History At Our House: Ancient History

Here's episode 25 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head around our classroom doors here at History At Our House! Athens and the rest of Greece has risen, high on its defeat of Persia. And now it has fallen into internal wars and bickering, disunited and collapsing in on itself. Much of this can be blamed on Athen's avarice, wanting to rule the other city-states. Thebes then looked to imitate Athens, by conquering surrounding lands, but it was not only met with mixed success, but also created some unintended consequences: educating and providing opportunity for a father and son from Macedonia to rise to power over the Greek and Persian worlds... Don't forget, if you're streaming via podbean, you can also subscribe via iTunes here and not miss any new episodes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 24 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round our classroom doors here at History At Our House! In this class, the High School class is finished with the Greco-Persian wars, and they're now looking at just what the Athenians got up to, now this victorious, relatively prosperous power in the Mediterranean. Like the Lower Elementary class, they've been looking at one of the greatest of these occupations: Philosophy. I think you'll get an idea of the difference between the Lower Elementary and High School classes with this episode. This is is a short section of an hour long lesson (compared to the Lower Elementary half-hour lesson), and goes into more, and more abstract, detail about the significance of philosophy to the Greeks and to us. Don't forget, if you're streaming via podbean, you can also subscribe via iTunes here and not miss any new episodes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 23 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round our classroom doors here at History At Our House! In this class, the Lower Elementary students have started the Golden Age of Athens, a period which came in the peace following the Greek triumph over the invading Persian forces. The Lower Elementary class are introduced to one of the main industries of this time - Philosophy - and one of one of the main characters produced in that time, someone to whom we owe a great debt: Socrates. This is a man they class have actually already encountered in their History Through Art classes - in this famous piece by David - but now they get to spiral back, as we're found of doing here, approaching the same material but from a different angle, integrating different pieces of knowledge. As students progress at History At Our House they don't just hear about Socrates. In fact, upon entering the High School level, they actually get the chance to study some of Socrates' writings! Don't forget, if you're streaming via podbean, you can also subscribe via iTunes here and not miss any new episodes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 22 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round our classroom doors here at History At Our House! Athens and Sparta always had very opposed ideologies and, even though they were not at war with each other for much of their existence, the peace between them was very uneasy. Sometimes it's best to just avoid each other... but when one group of people goes out of their way to help another group, and is then spurned, well... things can get messy! Don't forget, if you're streaming via podbean, you can also subscribe via iTunes here and not miss any new episodes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 21 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round our classroom doors here at History At Our House! The period of the Greco-Persian wars is one of those triumphant moments in history, where something incredibly good actually happens. History tends to have a lot of muddling forward, and a lot of people making bad decisions. The Greco-Persian wars themselves aren't utterly bereft of any of this, but they are still a mighty triumph, one which made possible a golden age in Athens which gave us a lot of art, science and philosophy which we still enjoy and are moved by today! Don't forget, if you're streaming via podbean, you can also subscribe via iTunes here and not miss any new episodes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 20 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round our classroom doors here at History At Our House! As anyone from the United States well knows, slavery can cause massive tensions and rifts in any state. Particularly when that state is establishing itself as a "free" state, and trying to figure out what that word means. Greece had its own trouble with this (something students will see repeated in the Roman empire!). Although the slaves were "self-made" in a certain sense (they forfeited their and their family's freedom when they went bankrupt), it was still a cruel system, creating a lot of resentment - with tensions that came close to exploding! Don't forget, if you're streaming via podbean, you can also subscribe via iTunes here and not miss any new episodes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 19 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round our classroom doors here at History At Our House! One of the things we're hot on here is the significance of events. It's not enough to know that such-and-such a people believed this or that such-and-such an event happened. We want to make sure students understand why it all matters. The Athenians had what is in many ways a strange form of government (one that went through many changes in its lifetime). In the period looked at here, we look at the significance of a certain aspect of their form of government: namely that there existed "monarchs", but these were very different creatures from the Kings we know of Europe. Indeed, because of the limits placed on this monarch it was very difficult to build any lasting legacy as a monarch, to have an enduring thing which could be called "The Monarchy", as we'll see! Don't forget, if you're streaming via podbean, you can also subscribe via iTunes here and not miss any new episodes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 18 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round our classroom doors here at History At Our House! This week we're with the High School class, where students grapple a lot more with the ideas being bandied about in each period. They work to understand what these ideas are and how they influenced events. In this particular class the students studied why the Spartans were one of history's earliest examples of a Communist culture, and how understanding this is important in integrating ancient events with modern events. Students gain a better grasping the nature of various forms of governments as well as forming an enduring picture of humans as having a certain nature, as reacting in characteristic ways to similar conditions. Don't forget, if you're streaming via podbean, you can also subscribe via iTunes here and not miss any new episodes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 17 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round our classroom doors here at History At Our House! Well, the Olympics are in full swing now, so why don't we learn a little bit about their origins? This clip comes from a class late last year, but it's especially relevant now. Nowadays, the Olympics is a pretty standard event. It's a tribute to great mastery, tenacity, and passion no less, but it meant something even more back in its founding... Don't forget, you can subscribe via iTunes here: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 16 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round one of our classroom doors, here at History At Our House! And so we reach the edges of the Persian Empire, its borders and its capabilities. As the class looked at last time, there's a reason we're so interested in Mesopotamia: it's because of the Persians! And in particular, we care about why they came into conflict with another ancient peoples, and what led to that ancient battle we hear so much clamouring about (particularly in recent years, after a certain film). What was it that bounded their Westward expansion - geographically and, more importantly, ideologically? Don't forget, you can subscribe via iTunes here: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 15 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round one of our classroom doors, here at History At Our House! Why do we care about Mesopatamia? What's this thing out that's driving us to learn about them? In any culture or period, there's something interesting and mysterious which drives us into wanting to know more - the American Revolution makes us want to know about the European struggles that gave birth to it, the philosophy and plays left behind make us want to know more about how Greece was able to produce these works, the Pyramids make us wonder who on earth those Egyptians were and why they built them. And for Mesopotamia: it's the Persians, and in particular because when studying Greek history they seemingly come out of nowhere and decide to start smashing up the Greeks - but why? Who were they? Don't forget, you can subscribe via iTunes here: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-at-our-house-ancient/id457257170

Here's episode 14 of the History At Our House podcast, where we let you peek your head round one of our classroom doors, here at History At Our House! One of the reasons Ancient History is so interesting is that it provides many situations which we can compare with our own. Of particular interest is the ebb and flow of empires, the conglomeration and falling apart of smaller countries or city-states. This in part because the Founding Fathers took this into account when shaping America. How can a large body of land, composed of small communities and collective identities possibly come together and unite? One of the historically great ways to do so, as the Persians and Americans discovered, has been not a matter of legislation or brute force, but technological innovation...

Episode 13 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round one of our classroom doors, here at History At Our House! One of the common threads we find in history is a certain kind of conflict, between the duties and the desires of the ruler. Rather than being able to do whatever they want and be universally loved for it they often find that they are enslaved to what their people want. This our Lower Elementary class grapples with, as they look at an ancient king who wanted to follow his own religion, one different to that of his people.

Episode 12 of the podcast, where we let you peek your head round one of our classroom doors, here at History At Our House! One of the things we see a lot in history is people being called "The Great", like "Otto the Great" - but as our students learn, great doesn't necessarily mean good, it just means that particular person is significant to the period they lived in, and we have to be careful not to think of that term as evaluative. Conversely, we have people who popularly gain a negative reputation from the people in their respective period, for doing things that might not be so significant to us. We have to be suspicious not to assume, just because someone is popularly hated by one group of people, that they must objectively deserve that notoriety. So, this week, we have a look at Nebuchadnezzar II who, as recorded in the Old Testament, was a great villain. But was he really? Let's consider some of the evidence...

Episode 11 of the podcast, where we let you peak your head round one of the classroom doors, here at History At Our House! We carry on with the high school class from last week, who were reading about Socrates trial in Plato's 'Apology'. This week they look at the wider issues involved, about democracy and the rule of law versus the wishes of the people. How does one balance the freedom and rights of the individual with the fact that a government is formed of (or by representatives of) the people, and by extension their wishes and desires? This was a question the founders of the United States grappled with, being all too aware of this moment in history themselves...

Episode 10 of the podcast, where we let you peak your head round one of the classroom doors, here at History At Our House! This week it's something a little different: some Ancient Greek Philosophy! As part of our emphasis on giving a more integrated and rich history education, high school students in the program don't just learn that certain great thinkers existed - they hear what those people had to say for themselves too. One of the defining features of ancient Athens was the tension between the will of the people and the rule of law, between the mob and the individual. The founding fathers were all too aware of this, concretised in one epic moment: the trial of Socrates. Here's a sample of the students examining Socrates not-all-that-apologetic 'Apology'. Podcast Powered By Podbean Find out more about History At Our House at http://historyatourhouse.com/?page_id=318

Episode 9 of our sneak peek inside the History At Our House classroom! This week we learn a little bit about the source of the old saying "An eye for an eye", and how it was actually a pretty radical principle at the time. It marked a shift from arbitrary rule, towards an equal, codified system of law, one which measured out objectively just what punishment should be meted out to each crime. Find out more about History At Our House at http://historyatourhouse.com/?page_id=318

Episode 8 of our sneak peek inside the History At Our House classroom! This week, we're peeking our heads around the door of the Lower Elementary class, where they're learning that dark ages aren't just for first millenium Europe - any peoples struck by a disruptive force can see their empire torn apart. These particular Mesopotamians learned that the hard way...

Episode 7 of our look inside the History At Our House classroom. This week, we look at the difference between a reliable and unreliable historical record, by looking at Mesopotamia.What do we mean by that? Have a listen and find out! Find out more at: http://historyatourhouse.com/?page_id=318