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Spartans and Athenians: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5

  • ForYear 5
  • StageKey Stage 2
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Spartans and Athenians is a free printable history worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children sort facts about two Greek city states, Sparta and Athens, into three groups: only Sparta, both, and only Athens. It takes about 20 minutes, needs only paper, scissors and a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children cut out a set of fact cards and read each one carefully. They decide whether it was true of Sparta only, true of Athens only, or true of both. Then they place it in the right column of the table. The sheet asks children to compare, not just remember. Each choice needs a reason, so it works well as a talking activity for one or two children.

  • 1. Boys trained to be soldiers
  • 2. Known for a form of democracy
  • 3. A city-state in ancient Greece
  • 4. Famous for its strong army
  • 5. Home to thinkers such as Socrates
  • 6. Greek was the language people spoke
  • Only Sparta
  • Both
  • Only Athens

Why compare Sparta and Athens?

Ancient Greece was not one country in the way we think of a country today. It was made up of many independent communities, each with its own leaders, laws and way of life. We call these city states. Sparta and Athens are two of the best known. Historians often compare them because they handled many things very differently.

Historians learn about ancient Greece from sources such as writings, buildings, pottery and carvings. Some of these were made by people from the city itself and some by outsiders, so they do not always agree. Sorting facts into groups is a simple version of what historians do. They compare, look for patterns and ask what the evidence shows.

Fun facts about ancient Greece

  • The ancient Olympic Games were held at a place called Olympia in Greece.
  • The word alphabet comes from alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.
  • Many English words come from Greek, including the word history.
  • Painted Greek pottery has survived for a very long time and shows us scenes from daily life.
  • Greek temples and other stone buildings still stand today, and visitors can walk around them.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Comparing
  • Sorting
  • Ancient Greece
  • Using evidence
  • Explaining reasoning

This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.

Framework Subject or area Strand Year
National Curriculum (England) History Ancient Greece Year 5

What children will be able to do

  • I can say how Sparta and Athens were different.
  • I can say what they had in common.
  • I can use facts to compare them.

Ideas to help you talk it through

  • Both means bothA card goes in the Both column only if it is true of Sparta and also true of Athens. Ask the question twice, once for each city.
  • Only means one cityA card goes in an Only column if it is true of that city and not true of the other. Check the other city before you decide.
  • Ask how we knowEncourage children to say where a fact might come from, such as a book, a museum or a teacher. History is built on evidence.
  • Reasons matterA child who sorts a card wrongly but explains their thinking is still learning. Ask them to say more, then check together.

Key words

  • City stateA city that ruled itself, with its own leaders and laws, and the land around it.
  • AncientVery, very old. It means from a time long before our own.
  • CompareLook at two things and say how they are the same and how they are different.
  • SimilaritySomething that two things share.
  • DifferenceSomething that is true of one thing but not the other.
  • DemocracyA way of running a place where people have a say, usually by voting.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Cut out the cards. Read each one aloud together before any sorting begins.
  3. For each card, ask: is this true of Sparta? Is this true of Athens? Then choose the column and place the card.
  4. Fill in the table. Ask your child to give a reason for each choice, then check against page 2.
  5. Come back another day. Cover the table and see how many facts your child can remember about each city.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Start with the Both column. Put a card there only if it is true of Sparta and also true of Athens. Read each card aloud and ask, "Is this true of Sparta? Is this true of Athens?" Then share the rest between the two Only columns.

To stretch confident children

Write two more facts about Sparta or Athens and add them to the table. Check each one in a book or a trusted website with an adult. Then ask someone else to sort your new facts without seeing your answers.

Make it a game

Cover the table and take turns to recall facts. Each player says one fact about Sparta or Athens, and the other player says which column it belongs in. Score a point for each correct fact and each correct column.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child puts a card in Both because they are not sure.

Try thisAsk both questions out loud: is it true of Sparta, and is it true of Athens? Both answers must be yes. If not, it belongs in an Only column.

Watch forA child puts a card under one city because that is the only city they know it about.

Try thisKnowing a fact about one city does not show the other city lacked it. Ask, "What do I know about the other city?" Check with page 2.

Watch forA child places a card with no reason.

Try thisAsk, "How do you know?" Practise saying the choice with the word because. Reasons are as useful as answers in history.

Talk about it

  • What was life like for a child in Sparta?
  • What was the same in both cities?
  • Which city would you have liked to live in, and why?
  • Why might historians want to compare two cities rather than study just one?
  • How could we find out if a fact about ancient Greece is true?
  • Which card was hardest to place, and what made it tricky?

Take it off the page

Fact poster

Fold a large sheet of paper in half. Write Sparta on one side and Athens on the other. Draw or write what you learned, and put shared facts across the fold.

Map hunt

Find Greece in an atlas. Talk about what you can see, such as the sea and the islands. Think about how that might shape how people lived.

Role play

Take turns to be a reporter and an ancient Greek citizen. The reporter asks questions, and the citizen answers using facts from the sheet.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Ask for a reason for each choice. Praise careful thinking, not only correct answers. About 20 minutes is plenty, and you can return to it later.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, homework or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the answers for quick checking.

Home educators

Pair it with library books, a visit to a museum or a talk about what makes a place different from another. Siblings can work together. Print it again for revision a few weeks later.

Where this fits in history learning

Before this sheet, children have usually met ideas about the past and how to use evidence. They may have used timelines and learned that civilisations existed long before ours. Comparing two places builds on those skills and asks children to explain what they notice.

After this sheet, children can go on to other parts of ancient Greek life, such as gods, the Olympics and the Greek alphabet. They can also compare other ancient peoples. The National Curriculum for England includes a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. What was life like for a child in Sparta?
  2. What was the same in both cities?
  3. Which city would you have liked to live in, and why?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Spartans and Athenians for?

It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10) in Key Stage 2. Children in nearby years may enjoy it too, but the sorting and reasoning suit this age best.

What will children practise?

Children compare ancient Sparta and Athens, spotting what was different and what was the same. They sort facts into three groups and practise giving reasons for each choice.

How long does it take?

It takes about 20 minutes. Read each fact aloud together before sorting, and leave time to talk about the choices. Children can come back to it another day to test their memory.

What if it feels too hard?

Start with the Both column. Put a card there only if it is true of Sparta and also true of Athens. Ask the question once for each city. Then share the remaining cards between the two Only columns.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and black and white printing works well.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. The answers on page 2 make checking quick.

Is this a screen free activity?

Yes. It needs only paper, scissors and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. It also gets children talking and explaining their thinking.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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