Lesson Topic: Ancient Greek Architecture

Grade Level: 3rd

Content Area: Social Studies

Brief Overview/Background Information: (Include a clear description of the content of the
lesson as well as how it will be situated within your unit. How will you convey the relevance and
significance of the lesson to students?)
This lesson will take place on day 3 of my unit on Ancient Greece for third grade students. Prior
to this lesson the students will have had an introduction to Ancient Greece as well as a day
discussing democracy. On this day, the students will be discussing architecture in Ancient
Greece, in particular the three types of columns, Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian. One of the major
themes of this unit is learning about how the contributions of Ancient Greece impact our society,
today. This theme will be incorporated into this unit as students learn about the columns of
Ancient Greece and then examine their presence in places that are familiar to the students. They
will complete a visual discovery activity in which they view pictures of the three types of
columns and discuss the characteristics they see. The students will then brainstorm buildings
that have columns. I will teach the students the differences between the three types and then we
will look at examples from both Ancient Greece and modern day of buildings containing
columns in which the students will identify the type of column they see. Finally, the students
will complete an exit ticket where they design their own building with columns.
Relevant VSOLs/CCSSs: (Identify standards by number and include the full text of standards
this lesson will address)
SOL 3.1 The student will explain how the contributions of ancient Greece and
Rome have influenced the present world in terms of architecture,
government (direct and representative democracy), and sports.

Essential Questions: (What question(s) will students grapple with as they learn through this
lesson?)

What important contributions in architecture were made by the Ancient Greeks?

How does the architecture of Ancient Greece influence our styles of architecture today?

Primary Content Objectives: (For this lesson)

Students will understand: (big ideas, broad, powerful, transferable)

The Ancient Greeks made many important contributions in fields such as architecture that
still have influence on the way we live today. (U1)
Students will know: (facts, information, vocabulary)

Ancient Greece made contributions in architecture. (K3)

There are three types of columns: Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian.
Doric Columns were the simplest and most plain type.
Ionic Columns contain scrolls.
Corinthian Columns were the fanciest, containing elaborate designs.
There are examples of these all three types on columns in Ancient Greek architecture as
well as modern buildings.

Students will be able to do: (skills and behaviors)

Describe the differences between the three types of columns.

Identify each of the three types of columns.
Name examples of Ancient Greek architecture containing columns (ex: Parthenon,
Acropolis, Propylaia)
Name examples of modern day architecture containing columns (ex: White House,
Capitol Building, Rotunda)

Assessment: (How (and when) will students be assessed? What evidence will you collect to
determine whether students have met the lesson objectives? Will the assessment(s) be a preassessment (diagnostic), formative (ongoing feedback) or summative?)

Diagnostic: The lesson will begin with a visual discovery activity in which students will
be given pictures of each type of column and asked to explain the different characteristics
they see in each type. The students will discuss in their table groups before talking as a
whole class. I will be looking to see that the students can state the differences between
the three types of columns.
Formative: I will ask students to brainstorm examples of buildings that they know have
columns. This will be done as a whole class and we will create a list on the board. I will
be looking to see that students can correctly name examples of buildings with columns.

Formative: Using the Acropolis Virtual Tour website (http://acropolis-virtualtour.gr)

Students will explore Ancient Greek architecture and discuss with their table groups and
then the whole class to identify the type column in each example.
o Propylaia- Ionic
o Athena Nike- Ionic
o Erectheion- Ionic
o Parthenon- Doric
o Acropolis- Doric
Formative: Students will see pictures of modern day buildings and will be asked to
identify in their groups, and then as a whole class the type of column they see. I will be
looking to see that they can correctly identify the type of column they see.
o White House- Ionic
o Capitol Building- Corinthian
o Lincoln Memorial- Doric
o House- Doric
o Rotunda- Corinthian
Summative: As an exit ticket, the students will be asked to design their own building with
columns and identify what type of column they used. I will be looking to see that students
can draw and label one of the column types.

Materials and Resources: (List here all materials that you will need in order to successfully
teach this lesson. Include technology and website links, texts, graphic organizers, student
handouts, physical manipulatives, etc.)

Virtual Tour of Ancient Greece: http://acropolis-virtualtour.gr

Whiteboard and markers

Computer

Projector Screen and Projector

PowerPoint with the three types of columns and pictures of the modern day buildings
with columns

Exit Ticket (One per student)

Key Vocabulary and Definitions:

Column: A tall, round structure used to hold up buildings.

Architecture: The art of designing buildings and structures.
Doric Column: The simplest form of column.

Ionic Column: Columns in which the base is decorated with scrolls

Corinthian Column: The most elaborate type of column, usually decorated with leaves
and flowers.

Lesson Procedures: (Should include scripting)

1. Introduction and goal orientation:
I will begin the lesson by saying, Hello class! Today we are going to continue learning about
Ancient Greece. Today we are going to talk about architecture in Ancient Greece. Does anyone
know what architecture is? Thats right, architecture is the way we design and build buildings.
At each of your table groups I have given you some pictures of columns, which were very
important in Greek architecture. Talk with your table group for the next few minutes about the
pictures. What do you notice? What is similar between the three pictures and what is different?
Have you ever seen columns like this before? Where? The students will talk in their table
groups for a few minutes while I circulate the room and monitor their progress. I will then call
them back together.
2. Connecting to prior knowledge and experiences: (Questions or activities that help
students make links)
I will then say, Yesterday we talked about how democracy in Ancient Greece influenced our
democracy here in the United States. The architecture in Ancient Greece also had an influence
on our architecture in America. There are lots of buildings today that have columns. Were going
to brainstorm some together. If you have an idea, raise your hand and when I call on you well
add your answer to our list on the board. Ill start the list with one building that I know has
columns, the White House in Washington DC. The students will brainstorm as a class for
several minutes and I will write their ideas on the board.
3. Tasks and activities: (What challenging tasks and activities will students engage in as
they construct knowledge, learn new skills or behaviors and develop understandings?)
I will then say, That is a great list, friends! As you can see, the column-style architecture, which
became popular in Ancient Greece, is still used in our architecture today. Now, lets learn a little
more about those columns we looked at, at the beginning of the lesson. They werent all the
same were they? What were some of the differences that you noticed? The students will respond
with things such as This one is plain, this one has swirls, etc. I will then put up the PowerPoint
with a slide for each type of column. I will say, The simplest type of column is called a Doric
column. Point to the picture on your desk that you think is the Doric column. Very good! The
Ionic column has scrolls or swirls, like in this picture. Point to the picture on your desk that you
think is the Ionic column. Great! Why? Because it has those scrolls. The last type of column is
called the Corinthian column. Point to the picture on your desk of the Corinthian column. What

do you notice about the Corinthian column? Thats right, it is the fanciest, it looks like it might
have leaves carved into it.
Now we are going to take a virtual field trip to Ancient Greece to look at some examples of
these three types of columns in their architecture. I will open the website: http://acropolisvirtualtour.gr. We will explore the Proplylaia, Athena Nike, Erectheion, Parthenon, and
Acropolis. I will ask students questions such as What type of column is this? How do you
know?
I will then say, We can see examples of these three types of columns in modern-day architecture
as well. Lets look at some pictures of buildings with columns as try and identify which type of
column we see. I will pull up the Powerpoint again and show students pictures of the White
House, Capitol building, a home with columns, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Rotunda. Again I
will ask them, What type of column do you see here? How do you know?

4. Closure: (How will you wrap up the lesson and reinforce key ideas? Closure may include
some form of assessment or exit slip)
I will then give students an exit ticket to complete. I will ask them to design a building with
columns. After they draw it they should label the type of column that they used.
Accommodations for individual differences: (How will the lesson be differentiated to support
diverse learners based on content, process, product, and/or learning environment? Describe
additional supports that can be used for re-teaching if needed, and a challenging extension for
students for demonstrate mastery quickly or show evidence of a lot of prior knowledge.)

Name___________________________
Exit Ticket:

Design your own building with columns! When you finish label what type of column (or
columns!) are in your building.