NCEA Level 3 Classical Studies study plan

Map the Greek chronological spine from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period, writing a one-line date anchor for each major phase

Define ten core Greek political and social terms (polis, oikos, demos, aristocracy, tyranny, liturgy, citizenship) in your own words

Identify the three main literary genres of Archaic and Classical Greece and name one surviving work for each

Locate the key Aegean and Mediterranean sites on a hand-drawn blank map from memory

Trace the development of Athenian democracy from Solon through Cleisthenes to Pericles, noting the specific reform attached to each figure

Compare Athenian and Spartan constitutions across at least five structural features

Explain how the Persian Wars reshaped Greek self-perception, citing two specific battles and their consequences

Summarise the causes and turning points of the Peloponnesian War in under 200 words

Analyse one tragedy and one comedy for how each uses dramatic convention to comment on civic life

Identify the conventions of Greek theatre (mask, chorus, skene, festival context) and explain what each achieves

Evaluate two passages of Herodotus or Thucydides for authorial bias and method

Practise writing a three-sentence thesis statement on a Greek source question

Explain the function of Greek religion in public and private life, distinguishing civic cult from mystery cult

Compare the Parthenon and one other sanctuary building in terms of purpose, programme, and audience

Interpret three vase paintings or sculptures for what they reveal about values or patronage

Synthesise Greek material into an essay plan on a likely exam prompt about power and citizenship

Map the Roman chronological spine from the monarchy through the Republic to the early Empire, dating the key constitutional turning points

Define ten core Roman political terms (imperium, auctoritas, patrician, plebeian, tribune, consul, dictator, provincia, clientela, mos maiorum)

Explain the structure of the Republican constitution and where power actually sat

Locate the key Italian and Mediterranean sites on a hand-drawn blank map from memory

Trace the conflict of the orders and name the specific concessions won at each stage

Explain the causes of the late-Republic civil wars, distinguishing structural, economic, and personal factors

Compare Augustus's constitutional settlement with the late Republic, identifying what changed and what was dressed up as continuity

Evaluate the strengths and limits of the principate as a system of government

Analyse one passage of Virgil and one of Cicero for how each constructs Roman identity

Explain the role of spectacle, triumph, and public building in Roman political life

Compare Roman and Greek approaches to one shared theme, such as citizenship or the divine

Assess two primary sources for reliability, naming the author's position and purpose

Sit two full timed practice papers under exam conditions, one per domain

Mark both against the criteria and list every recurring error by category

Drill the twenty weakest recall items identified in marking until each is retrievable without notes

Rehearse three flexible essay skeletons that could be adapted to either domain