Alexander the Great was nineteen years old when he succeeded his father, Philip II of Macedon, to the throne. During the course of the next fourteen years, his decisions and actions had an enormous impact upon the lives of thousands of people throughout the Mediterranean area extending as far as India and the Arabian peninsula. Alexander's legacy remains with us and continues to have relevance in our lives today.
This course of study has been designed to assist students and high school faculty in their
organization of a substantial amount of information from a variety of media sources. It suggests
an overview of the era prior to Alexander's life and attempts to supply information about the
individuals, their environment, and the political climate which may have influenced his decisions
and actions. Attention is also directed to sources for further exploration by the students regarding
the art, architecture, philosophy and literature of the era. A time line has been developed to assist
students develop an understanding of the sequence of the events which occurred during the campaigns which Alexander led in the creation of his empire and a variety of maps are offered to enhance these concepts. Information is provided about the political structure and affiliations of the areas which were
conquered by Alexander to help students develop broader understandings about politics and to begin
to make comparisons about how situations could have been similar and different in Alexander's era and today in the student's own life.
Alexander was very close in age to many of our contemporary high school students
when he began his reign. The importance of what he had learned, how he was influenced,
and how he chose to apply that knowledge is a lesson of particular importance for students
today.
One of the goals of this program could be to have the students develop a greater
appreciation and passion for learning. By using technology to access information and
encouraging the students to seek information from valid world wide resources we can
create an excellent model for skills which can be used for life-long learning. When students
and faculty can apply the materials they have accessed and use them creatively to develop
their own understandings about the topics, the process of learning and applying new
knowledge is greatly advanced. This course model of Alexander the Great was designed to
help students and faculty enjoy their journey of discovery about another time and
place. Connecting their lives, hopes, and dreams to those of another era provides the
opportunity for individuals to appreciate the relevance of studying and the value it can
offer them about insight into their very own dreams for today.
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