In Classical Studies at the OU, we’re keen to spread the good word of Classical Studies far and wide, especially in schools. This page contains links to resources we’ve produced that you might find useful if you're teaching Classical Studies subjects at school. You’ll also find a list of who is available to speak in schools and the kinds of topics they've given talks on in the past.

Resources for Schools

A large quantity of our bespoke teaching materials can be found on our Taster Materials page. Although these were designed for university teaching, many of the resources will also be useful in GCSE and A Level classrooms. These are divided up by module, so it should be easy to find what you need.

We have also created three videos that explore the place of women in the classical Greek theatre, the role of dress in expressing Roman identity, and some of the different mourning rituals in ancient Rome.

In addition, the following resources are available:

Greek history, literature, and culture

OpenLearn: Introducing Homer’s Iliad

OpenLearn: Icarus: entering the world of myth

Roman history, literature, and culture

OpenLearn: Introducing Virgil’s Aeneid

Pelagios Roman Empire map

A Level Classical Civilisation: Imperial Image – Prescribed Sources: Study Notes 1

A Level Classical Civilisation: Imperial Image – Prescribed Sources: Study Notes 2

Languages

OpenLearn: Discovering Ancient Greek and Latin

OpenLearn: Continuing classical Latin

Classical reception

Practitioners’ Voices in Classical Reception Studies journal

Miscellaneous

Classics Confidential podcasts on a variety of topics

The Votives Project blog

Classics Education livestream event, where we discussed Greek drama, votives, teaching Classical Studies, and had an interview with Professor Edith Hall

Advocating Classics Education website, of which we are a partner institution

Outreach talks

Our research covers the entire ancient Mediterranean, and touches on the full remit of Classical Studies. We welcome invitations to give talks in schools or to other groups on the subject areas listed below, so do get in touch.

Elton Barker: the Homeric world (poetry and society); Greek tragedy; Herodotus (Greeks and barbarians); geography of the ancient Mediterranean

Emma Bridges: Homeric poetry and its reception; the Persian Wars; Greek drama; Greek myth and its reception

Emma-Jayne Graham: Roman death and burial; Roman religion; Roman archaeology

Jessica Hughes: Greek and Roman religion (especially temples and votive offerings); Greek and Roman art (especially painted pottery); the world of Pompeii

Jasmine Hunter-Evans: classical reception topics, particularly the afterlives of Greek and Roman myth and literature, the classical tradition across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and visions of ancient empire and decline in the modern world

Joanna Paul: classical reception topics, including the ancient world in contemporary popular culture; Latin literature; Pompeii

Phil Perkins: Etruscans; pre-Roman Italy; Roman Italy; the city of Rome

Christine Plastow: Classical Athens; Athenian democracy; Athenian law; ancient rhetoric and public speaking; Greek drama

James Robson: Aristophanes and Greek comedy; Greek sex and sexuality

Ursula Rothe: Roman society; Roman dress; Roman provinces; Roman historical authors; Roman army; Roman archaeology

Alexandra Wilding: ancient Greek history; ancient Greek religion; ancient Greek material culture and epigraphy

Naoko Yamagata: Homer; Hesiod; Virgil