Then have students familiarize themselves with the map on pages 16 - 17, noting the various battle sites. Students should use the map as a reference as they read the issue.

Introduction
Ask students to make a list of the main reasons they think cause countries / people to go to war. Write them on the blackboard or on an easel pad. After reading the issue, ask students to list the two main reasons the Persians fought the Greeks. Have the class discuss reasons for the similarities between the two lists.

Vocabulary
Ask students to explain the following words: satrap, tyrant, democracy, trireme, autocratic, phalanx, oracle, Akropolis, pentekonters, hoplite, cuneiform, Zoroastrian. Most of those are defined within the issue. You might have a word hunt contest, or have students choose a word to look up.

Discussion Questions

  1. Have the class discuss the difference between a government ruled by a tyrant, by aristocracy, and by democracy.
  2. What are some of the qualities that earned Herodotos the nickname "father of history"? (pages 8 - 11)
  3. Did the contrasting forms of government in Persia and the Greek city-states play a role in the defeat / victory for each side? Be specific with your answers. (Many of the Persian soldiers were conquered people, fighting for an overlord, not their own ruler or country. The Greeks were fighting for their own freedom.)
Writing
Based on the issue and other materials, ask students to write a brief biographical sketch of the key individuals involved in the Persian wars (Miltiades, Leonidas, Themistokles, Darius, Xerxes).

Play
Read, or put on, the play on page 24 - 25. The Narrator role could be spread among several students.

Research Project
Using the time line on page 17, build a world history time line indicating what other important events were happening during this time frame. Students could be split into groups looking at Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, etc.
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