Salamis: The Ancient Greek Navy Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Salamis: The Ancient Greek Navy Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Objectives:

1-Learn to break down books as a team more quickly

2-Learn about sailing

3-Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Greek culture

4-Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Persian culture

5-Learn to Tie at least One Sailor’s Knot

6-Sample Greek Food

Historical Background:

In 480 BC, the navies of Ancient Persia under the ultimate command of King Xerxes (died 465 BC) clashed with those of the ancient Greeks led by the Greek League made up of many cities.  The ocean battle occurred in the Strait of Salamis between the Island of Salamis and the mainland of Attica in Greece.

Battle Outcome:

The Greek force of 57,000 defeated a Persian force of 140,000 in Strait of Salamis in 480 BC.

Battle Importance:

The battle victory at Salamis in 480 BC for the Greek League is considered important for creating a peace that let Western Civilization develop for the next several thousand years.

Managing Group Reading:

To divide reading up, imagine you have a book with 33 chapters and 8 team members.

If you divide 33 chapters by 8 team members, you can reduce reading time and learn the material quickly.  The method for doing this follows:

33 chapters ÷ 8 team members = 4 chapters for each team member to read with 1 remaining chapter to be assigned as decided by the group.  (Maybe a team member with a short assigned chapter among their readings could read the remaining chapter.)

For each assigned chapter, team members will note 5 to 10 main points to be typed up and sent to the team secretary for grouping into a single document for each book.

Team Set-Up

Break a group into two teams.

Both teams will complete tasks 1 – 4 as a team.

For task 5, the two teams will come together to learn to tie a sailor’s knot or two, one of the fundamental skills of sailing, and sample Greek food.

Number of Tasks to Complete: 5

Task 1: Learn about the Battle at Salamis 480 BC

Read about the Battle of Salamis 480 BC in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

Read about King Xerxes of Persia in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

As you read, look for information about the strategy used by the Ancient Greeks to defeat the Persians at Salamis in 480 BC.

For your assigned chapters, note 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter.

If you find differences, set up guidelines about how to establish the facts to use.

Task 2:  Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Greek Culture

As a team, read the following suggested books and note 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green

Another book to read about Greek culture follows:

The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton

A must-read is the Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green

This mythical battle imbued the ancient Greeks with ideals of heroism and knowledge of the cost of war even if justified. 

What did each side in the Trojan War consider to be justification for war?  Do you agree with it? Why?

As you read about the Trojan War, ask yourself the following questions to learn about storytelling:

Can you name conflicts that lead up to the point where both sides stop fighting?

What is the story’s climax where hostilities stop?

What happens after the climax?

Read Hesiod’s 800-line poem entitled Works and Days.

Note 5 to 10 main points for your assigned lines.

Read The Sarpedon Krater: The Life and Afterlife of a Greek Vase by Nigel Spivey as a group, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter.

This beautiful vase depicts a fallen hero from Troy.  The book is a real Indiana Jones-like tale of putting an artifact in the right museum.

Task 3:  Obtain a Glimpse in Ancient Persian Culture

Ancient Persia is now called Iran in the modern day.  The ancient Persians were not Muslims.  Islam did not exist at the time of Battle at Salamis 480 BC.

Read the following suggested books as a team, note 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Shahnameh: Book of Kings by Elizabeth Baird (after Ferdowsi – a children’s book)

Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings by Abolgasen Ferdowsi

Persian Myths by Vesta Sarkosh Curtis

Task 4: Learn About Sailing

The ancient Greeks were able to defeat the Ancient Persians in part due to their excellent sailing skills.

For this task, team members will learn about sailing and tying sailor’s knots, a fundamental sailor’s skill.

For the suggested books below, team members will note 5 to 10 main points in their assigned chapters:

The Complete Sailing Manual by Steve Sleight

The Morrow Guide to Knots: for Sailing, Fishing, Camping, Climbing by Mario Bigon

Preparing for Task 5:

Before the combined teams meeting, team members will type up their main points from the chapters they read and send it to the team secretary via email to be compiled into one document.

Team secretaries will email the single document to their team members and the other team’s secretary for distribution to their team.

Team members should read both documents before the task 5 combined teams meeting.

Task 5: Learning to Tie Sailor’s Knots and Sampling Greek Food

Sailors use knots to hold many objects on boats securely in place including sails.  Learn to tie one or two for your combined teams meeting for this wrap-up of the Battle of Salamis 480 BC game.

The suggested following kit can help do this activity:

Knot Tying Kit by John E. Sherry

$8.96 on Amazon as of 3/17/2020.

Team members who have learned knots can teach others how to do them.

(This activity can take 30 minutes to an hour to complete.)

After the meeting, sample some Greek food at your party.  The suggested following cookbooks provide recipes you can use:

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking by The Recipe Club of St. Paul’s Church

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking: Explore this Classic Mediterranean Cuisine: 160 Recipes by Rena Salaman and Jan Cutler

Modern Greek Cooking: 100 Recipes for Meze, Entrées, and Desserts by Pano Kavatassos

My Greek Table: Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from my Kitchen to Yours by Diane Kochilas

Orexi! Feasting at the Modern Greek Table by Theo A. Michaels

Have fun!

Salamis Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Click for Laurent Paget's Book

Ruth Paget Selfie

Marathon: The Ancient Greek Strategy Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Marathon: The Ancient Greek Strategy Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Objectives:

1-Learn to break down large books as a team to learn more quickly

2-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Greek culture

3-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Persian culture

4-Learn about strategy and its modern business world uses after analyzing

5-Brainstorm strategy ideas for obtaining an entry-level position in your dream profession

6-Learn to play the ancient Greek game called knucklebones

7-Sample Greek Food

Historical Background:

In 490 BC, the armies of the Greek leader Miltiades (554 BC – 489 BC) clashed with an invading force of Persians (ancient Iranians) under General Datis (born in Media during the Achaemenid Empire sometime between 522 BC and 486 BC).

General Datis was sent to invade Greece by the Persian King Darius I (550 BC – 487 BC).

General Datis attacked with a force of 20,000 Persian troops against a force of 10,000 Greek troops.

Battle Outcome:

10,000 Greek troops defeated 20,000 Persian troops.  1/3 of the Persian army was killed.

Philippiades (530 BC – 490 BC) ran from Marathon to Athens with the news of the battle victory.  Today’s modern marathons are named after this famous victory run.

Managing Group Reading

To break down a large book into small amounts of reading, imagine you have a book with 33 chapters and 8 team members.

If you divide 33 chapters by 8 team members, you can reduce reading time and learn the material more quickly.  The method for doing this follows:

33 chapters ÷ 8 team members = 4 chapters per team member to read plus 1 remaining chapter to read

For each chapter you are assigned to read, note 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter

The team can decide who should get the extra chapter to read.  Suggestion:  Someone with a short assigned chapter to read should read the extra chapter.

Team Set-Up

Break a group a group into two teams

Both teams will complete tasks 1 – 4 as a team

For task 5, the two teams will come together to discuss strategies for obtaining entry-level jobs in a profession they want to pursue using what they have learned from the battlefield strategy at Marathon

Number of Tasks to Complete: 5

Task 1: Analyze Battle at Marathon 490 BC to Understand Strategy Used

Read about the Battle in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information you find to see if there are differences.  Note sources.

Read about the Greek general Miltiades in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information you find to see if there are differences.  Note sources.

Read about the Persian King Darius 1 in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information you find to see if there are differences.  Note sources.

If you find differences, try to establish facts using guidelines you set up for establishing facts.

Why did 20,000 Persians lose to 10,000 Greeks?

Draw a picture of the Greek battlefield strategy.  Label the drawing with the following words:

-phalanx

-hoplite

-flank

-center

Define those four words above in one sentence for each word.

How many Persians died in this battle, if 1/3 of their troops died?  (Original Persian force 20,000)

Task 2:  Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Greek Culture

Read Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green as a team with each team member noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter

Questions to think about as you read the above book:

Do the characters’ emotions change during the story?

What happens when a character’s emotions clash with the other characters?

Another book to read about ancient Greek culture follows:

The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton

A must-read book is The Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green as a group, with each team member noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter.

This mythological battle imbued the ancient Greeks with ideals of heroism and knowledge of the cost of war even if justified. 

As you read about the Trojan War, ask yourself the following questions:

-Can you name conflicts that lead up to the point where both sides stop fighting?

-What is the story’s climax where hostilities stop?

-What happens after the climax?

-When does the Trojan War end?

-Was war by either side justified in the Trojan War?

Read Hesiod’s 800-line poem entitled Works and Days.  Note 5 to 10 main points for the lines assigned to each team member.

Read The Sarpedon Krater: The Life and Afterlife of a Greek Vase by Nigel Spivey

This beautiful vase depicts a fallen hero from Troy.  The book is a real Indiana Jones-like tale of putting an ancient artifact in the right museum.

Read Medea by Euripides

How is the story line in this play different from the Iliad (Tale of Troy)?

Can you think of any modern books that use this kind of story line?

Task 3:  Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Persian Culture

Ancient Persia is now called Iran in the modern day.  The ancient Persians were not Muslims.  Islam did not exist at the time of the Battle of Marathon 490 BC.

Read the following suggested books as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter.

Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings by Elizabeth Baird (after Ferdowsi – children’s book)

Shahnameh:  The Persian Book of Kings by Abolgasen Ferdowsi

Read this as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each team member’s assigned chapters.

Persian Myths by Vesta Sarkosh Curtis

For your assigned chapters, note 5 to 10 main points for each chapter.

Task 4:  Modern-Day Strategy

Battlefield strategy helped the ancient Greeks defeat an invading army twice their size at the Battle at Marathon 490 BC.

Battlefield strategy has been applied to business in the modern day to achieve market success.

The suggested following books will introduce team members to strategy.  For assigned chapters, note 5 to 10 main points for each chapter.

-The Art of Strategy:  A Game Theorists Guide to Success in Business and Life by Avinash K. Dixit

-Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Differences and Why it Matters by Richard Rumelt

Preparing for Task 5:

Before the combined teams meeting, type up your chapter main points and email them to the team secretary.  The team secretary will combine the email documents into one document and send them to team members and the other team’s secretary for distribution.

Team members should read both documents before meeting for Task 5.

Find out about entry-level jobs in the profession you would like to pursue.

Task 5:  Using Strategy and Wrap-Up Party

As a group, list the entry-level positions you need to enter professions you would like to pursue.

Use the strategy of making a digital portfolio of your qualifications to obtain these entry-level jobs or what you need to do to put together a digital portfolio.

(This activity should take 30 to 45 minutes to complete.)

After the meeting, play the ancient Greek game called Knucklebones.  (Knucklebones was also played in ancient Rome.)

Knucklebones games are sold for $27.99 on Amazon as of 3/13/2020.

Sample some Greek food at your party.  The suggested following cookbooks provide recipes you can use:

-The Complete Book of Greek Cooking by the Recipe Club of St. Paul’s Church

-The Complete Book of Greek Cooking: Explore this Classic Mediterranean Cuisine: 160 Recipes by Rena Salama and Jan Cutler

-Modern Greek Cooking: 100 Recipes for Meze, Entrées, and Desserts by Pano Kavatassos

-My Greek Table: Authentic Flavors and Modern Home Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours by Diane Kochilas

-Orexi! Feasting at the Modern Greek Table by Theo A. Michaels

Have fun!

Marathon Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Click here for Laurent Paget's Book

Ruth Paget Selfie

Ramses II: The Ancient Egypt Media Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Ramses II: The Ancient Egypt Media Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Objectives:

1-Learn to break down large books for group reading to learn information quickly

2-Learn to create memorable stories

3-Analyze images of the Battle of Kadesh 1285 BC to identify elements of propaganda

4-Learn about Egyptian daily life and brainstorm other venues than temple carvings for the spread of propaganda

5-Play a communications game designed to show difficulties of battleground conditions

6-Play ancient Egyptian strategy games – mancala and senet

7-Sample Egyptian food

Historical Background:

In 1285 BC, the armies of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II (1304 BC – 1214 BC) clashed with those of the Hittite King Muwatallis (Reign 1320 BC – 1294 BC) outside the walls of Kadesh, a fortified city, located in what is now modern-day Western Syria.

Pharoah Ramses II attacked with a force of 22,000 chariots and light-armored infantry against a force of 20,000 Hittites under King Muwatallis.

Battle Outcome:

A draw despite the 2,000 extra troops in the Egyptian army of Ramses II.

Ramses II chose to portray this battle as an overwhelming victory for Egypt.  In this Ramses II game, you will learn how Ramses II could change the perception of this battle in Egypt.

Tasks

There are 5 tasks to complete in this game to achieve the 7 objectives above.

The first four tasks involve reading by two teams.  The books I have suggested go from easier to harder.  There is a group meeting at the end of play with suggestions for a party.

Managing Group Reading

I will use the book Ancient Egypt: A Social History by B. G. Trigger et al as an example.  This book has 33 chapters covered in 364 pages.

If you break down reading this book into several chapters per person, you can reduce reading time and learn the material quickly.  The method for doing this follows:

-8 team members with 33 chapters to read – Divide the number of chapters by 8 team members to start

-33 chapters ­÷ 8 members = 4 chapters to read per team member plus 1 remaining chapter

-For each chapter you have read, write down 5 to 10 of the chapter’s main points

-Type up your main points by chapter and send them to the group scribe (secretary) who knows how to combine text from several team members into a single document

-The team can decide who should read the leftover chapter to complete the book reading.  A suggestion could be for a member with a short chapter to read the leftover one.

-Note: If you do not want to use chapters, you can use page numbers to do the team reading assignments.  However, authors organize material to make learning easier.  You might miss out on some of the material, if you ignore the author’s method of organizing the material.

Team Set-Up

-Break up a group into two teams

-Both teams will complete tasks 1 – 4 in their team

-For Task 5, the two teams will come together to play a communications game, play ancient Egyptian strategy games, and sample Egyptian food.

Number of Tasks to Complete: 5

Task 1: Learn About the Leaders at the Battle of Kadesh 1285 BC

-Read about Ancient Egypt in encyclopedias

-Read about the Hittite Empire in encyclopedias

-Read about Pharaoh Ramses II in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information you find to see if there are any differences.  Note sources.

-Read about King Muwatallis in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information you find to see if there are any differences.  Note sources.

-Read about the Battle at Kadesh 1285 BC in encyclopedias and books and on websites. 

-If you find differences in descriptions, try to establish guidelines for which facts to use.  Note your guidelines down, reasons, and facts that you are using.

Questions to think about as you read:

-Why did the Egyptians not win the Battle at Kadesh 1285 BC despite having 2,000 more troops than the Hittites?

-What were battle communications like at the Battle of Kadesh 1285?

-Look up images of the Battle at Kadesh 1285 BC at the Temples at Abu Simbel and Thebes.  What was Ramses trying to convey with these images?

Task 2: Introduction to Storytelling

Ramses II’s version of the Battle at Kadesh 1285 BC has come down to us in the modern-day thanks to art and storytelling of this event at the Temples of Abu Simbel and Thebes and other monuments.

For this task, you will learn some secrets of storytelling and the role of stories in memory and recall:

-As a group, read Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath.  Note 5 to 10 main points in your assigned chapters.

-As a group, read The Power of Story: Teaching Through Storytelling by Rives Collins and Pamela J. Cooper

-Telling the Story of the Battle at Kadesh 1285 BC Exercise

-Note 3 main points of the Battle at Kadesh 1285 BC, the climax when both sides retreated from fighting, and the battle’s aftermath for Egypt and the Hittites

-Type up 1 or 2 paragraphs using the information above and send it to the team scribe to assemble into one document.  The scribe will send out the stories to the team for comparison.

Task 3: Introduction to Egyptian Daily Life

-As a group, read Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz.  For your assigned chapters, note 5 to 10 main points.

-Where could stories that were depicted at the Temples at Abu Simbel and Thebes of the Battle at Kadesh 1285 BC be repeated in ancient Egyptian society?  Use Red Land, Black Land as a guide.

Task 4: Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Propaganda

-As a group, read How Propaganda Works by Jason Stanley.  For your assigned chapters, note 5 to 10 main points for each chapter.

-Define propaganda in one sentence.

-How was Ramses II’s depiction of the Battle of Kadesh 1285 BC at the Temples of Abu Simbel and Thebes similar to principles that Jason Stanley writes about in How Propaganda Works.

Preparing for Task 5

At the end of Tasks 1 – 4, everyone should type up their book chapter notes and send them to the group scribe to combine into one document for the team.

This document will be mailed to all team members and the scribe of the other group.  The scribe will mail the other group’s document out to team members as well.

Before the combined meeting in Task 5, both teams should read both sets of notes.

Task 5: Combined Teams Communications Game and Party

-As a combine group, you will play the communications game entitled “Telephone.”

-One group member will write down a secret message of 4 things to do.  This person will whisper the message in another person’s ear with one repeat possible.

-Repeat this process with every member of the group.

-The last person to get the message will write it down.

-Compare the original message with the end message that is written down.

-There are often differences between the two messages.

-What does this telephone game tell you about battlefield communications at the Battle of Kadesh 1285 BC?

-Repeat the game once more to see if you obtain better results.

-(The telephone game should take 30 to 45 minutes to play followed by a party.)

-After the meeting, the teams will the ancient Egyptian games of mancala and senet.  Ramses II undoubtedly learned to play these strategy games as a young boy.

-These games sell between $22 - $32 as of 3/5/2020 on Amazon.

-The following book provides strategy on how to win board games:

-Board Games of the World:  The History, Boards, Rules, and Strategies of Board Games by H. L. Fourie

-Sample some Egyptian food at your party.  Appetizers (mezze) are a great introduction to Egyptian recipes.  The suggested following cookbooks provide recipes:

1-Egyptian Food Made Easy by Shama Faraz

2-My Egyptian Grandmother’s Kitchen: Traditional Dishes Sweet and Savory by Magda Mehdawy

3-The New Middle Eastern Cookbook by Claudia Roden

4-Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture by Amy Riolo

5-The Pharaoh’s Kitchen: Recipes for Ancient Egypt’s Enduring Food Traditions by Magda Mehdawy

Have fun!

Ramses II Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click here for:  Ruth Paget's Amazon Books

Click for Laurent Paget's Book

Ruth Paget Selfie