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The Spartan 300: The Battle of Thermopylae (Greek History)

Completed by 7 learners
Ages 11-15
Live One-Time Class
In this class, we will discuss the details of the Battle of Thermopylae in which 300 Spartans (and a small contingent of other Greek soldiers) held off the much larger Persian army.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(99 reviews)

Live video meetings
Meets once
1-10 learners per class
60 min

What's included

1 live meeting
1 in-class hours
Assessment
There will be an informal assessment sent to the family after the class.

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 9
Three hundred Spartan hoplite soldiers stood their ground at the Battle of Thermopylae against the massive Persian army in 480 BCE. We will be using ancient historians, mainly Herodotus and Diodorus Sicuclus, to compare their versions of the battle. We will look at strategy, armor and weapons, and maps to bring this amazing piece of history to life. I will also talk about the general, Themistocles, and how he used the events at Thermopylae to prepare the Greek navy to ultimately push back the Persians. This is a lecture-style class, but I encourage learners to ask questions, and input their own ideas and theories. To insure this, I will ask leading questions and correlate the subject matter to cultural topics with which they are most likely familiar. We will even discuss how to make a hoplite shield! No prior experience or knowledge of Greek language or history is required.

Learning Goals

Students will learn about one of the most famous land battles in the ancient world: why that location? why just those city-states? What is its legacy to the modern world? They will also be shown how to use varying reports to determine which sources seem more credible. They will be asked their opinion on how they might have changed the outcome of the battle, if at all. They will understand why this battle set up the Greeks to defeat the massive Persian army in the subsequent naval battle.

Other Details

Parental Guidance
This is a historical battle; therefore, there will discussions of fighting with swords and arrows, depictions of armor and weapons, as well as descriptions of death and treason. I will use a brief YouTube clip in a screen-share, so no outside accounts for learners are necessary.
Supply List
A handout (PDF) will be supplied to each student on how to create their own hoplite shield. A second handout (PDF) will be supplied to each student from Herodus' and Diodorus Siculus’ accounts of the battle.
 3 files available upon enrollment
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
We will refer to the writings of Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Plutarch, and Aeschylus. There will be a very brief mention of the 2006 movie (300) based on this event and how the film differs from and supports the historical account. I will use slides to show the armor and weapons used in this battle, and also a map and pictures of modern day Thermopylae to enhance the students' understanding of the battlefield.

Meet the teacher

5.0
99reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in History from University of South Florida
Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Language from University of Southern Mississippi
Bachelor's Degree in History from University of Southern Mississippi
I am a trained historian with a masters degree. I have taught this class online, and tutored students on this topic. I am also accustomed to teaching the topic in an appropriate manner based on the students' ages and sensibilities. 

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