Athens Setting Description

Watch the animation which depicts what life looked like in ancient Athens. Who lived there? What sounds surrounded the city? look closely at the buildings, statues and thoroughfares. What sort of jobs can you identify? WHat do you think the air smelled like? Do you know the names of any of the plants, animals and artefacts?

Look at this Zone of Relevance sheet, which teaches us 10 new words to improve our vocabulary. Find synonyms for each word and record the dictionary definition for each.

I catch the warm, fragrant breeze and soak up the wonders of Athens. Noble and lustrous, the towering temple columns and stalwart statues survey the city, whilst Zeus – most powerful of all – guards its bustling residents. Arising into the cobalt Greek skies, a solitary eagle spreads his wings, casting a cooling shadow. The slow and swarthy potter sings to himself at his wheel; urns, vases, pots and plates pile up, drying in the afternoon sun. Smothering the stone thoroughfares, market stalls and gnarled, ancient olive trees lean over one another, camouflaging coiled asps. Remains of battles fought (stilted ships and discarded cargo) sleep amongst the purple delphiniums and larkspur. Voices echo. Fires burn. As day turns to night, sweet incense fills my nostrils and the bouzouki players warm up their musical fingertips.