1. History-writing in the Ancient World
The growing exchange of ideas 500 BC – 400 AD
A web research and jigsaw project

2. Jigsaw Task Explanation
Your team has been given a particular author (Herodotus, Thucydides, Polybius, Sallust, Livy, Tacitus or Ammianus Marcellinus) to explore through a text and web research project (HINT: google the name; read the introduction of the texts etc.)
Your group will need to appoint a
Whip: One person to lead the team through the task, coordinate the searchers and the scribe, ensure you complete the task before the end of this lesson and briefly report on progress made at the end of this lesson
Searchers: Two people to conduct web searches and discover information
Scribe: One person to capture your information on this scaffold and complete the presentation
You have 40 minutes to complete the research (HINT: use your two web searchers to investigate different sites at the same time. Set up a new bookmark folder, or delicious tags, to save the best pages)
Your presentation may be a PowerPoint , Animoto animated slide show, or any other medium you choose (check with the Teacher first) This is a blank presentation for your use as a scaffold. You should change it however you see fit.
Each team member will join a different group next lesson where you will teach your new group your subject using the presentation made by this week’s group (HINT: so keep a copy on your hard drive or this class’ network drive)

3. The texts
The following texts are held by the teacher for you to use and refer to:
Herodotus, Rawlinson, G., & Blakeney, E. H. (1910). The history of Herodotus. London: Dent.
Thucydides, Warner, R., & Finley, M. I. (1972). History of the Peloponnesian War (Rev. ed.). Harmondsworth, England ; Ringwood, Vic: Penguin Books.
Polybius. (1922). The histories of Polybius. London: Heinemann.
Sallust. (1963). The Jugurthine War ; The conspiracy of Catiline. In S. A. Handford (Ed.), Penguin classics (pp. 240 p.). Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books.
Tacitus, C., & Grant, M. (1996). The annals of imperial Rome (Rev. ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.
Ammianus Marcellinus, Hamilton, W., & Wallace-Hadrill, A. (1986). The later Roman Empire (A.D ) / selected and translated by Walter Hamilton ; with an introduction and notes by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill. (W. Hamilton & A. Wallace-Hadrill, Trans.). Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books.

4. Historical context
What were the important events during your author’s lifetime
Who were the famous personalities of his time?
HINT: scan read the introduction of the text you have been given to find many of these details

5. Birth and death Date of birth Which social class did he belong to?
What were the circumstances of his death?
HINT: we usually know very little of these details so don’t spend too much time on it. They will usually be at the beginning of the introduction in the text

6. Where born, lived and died?

7. The career and biography
What did he do for a living before he wrote?
Did he continue his career while he wrote or was he retired?
What other interesting facts or details do we know of the author’s life?

8. The subject matter What events did your author write about?
What era or period does it discuss?
Which language did he write in?

9. The writings Why did the author write history?
Did the author have a particular point-of-view or perspective?
HINT: what were his main beliefs, biases, prejudices, attitudes and values

10. The audience Who, and which groups, did this author write for?
Why did they enjoy hearing and reading history?
How was his work delivered or presented?
HINT: Was it first read in public then written and published later?
How might the audience influence his writing?
HINT: Will he write differently if he is reading his work to the Emperor?

11. The text How did the writings of this author survive for so long?
Is the text exactly the same as he wrote it?
HINT: copy errors, multiple copies, translations into English, destruction of whole sections of the original books, rewriting by others?
see teacher copy of Reynolds, L. D., Marshall, P. K., & Mynors, R. A. B. (1983). Texts and transmission : a survey of the Latin classics. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

12. References Cite your web sources Cite the text you are using
How useful did you find these web and text sources
Choose one source you found useful and state why
Choose one you found useless and why