The city-state Athens

Athens

          The purpose of my picture was to explain Athens, not to show how pretty or realistic it was. It was to show some things that I have learned and my knowledge about Athens. I wanted to show the everyday life of some people and Athens. I also wanted to show some places and buildings.

          In my opinion, this activity was a great idea. Mr. Peterson did not tell us what program to use or any instructions. He only told us to create Athens in a picture. I thought this was a very great way to learn. It shows us how to be independent and it's fun.This is a new way to reflect, explore and show your learning. I think this will help us in the future. For example, when we have research projects. We can use any program or any way to show our learning. 

          For example, there are a lot of people in the picture and a speech bubble saying "Democracy." This is because in Athens they used the form of government called Democracy starting in 500 B.C.E. Also, it showed that all the citizens gathered to talk about decisions because they are gathered together.

           Athens' economy was based on trade. I wanted to tell about their trade and transportation, one of the six strands. So I had a ship holding some other things, what the other city-states would trade for some of Athens' items. It also showed that Athens traded pottery because there is a doc with some pottery to be traded. The people in Athens treasured their beautiful pottery very much.

          In the middle of my picture there is a carpet that says 'marriage.' There is a young girl and a man. The speech bubbles also tell about my learning and their conversation. This showed that when you are about 15 and a girl, in Athens you marry. 

          A school is in the picture. There is a student exercising because I learned that children in Athens education was very important. You are trained to be strong and smart. Coaches would teach children to do gymnastics and wrestling. Inside the school they are sitting down doing work. This is because teachers taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and literature. 

             In my picture, there is also a man cleaning. This represents the slaves. It showed one of their jobs, cleaning. I also made a women holding a pencil next to a 7-year-old boy. It shows women taught boys until they were six or seven. After that, the boys went to school and were taught by teachers.

             Some things I didn't add in my picture but I still have learned are that they also traded honey, olive oil, and silver. Also, the agora was where they traded and bought and sold slaves. This also show how the slaves were treated. People could own other people. Their merchants sold at a small stand in the agora. They also developed coins to make trading a lot easier. 


             Something that really surprised me was that boys studied music. They learned to sing and to play the lyre, a stringed instrument like a harp. The women didn't have much freedom; were not permitted citizenship, could not inherit or own much property. They could not vote or attend the Assembly, and most could not even choose their own husbands.