Alabama Social Studies SS24.8.2b
The Standard
- SS24.8.2
- Describe the Byzantine Empire, its institutions, and its legacy.
Evaluate the cultural contributions of the Byzantines to art, religion, and architecture.
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students study mosaics, icons, and Hagia Sophia to see how Byzantine art and buildings reflected Christian beliefs. They trace the spread of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and judge which contributions lasted beyond the empire.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can explain what an icon was used for and identify the large dome of Hagia Sophia. They can make a claim about a lasting Byzantine contribution and support it with a later example.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think the Byzantines invented Christianity or that Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic practices were identical. Some think Hagia Sophia was built as a mosque, though it began as a church. Others mistake icons for gods rather than religious images.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: How did an icon and Hagia Sophia each show Byzantine Christian beliefs? Which contribution lasted longer, and what later example supports your choice?
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give students colored paper squares and a Byzantine mosaic photo; have them make a small mosaic and label one artistic choice.
Ask students to write: Which had a wider influence, Byzantine icons or domed churches? Use details from two images.
Have pairs sort image cards of mosaics, icons, and Hagia Sophia into art, religion, and architecture, then defend one card that fits two groups.
Show photos of Hagia Sophia and New York's St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church; students label shared dome features and explain the design link.
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Printable SS24.8.2b Worksheet
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Related Standards
- SS24.8.2
Describe the Byzantine Empire, its institutions, and its legacy.
- SS24.8.9a
Analyze humanism and the contributions of philosophers and artists during the Renaissance.
- SS24.7.14
Summarize cultural contributions and legacies of Classical Greece, including architecture, arts, intellectual life, literature, politics, and science.
- SS24.HG.4a
Identify and describe essential aspects of culture, including architecture, art, belief systems, customs, food, languages, religion, technology, and traditions.
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