Greek Shield Project for Kids
Spartan Shield, made by 6th graders
at Laurelhurst School, Portland
Greek hoplite soldiers carried shields like this one. The cut out areas made the shield lighter to carry. To make a shield like this one, cut the shape out of a large piece of cardboard and paint it. Then after the paint dries, glue on metal jar lids and wooden sticks to make the pattern.
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
