This History video introduces teachers to the key physical features of Greece and their impact on the development of ancient Greek civilisation. Understanding Greece’s geography is important substantive knowledge, as it helps children see how location, terrain, and climate shaped the way countries and societies developed. The country consists of over six thousand islands, with just over two hundred inhabited, including Crete, home to the Minoan civilisation.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s History scheme – Greeks. It supports teachers in helping pupils identify Greece’s geographical features and link them to the development of city states. It covers how mountains, seas, and islands influenced travel, trade, and governance, and how isolation led to differences between places like Athens and Sparta. It also explains Greece’s strategic location for trade and the goods the ancient Greeks exported, providing valuable context to understand their economy and influence.

History, Mixed-age, Y5/6 (B): What is the legacy of the ancient Greek civilisation? Year 5/6 (B): Lesson 1: Who were the ancient Greeks and when did they live?