Because the monsters Scylla, Charybdis, and Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey are fictional, scholars may assume the Iliad is also entirely fictional. A carefully researched video describes Heinrich Schliemann's discovery of the historical Troy and reveals the real story. Pupils learn about both the true nature of Schliemann's excavation and the roles others played in revealing that the Iliad was actually based on fact.

Concepts

archaeology, greek history, the trojan war, historic sites, historical fiction, historical research, ancient history

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Differentiate instruction by having the class complete the multiple-choice questions alone or in pairs
• Extend learning by having advanced individuals generate a social studies or interdisciplinary research topic

Classroom Considerations

• Detailed geographical knowledge is required for full understanding, so reviewing a map of the region prior to watching the video can help set the scene
• The linked open-answer questions are challenging and might work better as class discussion topics than assessment
  

Pros

• Detailed historical and geographical information provides the foundation for many possible avenues of exploration
• Website allows teachers to customize the lessons

Cons

• The first map only has Troy labeled, and is therefore difficult to grasp