The ancient Greek civilization developed the foundations for Democracy as a political system. A project based on the theme of Democracy can compare the ancient Greek version of Democracy to the style applied to societies today. By looking at the three pillars of democracy in Athens, the Assembly of the Demos, the Council of 500, and the People's Court, students can figure out processes of legislation, decision making and power structures, and determine advantages, and disadvantages of the system. They can also investigate why democracy did not have a lasting impact on the region.
"I came, I saw, I conquered," Caesar said, but he needed a fair amount of soldiers, weapons and tactics. A project themed on Roman weapons can investigate the equipment a common Roman soldier used, look at the war machines that were invented by this ancient Mediterranean civilization, and examine the tactics applied by great Roman generals. Work on this theme about Mediterranean civilization can include reading classic Roman texts in translation, visits to museums and the sourcing and studying of old maps.
The Mediterranean civilization of the Spartans was an unique community were women had more rights than their counterparts in any other civilization in the region. A thematic project on women in Sparta and their rights and obligations can include a look at the history of Sparta, the female rituals and coming-of-age procedures, child rearing and women's training as warriors. When using this theme in a project, students can also study the Ancient Greek myths about the Amazons, a warrior tribe of fighting women, and compare them to the Spartan women who resided in the same region. Other comparisons can be made to the women of neighbouring Athens, who had virtually no rights or political powers.
The Mediterranean region has been the foundation for the Christian and to a certain extent also the Jewish religions. However, the Islamic faith also has deep roots in the countries that surround the sea, particularly due to the rise of the Caliphs following the fall of the Roman Empire. A thematic project could be done by investigating the development of the Islamic cultures in the Mediterranean, including the Sufi orders in Anatolia and the Moors in Spain. It also can look at the evolution of Islam in the middle ages in the Mediterranean, and how this made an impact on the culture, politics and economics in the countries and regions where it was predominant.