Legend of Atlantis

Summary
This lesson introduces students to the legend of Atlantis.

Objectives
• To be able to list some of Atlantis? key points.

• To be able to describe disagreements about Atlantis? history.

Suggested Grades
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade

Excerpt
According to Plato, Atlantis was a major naval power that conquered parts of Africa and parts of Western Europe around 9600 B.C.E. Plato writes that Atlantis sank into the ocean after a failed attempt to invade Athens.

Historians argue over how much of Plato?s account was actually inspired by other historical events. Some say that Plato?s writings were actually based on the events of the Trojan War. Others believe that Plato was basing his writings of Atlantis on the destruction of Helike. Helike was an ancient Greek city that sank in the winter of 373 B.C.E. There are some that insist that Plato?s account was inspired by the Athenian invasion of Sicily near 415 B.C.E.

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