Students are introduced to the ancient Phoenicians, a highly-influential collection of city-states. They learn about the Phoenicians’ invention of the alphabet and then investigate Phoenician commerce and colonial expansion, particularly that of Carthage, the powerful city that developed its own trading empire. Finally, students create a unique mini-alphabet of their own and discuss their results and their process.
Students are introduced to the Phoenicians and their invention of the alphabet, then visit The Greek Alphabet to read a short introductory paragraph and examine the Greek letters. They answer a poll about which culture the Greeks adapted their alphabet from, look closely at the Greek alphabet, and use a drawing tool (or paper and upload) to write their first and last names using Greek symbols.
Teacher MovesReview the lesson objective and overview of the experience. After students attempt writing their names in Greek letters, lead a brief discussion about what it felt like to use a different alphabet and explain that they will learn more about the origins of this alphabet in the lesson.
Students read sections of Phoenicians: Sailing Away to learn how the Phoenician alphabet developed and how it spread through trade. They answer multiple-choice questions about the location of ancient Phoenicia, early users of writing, and how the alphabet spread. Students then read background text and study a map of Phoenician trade to understand their role as traders and “middlemen,” and read more from the same article about “Trading on the High Seas.” They answer additional questions connecting Phoenician trading success to innovations such as ship design, navigation, and purple dye, and interpret what it means that Phoenicians acted as middlemen in international trade.
Teacher MovesHelp students connect the conquering empires mentioned (Egyptians, Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans) to prior learning about the ancient Israelites, highlighting continuity across units and reinforcing how multiple civilizations interacted over time.
Students examine a map of Carthage and its territories and read about how Phoenician city-states established colonies across the Mediterranean. They read selected sections from The Phoenicians and then read The Phoenicians and Carthage to learn how Carthage grew into a powerful trading empire with a significant historical legacy. Using a graphic organizer, they take notes on “The First Colonials,” “Dido’s City,” and “The Phoenicians and Carthage.” Finally, they post a written explanation on a class wall describing how Carthage played a major role in ancient history, citing evidence from their readings.
Teacher MovesHighlight strong or interesting student wall responses for whole-class discussion, using them to deepen understanding of Carthage’s importance. Optionally direct interested students to the more detailed article Carthage for enrichment. Organize students into small groups in preparation for the next scene.
Working in small groups, students design a “mini-alphabet” by inventing symbols for the sounds of short a, short e, s, t, r, and n. They handwrite or draw their symbols with corresponding English letters, then use their new alphabet to write the words “nest,” “rat,” and “tester,” plus two additional English words of their choice, using the drawing tool or paper and upload. As a class, they compare and contrast their invented alphabets and words, and discuss the challenges they faced and how they solved them.
Teacher MovesFacilitate group collaboration and the whole-class comparison discussion, prompting students to articulate the difficulties of creating a writing system and how those challenges relate to the historical development of alphabets. Encourage interested students to expand their alphabets to write more words, sentences, or coded messages.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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