Greek Discus Project for Kids
Greek discus, made by 6th graders
at Laurelhurst School, Portland
One of the sports in the Greek Olympic Games was to see who could throw a discus the farthest. Real discuses were very heavy, made out of iron or bronze usually, though sometimes stone or lead.
To make a pretend discus like this one, not to throw but just to display, carve it out of styrofoam or clay, and then paint it with gray or brown paint. If you want to try holding a competition to throw a real discus, you can buy discuses at sports stores. If you want to hold your own Olympic Games and you don't want it to be too complicated, you can use a Frisbee instead of a discus.
For more information, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
A Greek Potter, by Giovanni Caselli (1986). A day in the life of a Greek potter, for kids ages 9-12.
Hands-On Ancient People, Volume 2: Art Activities about Minoans, Mycenaeans, Trojans, Ancient Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, by Yvonne Merrill (2004). For kids - has a project for making your own Greek amphora.
The History of Greek Vases, by John Boardman (2001). For adults, but clear and readable, by an expert who has written most of the main books on Greek pottery.
Understanding Greek Vases: A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques (Getty Museum Publications 2002) by Andrew J. Clark, Maya Elston, Mary Louise Hart.
Looking at Greek Vases, by Tom Rasmussen, Nigel Spivey (1991) (each chapter is written by a different specialist, but the book as a whole is intended for non-specialists).
Other activities:
* Olympic games
* Play reading
