New
New
Year 4

Famous Ancient Greek philosophers

I can name some important Ancient Greek philosophers and describe their legacies in the modern world.

New
New
Year 4

Famous Ancient Greek philosophers

I can name some important Ancient Greek philosophers and describe their legacies in the modern world.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Philosophy is the study of some of life’s major questions, such as ‘are humans naturally good or evil?’
  2. Ancient Greece was home to many philosophers including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
  3. Socrates encouraged the Ancient Greeks to think about morality and how society should work.
  4. His student Plato recorded many of his ideas and his own: he was interested in how states should be governed.
  5. Many of the ideas these philosophers had have continued to influence people and governments today.

Common misconception

That philosophical questions, like all questions, must have answers.

Questions that relate to factual information usually do have answers. Philosophical questions are not about facts. Philosophical questions are about people's opinions, feelings and perspectives on life, so they can have many and varied responses.

Keywords

  • philosophy - the study of the nature of life is known as philosophy

  • Philosopher - a philosopher is someone who studies the nature of life

  • morality - inner beliefs about what is right and what is wrong is known as morality

  • Reasoning - coming to a conclusion about something using facts is reasoning

  • Legacy - a legacy is the long-lasting impact of historical events, actions, a person or group of people

There is opportunity here to lead into some work about how the UK government operates. There are many free resources about the government and parliament available on the UK government website.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What conflict took place between the Greeks and the people of Troy?
Correct answer: The Trojan War
The Peloponnesian War
The Great War
Q2.
Who was a great Greek hero?
Paris
Correct answer: Achilles
Menelaus
Homer
Q3.
Who was a great Greek poet?
Paris
Achilles
Menelaus
Correct answer: Homer
Q4.
The Trojan War started when Paris kidnapped .
Correct Answer: Helen, helen
Q5.
Match the items to the definitions.
Correct Answer:The Iliad,An epic poem telling the story of the Trojan War myth

An epic poem telling the story of the Trojan War myth

Correct Answer:The Aegean Sea,A body of water separating Greece and Troy

A body of water separating Greece and Troy

Correct Answer:The Trojan War,A ten year conflict between Greece and Troy

A ten year conflict between Greece and Troy

Correct Answer:The Odyssey,An epic poem written by Homer

An epic poem written by Homer

Q6.
In the end, the won the Trojan War.
Correct Answer: Greeks, greeks

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these people was an Ancient Greek philosopher?
Zeus
Achilles
Correct answer: Aristotle
Heracles
Q2.
Who was the goddess of wisdom in Ancient Greek mythology?
Correct answer: Athena
Hera
Demeter
Persephone
Q3.
Put the philosophers in the order they appeared in history. Start with the earliest.
1 - Socrates
2 - Plato
3 - Aristotle
Q4.
Match the philosophers to the correct statements about them.
Correct Answer:Socrates,Encouraged a new way of thinking

Encouraged a new way of thinking

Correct Answer:Plato,Had ideas about how to run city-states

Had ideas about how to run city-states

Correct Answer:Aristotle,Explained how to use logic to find answers

Explained how to use logic to find answers

Q5.
Which of these is an example of a philosophical question?
How many centimetres in a metre?
What is the opposite of dark?
Where was William Shakespeare born?
Correct answer: Why are we alive
Q6.
The philosopher Aristotle was a student of the philosopher .
Correct Answer: Plato, plato

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