This lesson introduces pupils to the contrasting ways of life in the Ancient Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. It is designed for Year 4 or Year 5 pupils and aims to develop historical knowledge, comparison skills, and debate.
Lesson Objectives
To know key features of daily life in Athens and Sparta.
To compare and contrast the two city-states.
To express an opinion about which city-state they would prefer to live in, giving reasons.
Lesson Outline
Starter: Pupils reflect on where in the world they would like to live and why, using sentence stems and vocabulary support. This introduces the idea of choice and lifestyle differences.
Teacher Input: Provide clear information on Athens (democracy, arts, education, limited rights for women) and Sparta (military training, strength, discipline, more freedom for women). Use a map of Greece to locate both city-states.
Activity 1: Complete a comparison task (e.g. T-chart, double bubble map, or fill-the-gaps worksheet with word bank).
Activity 2: Class debate or role-play where half the class represent Athens and half represent Sparta. Use sentence stems and fact cards to scaffold arguments.
Independent Task: Pupils write a short piece explaining which city-state they would prefer to live in and why. A greater depth extension asks pupils to compare the roles of men and women.
Plenary: Class vote on which city-state would be the best to live in, with a brief discussion to reflect on the arguments presented.
Differentiation
Word banks, sentence stems, and structured writing frames provided for support.
Greater depth challenge includes exploring differences in gender roles.
Debate prompts support less confident speakers.
Resources Included
Athens vs Sparta comparison worksheet
Fill-the-gaps activity with word bank
Debate sentence stems
Teacher guidance and lesson plan outline
Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 50%
A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.
Bundle
History and Writing combo
Bundle Bio: Ancient Greece Writing & History Pack This bundle brings together four high-quality Ancient Greece resources designed to support writing, history and critical thinking across Key Stage 2. Each resource offers a clear structure, engaging tasks and differentiated support to help pupils develop strong knowledge and writing outcomes. Ideal for Year 3–6 classrooms, whole units, project days or guided writing sessions. Included in this bundle: 1. Alexander the Great – Hero or Villain? A structured debate and writing unit exploring contrasting interpretations of Alexander’s legacy. Pupils weigh evidence, develop arguments and produce balanced paragraphs. 2. Athens vs Sparta A comparative study of the two most famous Greek city-states. Includes fact files, sorting activities and writing frames to help pupils understand daily life, beliefs and military differences. 3. Non-chronological Report on Ancient Greece A complete writing unit with planning sheets, sentence scaffolds, vocabulary banks and model paragraphs. Supports pupils in researching, organising and presenting information using clear report features. 4. Writing a Greek Comic A creative writing and illustration project inspired by Greek myths. Pupils design characters, plan storyboards and write short comic narratives using dialogue, action and humour. Why this bundle? Supports both English and History curriculum objectives Provides ready-to-use lesson materials and writing scaffolds Builds vocabulary, research skills and writing stamina Suitable for whole-class teaching, interventions or independent tasks A comprehensive, classroom-tested collection that develops historical knowledge and high-quality writing across KS2.
£2.00
Bundle
Writing and history super bundle
This bundle brings together engaging history and writing resources designed to inspire discussion, creativity, and critical thinking. The history resources include: Athens vs Spartans: A lesson comparing the differences between the two city-states. Alexander the Great – Hero or Villain?: A discussion-based lesson encouraging pupils to explore multiple perspectives. Both lessons include SEND scaffolds with Widgit symbols to support key vocabulary and accessibility for all learners. The writing unit is a 15-lesson comic-style plan focusing on Greek Myths. Pupils retell the stories of Theseus and the Minotaur and Hercules vs the Hydra, building towards their own polished comic narrative. Colourful Semantics are provided to support sentence construction and scaffolding. This bundle combines history, literacy, and creativity, making it ideal for engaging KS2 learners of all abilities.
£2.00
Something went wrong, please try again later.
This resource hasn't been reviewed yet
To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it
Report this resourceto let us know if it violates our terms and conditions.
Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.
£1.00