Sparta

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sparta

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the social structure?Rigid hierarchy: Spartiates (citizens), Perioikoi (free non-citizens), and Helots (state-owned serfs)
2. What is the key historical event?Leadership in the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE), resulting in victory over Athens
3. What was Sparta famous for?Sparta was famous for training its children to become strong soldiers from a young age, using a tough school called the Agoge. It also had a very strict society that kept everyone focused on the army.
4. How were boys taught to fight in Sparta?Boys started training at age seven in shared barracks. They learned discipline, endurance, and fighting skills while wearing little clothing and eating little food to build toughness.

Oligarchy: A form of government in which a small group of people holds power.
Helots: The enslaved population of ancient Sparta, bound to the land and state.
Laconic: Using very few words; brief and to the point, a characteristic attributed to Spartans.