Alexander's journey from boy to king
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how Alexander came to rule Macedon.
Key learning points
- During the wars between Greece and Persia the north-eastern Greek kingdom of Macedon had ended up under Persian control.
- Eventually the Greeks of Macedon pushed the Persians out and Alexander's father, Philip came to rule as King of Macedon.
- Philip built Macedon into a powerful kingdom, convincing other city-states to join him, creating the League of Corinth.
- Philip created the League of Corinth to defeat Persia once and for all, but he was murdered before he could achieve it.
- Philip's son Alexander, tutored by Aristotle from Athens, was now King of Macedon and led Greece against Persia.
Keywords
Macedon - Macedon was a kingdom in the north east of Ancient Greece
Kingdom - a country or state that is ruled by a king or queen is a kingdom
Persia - the civilisation that rivalled Ancient Greece to its east was Persia, sometimes called the Persian Empire
League - a league is a group of people or places that have a shared interest
Murder - murder is a crime, and it is when a person or persons choose to end the life of another person
Common misconception
That the Kingdom of Macedon and the modern republic of North Macedonia are the same place.
Although North Macedonia's name stems from Macedon, they are not exactly the same location. Most of North Macedonia was part of Macedon, but Macedon also covered large parts of what is now northern Greece, southern Bulgaria and eastern Albania.
Teacher tip
Locate North Macedonia on a map of modern-day Europe and compare it to a map of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. Then ask pupils to draw on and shade the area of ancient Macedon over a copy of the modern map of Europe. This will show how the shaded area does not follow the modern-day land borders.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What were the battles that the Persians lost against the Ancient Greeks?
Q2.What is a messenger who carries messages by running between places called?
Q3.Match the battle to the correct piece of information.
the Persians attacked by sea
the Persians invaded by land
the Persians and Greeks had a sea-battle
Q4.What did the Persians do after Thermopylae?
Q5.When did the Battle of Salamis take place?
Q6.How did the Greeks win the Battle at Salamis?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a country or state that is ruled by a king or queen called?
Q2.What was the name of the kingdom in the north east of Ancient Greece that the Persian Empire had conquered?
Q3.Who took over the throne when the Greeks won Macedon back from the Persians in 359 BCE?
Q4.What did King Philip suggest to other important rulers of Ancient Greek city-states?
Q5.Choose the correct word to complete the sentence. King Phillip II created the __________ of Corinth in about 338 BCE to defeat the Persians completely.
Q6.Which of the below statements about Alexander are correct?
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: Alexander's journey from boy to king, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: Alexander's journey from boy to king, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the Ancient Greek civilisation: why is Alexander called 'The Great'? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.