Year 4 - History
The legacy of Ancient Greek language and architecture
Ancient Greek civilisation: what is its most significant legacy?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils develop their understanding of historical significance whilst examining the legacy of ancient Greek civilisation. They build knowledge of various facets of ancient Greek civilisation: its philosophers, the Olympics, Athenian democracy, its language and architecture.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify the influence and legacy of the Ancient Greeks upon modern language and architecture.
Key Notes
- The Ancient Greek language has had a great influence on English and other languages.
- The Greek alphabet has some similarities with the English alphabet; many English words have Greek prefixes or suffixes.
- The Ancient Greeks built grand buildings with distinctive features such as columns, friezes and ceremonial gateways.
- Many of these features are still seen in buildings today, showing that Ancient Greek architecture still has influence.
Vocabulary To Learn
- influence: a thing or person that has affected others has influence
- legacy: a legacy is the long-lasting impact of historical events, actions, a person or group of people
- architecture: styles, designs and types of buildings is known as architecture
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That people spoke a totally different language in Ancient Greece than they speak today in modern Greece.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
The Ancient Greek language has had a great influence on English and other languages. The Greek alphabet has some similarities with the English alphabet; many English words have Greek prefixes or suffixes.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'influence'
a thing or person that has affected others has influence.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: That people spoke a totally different language in Ancient Greece than they speak today in modern Greece. Correction: The Greek alphabet has been in use for more than 2,000 years; the same alphabet that was used in Ancient Greece is used in Greece today. Much of the Greek language stems from or is the same as Ancient Greek.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 4 History guide library.