Greek Vases

Fourth grade students were very eager to share their prior knowledge about Ancient Greek culture when we did this lesson centered on Greek vases. Some students had Greek heritage and were excited to share family traditions, some students shared stories from the Percy Jackson series, some students where history buffs that loved to share their knowledge. It was great to hear the students voice their connections with ancient art. We took that excitement and dove right into making our own vases.

First we used oil pastels to create a colorful design. This was covered with a soapy India ink solution. 

The next step was to create designs and images by scratching away the India ink to show the color underneath. The Ancient Greek vases we looked at were presented as trophies to the victors of the Panathenaic games so some students scratched images of sports and activities in which they were champs while other students focused on making Greek inspired patterns. 

The final step was to create a pedestal in the style of a Greek column. We analyzed Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns so that the students could create an informed version of their own. This was a fun time. I really appreciate the energy my students brought to the lesson. Way to go 4th graders!