CLASSICAL CIVILISATION

Year 9 Course Outline

Classical Civilisation is not offered in Year 9. Some pupils study Latin or Latin/Greek in Year 9 and these courses include some material relevant to the Classical Civilisation course that begins in Year 10. The majority simply start Classical Civilisation GCSE in Year 10.

Years 10 and 11 Course Outline

Classical Civilisation is an immensely varied and interesting area of study and that variety is reflected in the topics in the syllabus. Of these, the teacher, in consultation with the pupils in any particular year group, selects two. No knowledge of the Latin or Greek languages is required.

Component Group 1: Thematic Study

Learners must study one component in this group, either: Myth and religion or Women in the ancient world

Both of these components involve a comparative study of ancient Greece and Rome, and involve the study of both literary sources (such as inscriptions, literature or private letters) and visual sources (such as paintings, statues and classical buildings).

Component Group 2: Literature and Culture

Learners must study one component in this group, chosen from: The Homeric World; Roman city life and War and warfare

All of these components contain two elements, one in-depth cultural study and one study of related literature.

Skills Required and Developed

Those thinking of studying Classical Civilisation must be prepared to write essays and learn a good deal of information. It particularly suits those with an interest in History, English, Mythology or Archaeology, but is often enjoyed by those who intend to pursue quite different subjects at A Level such as Maths or Sciences in that it opens up an alternative world full of surprising facts and unusual ideas.

Classical Civilisation helps to develop analytical skills, essay-writing skills and perhaps most uniquely, an awareness of different cultures which help us reflect more closely on our own. For instance, we think of our country as a democracy but, compared with Classical Athens, we have very few political rights. At the ancient Olympic Games, there were no second prizes, cheats were beaten as well as fined and the athletes wore no clothes. Better or worse?

External Assessment

Components 1 and 2 are externally assessed in two 1 hour 30 minute papers, each worth 50% of the total GCSE.

Beyond the Classroom

There are annual trips to the British Museum and Roman Bath as well as a biennial trip to Italy or Greece. Trips to Classical plays are also regularly organised and there are opportunities to help out at Fishbourne Roman Palace.

Further Information

Mr M G D Murray, Head of Classics, Tel 023 9236 0036 ext 326, Email m.murray@pgs.org.uk

Exam Board Website http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse-classical-civilisation-j199-from-2017/