This week on our journey into Ancient Greece, we have thought about the hierarchy of the society and the classes of people who used to  live in those times. It was interesting to see that the top of the hierarchy triangle is smaller as there are fewer people who are important and more people who are not.

We were at first surprised at the fact that some Ancient Greeks in society actually OWNED other people as slaves! However, we then learnt the term ‘Metic’ who means a freed slave who can run their own business using their crafts or trade skills, so that was better!

Looking at the different roles of men and women in society, we were at first outraged to discover facts such as women were not allowed to vote and some even had to have their husband’s permission to leave the house! This prompted discussions about looking at history through the eyes of the people at the time, not with our 21st Century standards.

We then moved on to discuss more about the Arts and Culture of Ancient Greek Society and had a lovely afternoon researching types of sculpture and different techniques used to create statues. We also researched the different areas and purpose of an Ancient Greek Theatre. Then we looked in more detail at the types of column used when in the architecture of ancient buildings. Finally, we had a go at recreating our own vase design to tell a story or record a thought in images.

Well done Year 5, another fact-packed week of History Leaning and I think it’s safe to say, if we had the chance to travel back to Ancient Greece then we wouldn’t have a problem fitting right in with all our knowledge!