Should the United States attempt to emulate or correct the mistakes

of Ancient Greece?

Unit 5: Ancient Greece

Classical Education

• Primary School

• Secondary School

• Tertiary School

Ancient Greece in the Classroom

• Teaching

• Science Class

• Math Class

• English Class

• World Languages

• Social Studies

Ancient Greece in the Classroom• Teaching=

Socrates (469-399 BCE)– Philosopher– Marketplace as a

classroom– Socratic Method– Teacher of Plato

(another philosopher, author of The Republic)

– Sentenced to death by “forced suicide”

Ancient Greece in the Classroom• Science Class =

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)– Philosopher, Mathematician,

Scientist– Writing on “logic” and

“figuring out” how the world works

• Math Class = Euclid: Elements

Ancient Greece in the Classroom• English Class =

• World Languages = – In classical education, most students studied Greek

as a language.– Today, most students choose Spanish, Italian,

French (although Dr. Trause at JCHS teaches Latin).

Euripides(tragedies)

Aristophanes(comedies)

Ancient Greece in Social Studies!!!

HerodotusThe Histories

ThucydidesHistory of the

Peloponnesian War

So, what’s so special about a Classical Education?

• “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all education” – Aristotle

• “Education is teaching our children to desire the right things.” – Plato

• “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” – Socrates