Week four Religion

This week, I observed the transition between cultures and how human ways of life and thoughts create different cultures and beliefs. I was particularly struck by how the instructor, who taught the topic of Ancient Greece, was able to smoothly transition between various cultures and explain how these cultures influenced daily life.

In addition to covering Ancient Greece, including its religious and governmental beliefs, the teacher also explored the impact of political systems, specifically focusing on the differences in government beliefs, such as democracy, particularly in Athens. The instruction highlighted the democratic lifestyle, the role of citizens, and the hierarchy that influenced them. 

Student Friendly book for myths

In our weekly reading, we learned about CAST and its differences in traditional and UDL classrooms. One of the most notable ideas behind CAST is that “the accommodations some students might receive in their IEPs and 504 plans are available to all students.” The idea is that all students may benefit from multiple formats, and some believe that providing accommodations to everyone can reduce the stigma that students might feel about using accommodations.

The teacher presented the material in a variety of ways. The lesson included a traditional lecture on the governments of ancient Greece and Rome, along with a hands-on activity where students created shields. For visual representation, students worked in small groups to complete a digital timeline. The teacher focused on lectures, visuals, and timelines, offering different templates as options for the students.

The teacher also delved into the different types of government, important vocabulary, religious practices, and significant beliefs in Greece, such as their polytheistic views on gods. Examples included the gods of Mesopotamia, Greek gods, Egyptian gods, and polytheistic governance. To engage the students, various myths were periodically included, encouraging them to compare and contrast these stories based on societal beliefs. One of the myths discussed was the Trojan War. The teacher emphasized how mythological stories helped explain natural events, cultural practices, human behavior, rituals, festivals, and the temples dedicated to the gods. This exploration allowed students to better understand polytheism and the Greek pantheon, including gods like Zeus, Athena, Apollo, and Hera.

Students created Greek Timelines

The instructor also encouraged students to break into small groups to discuss myths they had heard, which were later shared in a larger group discussion. Her point was that all the different myths have multiple meanings and versions depending on who is telling or recreating them. The teacher also encouraged students to break into groups and look through both primary and secondary resources to discuss why they interpreted the myth the way they did. At the end of the lesson, the teacher explained that our own culture and beliefs have been influenced by the principles of democracy, religion, and philosophy from Ancient Greece.

Students were then given the option to choose between different projects to showcase their knowledge on the topic, allowing them to express their understanding in a creative way that best suited their learning styles.

Anchor chart for learned vocabulary 

Kopp & Reilly (2017) stated, “Students are reading firsthand accounts of events, they are using primary sources. Charts, maps, timelines, and so forth also come into play with the reading for information standards, in which students are to use graphical representations to help them analyze and comprehend text. The more varieties of reading materials students are exposed to, including primary source documents, the more they can analyze instructional content and apply critical-reading skills.”

These resources lead to interesting discussions about how people change over time. In other photographs, young children can examine changes in clothing, housing, transportation, schooling, work, and leisure activities. Young children delight in comparing their lives with the lives of people from long ago. Notable in the lecture was the teacher's use of visual aids with different colors to encourage picture studies. The template for describing the people, objects, and actions was similar to Figure 5.3 that was noted in our readings.

The DBQ (Document-Based Question) approach that Kopp referred to when he said, “Strategy supports reading skills and has added benefits for student learning. Since the texts, passages, and resources are generally shorter in length, they work well for modeling critical reading and thinking skills within the time constraints of a typical class period. When students work with such texts, they can put their mental energies into the analysis of the text rather than into the actual reading of the text.” This approach uses historical inquiry and document analysis. Students read and analyze a series of historical documents to respond in writing to a specific question or to devise and compose a thoughtful thesis and/or argument, all based on historical evidence (Kopp & Reilly, 2017).

Greek myths 

By incorporating Kopp’s strategy and the use of primary sources, the instructor created a dynamic and engaging lesson that not only introduced the foundations of Greek culture but also fostered critical thinking and analytical skills among the students.

Roman Shields project

An interesting observation was how the teacher was able to capture the students' attention while explaining the differences between primary and secondary sources. She used this to show how myths were changed over time to fit modern-day scenarios and how easily myths could be adapted to fit different audiences.

Works Cited: 

         Kopp, K., & Reilly, A. L. (2017). Teaching social studies today. Shell Education. 

Ingri D'aulaire, & Edgar Parin D'aulaire. (1962). D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. Doubleday, An Imprint Of Random House Children’s Books, A Division Of Penguin Random House Llc.

                Mary Pope Osborne, & Howell, T. (1995). Favorite Greek myths. Scholastic.

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