Objectives: to Learn About Museums and Create a Museum Exhibition About

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ANCIENT GREECE

Follow-up 3: A Museum Exhibit

Spartan Life

Objectives: To learn about museums and create a museum exhibition about

ancient Greece.

Materials: Photographs, pictures, and postcards of ancient Greek objects,

replica artefacts. Photographs or postcards of museums rooms,

galleries and displays.

Class set-up: Whole class and small groups. This activity could be altered for individual work.

Vocabulary: Curator, exhibit, exhibition, collection, artefacts.

Activity:

Discuss the purpose of a museum with pupils. Ask them to think about their experiences with museums. What is a museum? How is a museum used? Why are museums important? Who goes to a museum? What does the audience want to see?

Ask pupils to imagine they are curators working in a museum and tell them that it is their job to create a museum exhibit about ancient Greece (you could suggest that they play the challenges to learn about what museum staff do). Create a scenario explaining why the museum wants them to put on an exhibition of ‘ancient’ Greek objects. Then introduce them to the ‘collection’. Show them some photographs or pictures of ancient Greek objects or artefacts.

Make a list of themes or topics related to ancient Greece with the class that they enjoyed learning about. Decide which theme or topic the exhibit will cover and discuss the theme or topic as a class.

Ask pupils to think about how museums present objects and what support materials are provided in exhibitions such as labels, gallery guides and tours.

Ask pupils to think of some of the objects that might be important to include in this exhibit on ancient Greece. Instruct them to choose a type of object they would like to include in the exhibit. Provide them with books, guides, postcards and access to the site so they can choose what they would like to include.

If the children are working in groups they should try to divide up their tasks in making their exhibits. One could draw an artefact or mount and display a photograph or cutting from a magazine. If replica artefacts are available, the children could work out how best to display them, possibly making display cabinets using boxes etc. One of the children in the group could be responsible for producing labels or guide pamphlets using their ICT skills and publishing documents to a high standard.

Discuss museum labels with class. What is their purpose? What type of information do they present? What style are they written in? What sort of information needs to go in them?

Arrange and display the objects in table-top and wall displays. Discuss with the children how the displays might be arranged (chronologically, by materials, themes or topics).

The exhibit could form part of a class assembly or the children could use it to display their knowledge and attainment at the end of a scheme of work.

Background Information:

This will depend on the theme chosen for your exhibition. Please search through the available Background Information sheets, found on www.ancientgreece.co.uk

Key background information

· Sparta was one of the strongest city-states in Greece.

· Was ruled by 2 kings at a time and a Council of 30 elders, who were all citizens over the age of 60.

· In the archaic period, Sparta produced fine art and literature.

· Was a military state.

· Had a key role in defeating Persia.

· Defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War and was then at the height of her power.

· Made a treaty with Persia, the ‘King’s Peace’, in 386 BC.

· Was defeated by Thebes in 371 BC, never regained supremacy.

Life for men

· Spartan boys left their families at 7 to be trained to become part of the full-time professional army.

· Had very strict education and training.

· Boys were not well fed and punished if caught stealing food.

· Boys were encouraged to fight each other but not in anger.

· Cowardice was seen almost as a crime.

· Spartan education put emphasis on physical fitness.

· Boys were taken to the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia to be flogged to show their

toughness and endurance.

· The training of males was divided into age groups and called the agôgê (upbringing):

Boys 7- 17 learned reading, writing, dancing and singing; also tough physical education

Older boys, 18-19, trained for the army and in survival techniques.

Youths, 20-29, underwent rigorous military training as part of the standing army.

Young adults, 30+, were full citizens and expected to marry.

· A man had to remain in his barracks until he was 30 and if he married (could marry from the age of 20) he had to visit his wife in secrecy.

· All adult men belonged to ‘messes’- small groups that met and dined together and were housed in individual ‘men’s houses’.

· All citizens were hoplites.

Life for women

· Women received an education and physical training.

· Physical training made them fit and strong so they would have healthy babies (to become good soldiers).

· Physical training probably focused on gymnastics, choral song and dance.

· Xenophon says that the legendary law-giver Lycurgus thought wool-working and the related sedentary life found in other states were best left to slave women: the activity was traditionally disdained by Spartan women.

The Perioikoi

(Free, non-Spartans of Laconia and Messenia)

· Had to provide military service to the Spartans

· Did not have the privileges of citizenship (e.g. member of the Spartan assembly, able to be a magistrate).

· Were involved with the management of trade and manufacture, as Spartans not allowed to be engaged in trade.

The Helots

(The ‘serf’ population)

· Were Greeks of the area around Sparta that were defeated in war by the Spartans.

· Were owned by Spartans as a whole (not by individuals).

· The magistrates (ephors) declared war on them annually as constant fear of revolt.

· They provided most of the agricultural produce for the rest of the population.

· Those of Messenia took part in regular revolts.

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