VCE+Classical+Studies

VCE Classical Studies explores the literature, history, philosophy, art and architecture of ancient Greece. Students examine classical works that have captivated and inspired generations. These works explore love and devotion, as well as the cost of anger and betrayal. In presenting ideas about fate and freedom, VCE Classical Studies deepens understanding of what it means to be human.
 * CLASSICAL STUDIES **
 * Units 1& 2 **

VCE Classical Studies is a multidisciplinary study. Students develop skills in textual and art analysis, constructing arguments, challenging assumptions and thinking creatively. These skills are valuable for further study and work as they are readily transferable across a range of disciplines.


 * Unit 1: Mythical worlds **

This unit explores the myths of ancient Greece. The deeds of Theseus, the wrath of Achilles, the epic voyage of Odysseus are tales that have entranced countless generations. Women such as Helen and Clytemnestra hold enduring fascination. Greek myths combine love and war, the monstrous and the human. They examine the nature of the individual and key aspects of society. As archaeological methods developed over time, sites such as Troy and Knossos were explored by pioneers of archaeology for evidence to explain the possible historical basis of particular myths. Myths were commonly represented in a range of forms including epic, sculpture, tragedy, vase and wall painting and mosaics. In this Unit students will explore the myths of ancient Greece in narrative and cultural forms of the time as well as examining the archaeological evidence.


 * Area of study 1 **
 * Heroes and monsters **


 * Area of study 2 **
 * Myth and archaeology **


 * AREA OF STUDY 3 **
 * Myths in art and literature **

This unit examines classical works across time. It begins with the study of classical Greek society through an exploration of intellectual and material culture. Classical works offer a means of exploring social and political life in classical antiquity. What does Homer reveal about the heroic code? How does Thucydides portray Athens during the Peloponnesian War? What do works of architecture such as the Parthenon reveal about the societies in which they were produced?
 * Unit 2: Classical imaginations **

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">The reception of these classical works extends beyond antiquity into the present. The cultural achievements of the classical world have fired the imagination for centuries. The works of classical artists and writers have provided reference points for subsequent generations to emulate, transform or react against. In this way, classical works are subject to constant re-imagining. In this Unit students will examine a range of cultural forms from art and literature.


 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">AREA OF STUDY 1 **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Society through culture **


 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">AREA OF STUDY 2 **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Classics through time **

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Units 3 and 4 have two identical areas of study and outcomes. Students study selected works from the <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Classical Works lists for each unit. These units enable student classicists to engage with the intellectual and material culture of classical Greece. Students work with translations rather than the Ancient Greek. Analysis of individual works enables students to engage with ideas that are explored by particular writers and artists. Students evaluate the techniques used to present these concepts. They evaluate the relationship between the work and its socio-historical context. Through comparison of classical works, students consider ways in which different writers and artists dealt with the same concept. Such analysis reveals the changing nature of the classical world.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 23.32px;">CLASSICAL STUDIES **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.99px;">UNITS 3 & 4: Classical worlds **

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Classical works represent the cultural legacy of ancient Greece. Such works frequently embody a spirit of inquiry about society. Many classical writers and artists examine their world in searching ways. Interpreting such material helps the classicist to better understand the past and the present. Indeed, many of the ideas expressed by classical works have captured the imagination of generations. Ideas presented in these works are often familiar, but many concepts from classical antiquity differ from those of the modern world. <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Students analyse the ways in which classical artists and writers use techniques to express ideas. Through this type of close analysis students develop an understanding of ways in which knowledge is produced in Classical Studies. They are able to evaluate the importance of sections of a classical work to the work as a whole, or, in the case of art/architecture, of the artwork to its form. Students appreciate that the classical literature they are reading is in translation. <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Classical works were produced within a socio-historical context. It is not always possible to be this specific about the socio-historical context of a work. Nevertheless, socio-historical context is significant at a more general level. Any classical work reflects the concerns, beliefs and values of the socio-historical context in which it was produced.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.99px;">Area of study 1: UNIT 3 AND UNIT 4 **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Individual study **

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">In this area of study, students study a classical work selected from List 1 for Unit 3 and a different classical work selected from List 1 for Unit 4. The list is published annually in the //VCAA Bulletin//.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse the ideas and techniques of a classical work and discuss the relationship of the work to its socio-historical context. <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Assessment will take the form of one set of structured questions and one essay
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Outcome 1 **

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Comparative analysis enables classicists to explore ways in which the same concept is presented by different works. This form of analysis draws out similarities too. Comparison of classical works enables students to understand the socio-historical contexts in which they were produced. Events such as the Peloponnesian War exerted a profound influence on Greece. These changes are reflected in classical works. Exploring classical works from different periods highlights the ways in which ideas and societies change over the course of time.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.99px;">AREA OF STUDY 2: Unit 3 and Unit 4 **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Comparative study **

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">The form of a classical work shapes its meaning. Classical writers and artists use a wide range of techniques to convey ideas. The nature of these techniques depends upon the form of the work. Analysis of these techniques leads to a deeper understanding of the choices that the classical writer or artist has made to present ideas. Technical analysis can reveal changes in form. <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">In this area of study, students study a pair of classical works for Unit 3 and a pair of classical works for Unit 4, selected from List 2. The list is published annually in the //VCAA Bulletin//.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">On completion of this unit the student should be able to compare the ideas and techniques in two classical works and discuss the relationships of these works to their socio-historical contexts.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Outcome 2 **

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Assessment will take the form of two extended essays. <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">The award of satisfactory completion for a unit is based on a decision that the student has demonstrated achievement of the set of outcomes specified for the unit. This decision will be based on the teacher’s assessment of the student’s overall performance on assessment tasks designated for the unit.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Assessment **

<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">The student’s level of achievement in Unit 3 and in Unit 4 will be determined by school-assessed coursework and an end-of-year examination.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Assessment of levels of achievement **