Page 36 - Resources

5. Gather back to conclude the lesson. Talk about the significance of
Archimedes’ work for everyone today (see separate sheet).

6. Challenge the children to be thinkers and to question in a right spirit. Give
time for children pray about being used by God to influence the world as the

Greek thinkers have done. One life used by God can make a difference to the
whole world.

Learning for Life (Fulfilment)

1. The children should have learnt from each other about the Greek thinkers and
have been challenged to think and ask questions in a right spirit.

2. They will have appreciated the importance of Archimedes’ experiments for us

today and that one life used by God can make a difference.
Archimedes: Early Years and Mathematics

by Ron Kurtus (revised 17 May 2005)

Archimedes (287-212 BC) was a great ancient Greek mathematician and scientist. He
was educated in Egypt by followers of the famous mathematician, Euclid. Archimedes
later devised ways to calculate areas and volumes, defined pi, and formulated

integral calculus. But it was his inventions such as a water pump and discoveries such
as hydrostatics that made him famous in his time. Some of his inventions are still
used today. There were several wars during his lifetime, and he was killed when the
Romans overran his city.

Questions you may have about his early years include:

• What was Archimedes' education like?

• What did he discover in mathematics?

• What were the influences of war in his life?

This lesson will answer those questions.

Education

Archimedes was born in Syracuse, Sicily in about 287 BC. Although Sicily is near
Italy, at that time Syracuse was a Greek city. His father Phidias had some wealth
and considered himself an astronomer.

(Greek Grandeur, Hebrew Heart) 34