UCD School of Classics is delighted to launch the ACCESS CLASSICS TRANSITION YEAR UNIT 

Access Classics created this Transition Year (TY) Unit to facilitate second-level institutions in either introducing Classical Studies at TY level, consolidating their students’ learning of the subject from the Junior Cycle, or acting as a bridge into, or introduction to, the subject at Senior Cycle level. Attached below are: the Unit Outline, A Manual for Teachers, and a supplementary PowerPoint (this contains copies of images and worksheets from the Manual in an easy to print and view format). See the bottom of the page for some additional resources for the Unit.

• The Teachers’ Manual contains extensive lesson plans, materials, discussion topics and project ideas, all of which allow it to be taught by teachers who are not familiar with Classical Studies. This means that schools which do not, or cannot, currently offer Classical Studies at Junior Cycle or Senior Cycle can introduce it to their Transition Year students.
• As the Unit covers less common aspects of Classical Studies (see breakdown in Unit Outline or the Teachers’ Manual), it can be used to consolidate learning from the Junior Cycle, serve as an introduction to the subject at Senior Cycle, or act as a bridge between the Junior and Senior Cycle Classical Studies offerings.

• Classical Studies is a multidisciplinary subject encompassing, for example, literature, history, geography, art, architecture, language, archaeology, and philosophy. As such, it complements numerous subjects taken at both Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle level, most notably English, History, Art, Geography, and modern languages.
• As the Unit asks students to consider their own political, social, religious and cultural institutions and practices, as well as their relationship with their health and wellbeing, it ties in with various Indicators of Wellbeing (notably ‘responsible’, ‘connected’ and ‘respected’), and aspects of the Unit could be used for some of the allotted Wellbeing hours at Junior Cycle level.

• The Unit is flexible and user-friendly, meaning it can also be used for lunchtime Classics Clubs.
• The Unit can be taught fully in the virtual or physical classroom, or through blended learning. There are suggestions for fieldtrips, but these are supplementary to the lessons and not essential.
• Access Classics is delighted to facilitate teachers in teaching the Unit, for example through guest lectures or additional resources.

Additional resources

1. Word search in Ancient Greek for Section 4.1

2. PowerPoint on monstrous beasts and the hero Heracles for Section 2.3