Lesson 1: The Phoenicians and the Beginnings of the Alphabet
This first lesson of the curriculum unit, The Alphabet is Historic, will be about the Phoenicians, who invented the alphabet inherited by the Greeks, Romans, and eventually, us.
Guiding Questions
Who were the Phoenicians and where did they live?
When and why did they invent the alphabet?
What did their alphabet look like?
Can we see some early forms of our own letters in this very old alphabet?
Learning Objectives
Describe the Phoenicians as a trading people who lived long ago on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Understand that the Phoenicians invented the first form of our alphabet.
Evaluate the importance of the alphabet to the Phoenicians.
Compare some of the Phoenician letters to letters used in your language and writing system.
Write a short paragraph (with the teacher or alone) on a topic related to learning or using the Phoenician alphabet.