Students will study core Greek ideas, e.g. social groups, the roles of men and women, religion and mythology, government and the development of democracy. While not directly assessed in one standard, these ideas are necessary to understand the Greek world and apply to all assessed standards.
For the external standards, students will be studying “Ideas, Values and Literature” (Sophocles’ King Oedipus and Antigone), and Athens in the fifth century BC (social and political history). These topics will also be useful for the internally assessed standards.
Internal assessment topics will include the analysis of a significant event, e.g. the political reforms of Cleisthenes, and the influence of the classical world on other cultures, e.g. analysing the influence of Greek architecture on modern buildings or comparing an ancient text and a modern interpretation. A special topic of study, for example Greek Architecture (the architecture of the Acropolis in Athens) may be needed before internal assessments are completed. Internal assessment topics may change.
Advanced reading skills and analysis are requirements of the course. Texts include history, philosophy and politics at an advanced level, including works by Aristotle and Sophocles.
Students study four topics (standards) that count for 20 credits towards Level 2 NCEA.
Classical Studies is a `multi-disciplinary' subject, including a number of different types of study e.g. history, literature, art, religion, philosophy and politics.
For the external standards, at this stage students will be studying Aristophanes’ Comedies and Alexander the Great. Aspects of classical mythology will also be taught. These topics will also be useful for the internally assessed standards.
For the internally assessed standards, at this stage students will be required to discuss an ideology or ideologies (such as Alexander the Great’s fusion policy) and to discuss the influence of the classical world over more than one time period (e.g. representations of the Trojan War in Greek art and in other time periods).
Advanced reading skills and analysis are requirements of the course as texts include literature, history, philosophy and politics at an advanced level, such as Aristophanes, Arrian and Plutarch.
Students study four topics (standards) that count for 22 credits towards Level 3 NCEA.