Women in World History

Curriculum Showcase

SPINDLE STORIES CURRICULUM UNITS

Fated To Be Friends: Classical Athens

This unit brings attention to areas where women exercised some degree of power during this era when the rights of citizen women were sharply restricted. The impact of widely held beliefs about male/female difference and how gender played a role in child rearing practices in both Sparta and Athens are explored. The significance of the transition from childhood to adulthood is examined through past and present coming-of-age ceremonies.

Spiralbound, 48 pages
8.5 x 11 inches
ISBN 1-890380-01-6
© 1992
Print Edition: $10.00 (Plus Shipping Charges)
Downloadable PDF File: $6.00 (No Shipping Charges)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fated To Be Friends Story - the lives of Didyma and her twin brother Didymus take divergent paths as they come of age. On the road to adulthood, each finds their own strengths as well as their enduring dependence on each. Vocabulary and inquiry questions are integrated into the story.

Activities/Student Worksheets:

Growing Up: A Celebration - class learns about contemporary coming of age celebrations and designs their own.

Words About a Woman's World - poems and myths reveal women's experiences.

Aristotle and Aspasia Debate: Should Women Be Equal to Men? - debaters use arguments based on ideas of Aristotle, Plutarch, Xenophone, Euripides and Plato.

An Open Letter From the Young Women of Sparta - fictional letter illustrates difference in expectations between young women in Sparta and Athens.

Poem to Artemis - analyzing primary sources.

Background Essay: Women in Classical Athens

Selected Bibliography

PLACE AN ORDER: Print Edition Downloadable PDF File

Check out the Sample Activity for this Unit

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