Ancient Greece Writing Prompts & Discussion Questions for World History I

This set of 12 “Brain-Stretchers” is tailor-made for World History I classes and includes prompts relating to ancient Greece. The topics explored include geography, the Trojan War, Socrates, and Alexander the Great. Use them to spark a discussion or have a lively debate. Use them as writing prompts to promote literacy in your classroom. Use them as bell-ringers to start class in an engaging and purpose driven way. I used them as a written bell-ringer activity followed by a class discussion to accomplish all three of these goals. They are sure to get students thinking about topics that they will be exploring in class, finding relevance in the past, and reflecting on what they have learned!

Each individual Brain-Stretcher is neatly spaced onto its own PDF page (that displays nicely in full screen mode) and is between two and five sentences long. To help students focus on the main idea of each prompt, the key question is in bold font. The questions in each prompt are purely opinion based (no right or wrong answers) so they are accessible to all students. Each prompt can be used independently and in whatever order you prefer. This makes it easy to “skip” a Brain-Stretcher on a day when your time is cut short.

I have also included a guide explaining how each question relates to the specific World History topics being covered so you can easily incorporate everything into your lessons. If you’re interested in delving deeper, you'll also find four pages of tips and suggestions detailing how Brain-Stretchers can be used to establish an effective routine that will prove invaluable in enhancing your lessons and managing your classroom.

For those of you that would like to utilize them as a written assignment, this set also comes with a rubric to make grading simple. Even better, it is a fully editable Word document that you can easily adjust to suit your grading style and preferences. The rubric is arranged to grade ten prompts. Use your ten favorites from the twelve prompts included in this set or use the first two prompts to establish a routine with your students before you begin grading their responses.

I was observed by administration on several occasions when we were using these Brain-Stretchers and I always got fantastic feedback on them. When I worked with inclusion teachers, they always enjoyed our discussions and the structured time that was established at the beginning of the block by the routine of completing a Brain-Stretcher. Even better to me though, students liked doing them!

What Students Said About Brain-Stretchers (in an anonymous year-end survey):

• “It was a good way to start off the class and get us going. It helped start discussions and get our brains going.”
• “I think the journals were good because they made us apply our lives into the lesson we were going to learn that specific day.”
• “The questions made me think and opened my brain in the morning. They gave me a better perspective when learning about certain topics.”
• “I liked hearing about what other people had to say and how their opinion differed from mine.”
• “They were a good way to get the class to start thinking about the topic we would learn in class.”
• “I like that we get to have a class discussion about a topic that relates to the unit we are studying. I think it is a great way to start class.”
• “It was a good way to voice your opinion if you were passionate about a particular brain-stretcher. Also, it was a fun open-ended thing to do in the beginning of class.”

These Brain-Stretchers are truly versatile and I found them to be an absolute lifesaver in the classroom!

Be sure to check out the other great World History Brain-Stretcher sets that I offer:

⭐Prehistory, Early Civilizations, and Ancient India

⭐Ancient and Imperial China

⭐Ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire

⭐Islamic Civilization, Africa, and the Americas

⭐The Middle Ages

You can also buy all the sets together at a discount with this money-saving bundle:

⭐World History Brain-Stretchers Bundle

Still curious about why I call them “Brain-Stretchers”? I like the idea of having students warm up their minds before we fully embark on our journey through the past in much the same way that athletes would stretch their muscles before more vigorous exercise. As you can see from the positive student feedback, they are an effective way to spark interest and get students thinking!

CLICK HERE to follow Impossible Things Learning and be notified when I add new items to my store!

PS: The brain icon that I used was designed with resources from Freepik.com.