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• Languages | Classical Greek: Learning in Classical Greek

  The place of Classical Greek and the heritage of the ancient Greek world

  The Classical Greek language belongs to the Indo-European linguistic family. It is thus related to most of the languages of Europe, to Old Persian and, through Sanskrit, to several major Indian languages.

  Classical Greek is...

  Overview material | Classical Greek

• VCGRCU011

  Understand that Greek spread with the expansion of the ancient Greek world, and developed over time, influencing English and other languages

  Elaborations

  • recognising that Greek is a member of the Indo-European family of languages, related to other ancient languages, such as Latin, Sanskrit and Old Persian
  • recognising that Greek has been spoken in various forms uninterruptedly from the 3rd millennium BCE to the present day and has been documented in writing since about 1450 BCE
  • recognising that Classical Greek is a specific form of the language, evolved from earlier forms such as Mycenaean Greek and the Archaic Greek used in the epics of Homer
  • identifying Classical Greek as the Attic/Ionic dialect of the language spoken in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE in Athens, many Aegean islands and the coast of Asia Minor
  • recognising that Classical Greek was the form of the language used by significant ancient Greek authors, such as Thucydides, Sophocles, Plato, Lysias
  • locating on a map the places where Greek was spoken in antiquity around the Mediterranean basin from Spain to the coast of Turkey and across the Black Sea
  • investigating how the geography of mainland Greece influenced the development of independent city-states such as Athens, Sparta, Corinth and Thebes
  • exploring the spread of Greek colonies across the Mediterranean and Black Sea coastlines, such as Syracuse (Sicily), Naples (Italy), Marseilles (France), Cyrene (Libya), Miletus (Turkey), Emporion (Spain)
  • identifying and using Classical Greek derivatives to expand own English vocabulary, for example, sceptic, cynic, antithesis
  • recognising connections between the spelling of Classical Greek and English words and applying understanding to improve own spelling in English, for example, psychology, rhythm, seismology
  • identifying expressions in Classical Greek that are commonly used in English, for example, hoi polloi, eureka
  • identifying words of Classical Greek origin that are used as school subjects, for example, mathematics, history, geography, music, drama, biology, chemistry, physics, philosophy, psychology, economics
  • identifying and collecting word families in which the same Classical Greek root is used with different prefixes or suffixes, for example, calligraphy, biography, biology, technology, paralysis, analysis, Palaeolithic, palaeontology
  • applying knowledge of Classical Greek to understand words and expressions in Modern Greek, such as signs in shops and public places, for example ΚΙΝΔΥΝΟΣ, ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ, ΙΧΘΥΟΠΩΛΕΙΟΝ, ΦΑΡΜΑΚΕΙΟΝ, έν τάξει, κλειστόν
  • identifying similarities between Classical Greek and other Indo-European languages by comparing cognate words, such as ἕξ: sex (Latin), sechs (German), six; πατήρ: pater (Latin), Vater (German), father

  VCGRCU011 | Languages | Classical Greek | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | The powerful influence of language and culture

• VCGRCU029

  Question and explain own and others’ reactions to and assumptions about the language, culture and values of ancient Greek society, discussing how these relate to own language and culture

  Elaborations

  • discussing how values, attitudes and practices of people living in ancient Athens or Sparta are similar to or different from their own
  • exploring how cultural identity was manifested in the ancient world, and making comparisons with own cultural identity in modern Australia
  • exploring the identity and loyalty of the ancient Greeks as members of separate city-states and members of a broader Greek world and relating this to their own identity as a member of a local community, a state/territory/nation and as a global citizen
  • describing and comparing own public and private lives with those of people in ancient Greece
  • considering how cultural diversity has continued to be an integral feature of society since ancient times
  • exploring the process of decentring from own linguistic and cultural standpoint and considering how own ways of behaving and communicating may have been perceived by people of the past

  VCGRCU029 | Languages | Classical Greek | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | Reflecting

• Languages | Classical Greek: Resources

  A range of resources to assist with implementing the Victorian Curriculum F – 10 are available. Please visit the following websites to access these resources (links open in a new window):

  • Victorian Curriculum F – 10 Resources and Support (VCAA)

  Includes general advice and information...

  Overview material | Classical Greek

• VCGRCE001

  Read, comprehend and discuss Classical Greek texts, using vocabulary, grammar and textual cues, to explore the ancient Greek world

  Elaborations

  • developing an initial sense of the structure and content of texts by inferring meaning from textual cues, for example, titles, headings, images or captions to images, maps
  • listening to simple sentences in Classical Greek to infer meaning, using aural cues such as ἆρα ἤδη πονεῖτε ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς; ἐλθὲ δεῦρο
  • determining the general sense of texts through initial holistic reading, by identifying familiar people, vocabulary, places or topics, for example, ὁ Λεωνίδας μάχεται ἐν ταῖς Θερμοπύλαις, recognising modern editors’ use of punctuation to guide readers
  • analysing sentences, identifying and explaining the function of inflected forms, for example, ὁ δεσπότης καλεῖ τὸν δοῦλον (subject + verb + object)
  • identifying and discussing linguistic features in narratives, such as word order, use of interrogative particles, striking word choice, for example, καὶ μὴν καταβαίνει έκ τοῦ ὄρους κένταυρος μέγιστος
  • interpreting and commenting on language choices, such as patterns and length of simple and compound sentences, or use of direct speech, for example, ὁ δὲ Κύκλωψ τόν τ’ Ὀδυσσέα καὶ τοὺς ἑταίρους ὁρᾷ καί, «ὦ ξένοι» βοᾷ, «τίνες έστὲ καὶ πόθεν πλεῖτε;»
  • explaining cultural references embedded in texts, for example, μηδὲν ἄγαν
  • discussing cultural information implicit in Classical Greek vocabulary, for example, ἀνήρ, ἄριστος, σοφός, δεινός, ἥρως
  • exploring cultural elements implicit in language use, for example, vocabulary and expressions particular to specific gods and festivals, such as ὧ Ζεῦ Σῶτερ/Βρόντιε/Ξένιε, ὦ Βάκχε/Βρώμιε, ὦ Φοῖβε, ὦ Ἀθήνη Πρόμαχε
  • discussing cultural representations such as symbols, for example, the owl (Athena), trident (Poseidon), olive wreath (Olympic victory), the letter lambda (Spartans)
  • interpreting stated and implied meanings in texts and supporting an opinion with evidence from the Classical Greek, such as relationships between characters

  VCGRCE001 | Languages | Classical Greek | Levels 7 and 8 | Engaging with texts | Accessing the ancient Greek world through Classical Greek texts

• VCGRCE019

  Read aloud, recite or perform Classical Greek texts to entertain others, using strategies such as phrasing and voice inflection to convey meaning and emotion

  Elaborations

  • reading aloud passages or extracts from different genres of Classical Greek literature, such as Socratic dialogue, oratory, historiography, drama or poetry, with appropriate expression, phrasing, stress and tone to convey meaning
  • reciting or presenting extracts from Classical Greek texts to the class or school community, using expression and movement to illustrate meaning and to entertain, for example, excerpts from Homer’s Iliad, Pindar’s victory odes
  • performing extracts from Classical Greek plays for the appreciation of an audience, for example, from Sophocles’ Antigone or Euripides’ Medea

  VCGRCE019 | Languages | Classical Greek | Levels 9 and 10 | Engaging with texts | Responding to texts

• VCGRCU014

  Reflect on own and others’ reactions to and assumptions about the language and culture of ancient Greek society, considering similarities and differences to own language and culture

  Elaborations

  • considering own and others’ cultural assumptions about home and leisure and how these may have been different in the ancient Greek context
  • reviewing and responding to aspects of cultural practices in Classical Greek texts and ancient Greek artefacts, and discussing the reactions of peers to these
  • developing an understanding of life in ancient Athens or Sparta, and reflecting on similarities and differences to own lifestyle in multicultural Australia
  • describing own life at home and school and making comparisons with that of young people in ancient Greece
  • discussing how young people in ancient Greece may have viewed the lives of young people in the modern world

  VCGRCU014 | Languages | Classical Greek | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | Reflecting

• VCGRCU012

  Examine the enduring influence of ancient Greek culture on the modern world, by discussing the ancient origins of modern values, pursuits, citizenship, literature, the arts and architecture

  Elaborations

  • recognising the ancient origins of national values such as democracy, equity and justice, freedom of speech and independent thought
  • comparing the concept of citizenship, rights and responsibilities in ancient Greece and the modern world
  • identifying references to ancient Greek mythology and literature in visual and performing arts and literature from antiquity to the present
  • exploring ancient connections with daily routines in modern society, such as sport, theatre and schooling
  • identifying literary influences from the Classical Greek period on popular culture, such as brand names, cartoons, adventure films, for example, Clash of the Titans, Troy, Hercules
  • exploring connections between ancient and modern music, for example, musical instruments such as the guitar, which is descended from the cithara or lyre
  • recognising the use of Greek as the language of the New Testament and as the original language of well-known texts such as the Lord’s Prayer
  • researching elements of Greek engineering and architecture seen in public buildings in Australia and across the world, for example, the use of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns
  • observing and discussing ancient Greek architectural structures and influences in Roman, Renaissance, Neoclassical and New Classical architecture

  VCGRCU012 | Languages | Classical Greek | Levels 7 and 8 | Understanding | The powerful influence of language and culture

• VCGRCU026

  Understand that Greek became the dominant language of the ancient Mediterranean world and facilitated the spread of Greek civilisation and culture, and that Classical Greek continues to enrich English through specialist vocabulary and abstract concepts embodied in the language

  Elaborations

  • recognising that, from the Hellenistic period onwards, Koine Greek developed from Classical Greek to become the lingua franca of Eastern Mediterranean lands and the language of the New Testament
  • discussing the spread of Greek influence across the Mediterranean and Black Sea, including the use of Greek as the common language for government, trade, commerce, education and law
  • investigating how the Greek language allowed the spread of innovative Greek ideas in the areas of science, medicine, mathematics, historiography, geography and philosophy, for example, μαθηματικά, γεωγραφία, ἱστορία, φιλοσοφία
  • recognising that there were many dialects of Greek spoken in antiquity, such as Doric, Aeolic, Arcado–Cypriot
  • exploring famous centres of Greek learning and culture such as Alexandria, Antioch and Ephesus
  • recognising the spread of Greek ideas in the Roman world, shown by the use of borrowed Greek vocabulary in Latin to denote such concepts as stadium, palaestra, rhetor theatrum, comedia, stoica, philosophia
  • exploring abstract concepts derived from Classical Greek, such as philanthropy, idol, autonomy, paradox, aesthetics, nostalgia, agony
  • exploring and discussing the meaning of Classical Greek sayings used in literature, such as μηδὲν ἄγαν, γνῶθι σαυτόν, μολὼν λαβέ
  • recognising words in English that are a hybrid of Classical Greek and Latin, for example, metalanguage, quantum physics, teleconference, television, automobile
  • discussing Classical Greek derivatives that are used in fields such as business and education, for example, macroeconomics, monopoly, pedagogy, syllabus
  • examining the Classical Greek roots of English words in subjects across the school curriculum, such as theorem, metaphor, photosynthesis, chlorine, atom, planet, geophysical, ecosystem, orchestra, music, scene, dialogue, chorus, athletics
  • identifying Classical Greek roots in English scientific, technical and medical terminology, for example, catalyst, aerodynamic, pathogen, bacteria, atherosclerosis, acne, asthma, chromatography, symmetry, thermometer, seismic
  • exploring how Classical Greek is used to coin terms for new technology and new discoveries in science and medicine in the modern world, such as gigabyte, nanotechnology, antioxidant, polymer, genotype, triglyceride
  • applying knowledge of Classical Greek to form plurals of borrowed English words, for example, criterion/criteria, phenomenon/phenomena, crisis/crises, thesis/theses, stigma/stigmata
  • discussing the enduring use of Classical Greek in religious contexts, for example, κύριε ἐλέησον, Χριστὀς, ἐκκλησία, βάπτισμα, συναγωγή, κλῆρος, ἄγγελος, πρεσβύτερος, ὕμνος, βίβλος, εὐαγγέλιον

  VCGRCU026 | Languages | Classical Greek | Levels 9 and 10 | Understanding | The powerful influence of language and culture