Post 3- Ancient Greek Attire

This past Friday, we had a great time learning about what the ancient Greeks wore. They are learning about this ancient people in their Social Studies class, so Mrs. Schoenfeld and I came up with an idea to help them understand these people better in one specific way: their clothing. We talked about what kinds of clothes you would wear depending on the temperature, your gender, and your station. The students learned the different names for these items of clothing and their purposes. After learning about them, I challenged the students to recreate these costumes using only newspapers and tape. The results were amazing! (I will be posting pictures just as soon as all of my Media forms have been turned in)
We broke the students into six teams, each team choosing a different outfit to create on a willing live model. Four teams chose the male warriors outfit. The remaining two chose to do the engaged female outfits. This caused a lot of fun laughter when one of the models for these groups was an eager boy who thought it would be hilarious. One of the girls on his team even found a red wig to have him wear. The students worked very hard creating shields and spears and sandals (that went over shoes! Ha!) and breastplates and the hardest task: the plumed helmets.
After finishing our costumes, the students who were modeling stood up on the stage at the front of the room and we did a small assessment. I pointed out different items of clothing and had the students identify them by name.
I think this lesson will stick in their memory for years to come, and I'm so grateful to the other teachers and assistants in the class who helped it all run smoothly. This Friday we are going to be doing a Dia De Los Muertos art project, and I'm really excited!