Ancient Greek Vases - 2 class periods 3rd grade

Nicole Hoffmann
RATIONALE AND GOALS I am teaching this lesson to help students learn about Ancient Greek culture. This lesson will
allow students to think about how the Greeks made vases and why the put the pictures on them
they did. The unit I am teaching is on Ancient Greek civilization. This will allow the students to
pretend to be these people, while creating their own artwork. All students will have the
opportunity to create their own vase and depict whatever they believe is appropriate on the vase.
For students who have special needs they can work with a partner. The student can play with the
clay and get an idea what it is like to work with clay. If they are unable to form the clay another
student can form it. Then they can paint on the vase.
OBJECTIVES Students will create their own vase to resemble an ancient Greek vase. Students will also make
up their own story. Art is a huge part of cultures and for students to fully identify the Greek
culture they must know the art that culture made.
3rd grade: Strand Two: Concept 1: The student will describe the role that art plays in culture and
how it reflects, records, and interacts with history in various times, places, and traditions.
Beginning Objectives
STANDARDS
3rd grade:
Strand Two: Concept 1: The student will describe the role that art plays in culture and how it
reflects, records, and interacts with history in various times, places, and traditions.
PO 102. Discuss how artworks are used to communicate stories, ideas, and emotions.
Concept 2: Materials, Tools, and Techniques The student will use materials, tools, and
techniques in his or her own artwork
Concept 4: Meanings or Purposes - The student will judge an artists success in communicating
meaning or purpose in their artwork.
Create: Concept 1: Creative Process - The student will develop, revise, and reflect on ideas for
expression in his or her own artwork.
Concept 2: Materials, Tools, and Techniques The student will use materials, tools, and
techniques in his or her own artwork .

PO 101. Identify visual/tactile characteristics of artworks from diverse cultures, different places,
or times.
PO 101. Interpret meanings and/or purposes of an artwork using subject matter and symbols.
PO 102. Discuss themes in artworks that illustrate common human experiences that transcend
culture, time, and place.
VOCABULARY

Media, pl.; Medium, s.: The material or technique used by an artist to produce a work of
art.
Symbol: An image or visual quality that stands for an idea.
Theme: A theme is a unifying idea for an artwork. Examples of art themes: Love,
compassion, protest, persuasion, poverty, war, etc.
Value: The significance of an idea to an individual or group.
Visual Culture: Refers to the images and objects we encounter on a daily basis such as
signage, advertisements , film, computer environments, television, and packaging.

KEY CONCEPTS, CONTENT AND CONTEXT

This is an art history and studio lesson. This lesson will be paired with a unit plan on Greek
History. Students will already have some Greek History knowledge, but will be given a lesson
on Greek artwork before they start this lesson. The pictures depicted with likely represent
political, cultural, social, and historical dimensions. It will examine the relationships between
the Greek people and its culture.
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Clay
Black acrylic paint
Paint brushes
Smock
Water
Paper towels

LESSON SEQUENCE
Beginning the lesson:
I will first have the students sit down in groups. I will have their names on their desk with a
piece of blank paper. I will have a prompt on the board for students to write down some of the
things they have learned about the Greek people so far. After they are done, I will allow them to
draw a picture depicting something from Greek life they have learned about. Since this lesson is
happening in the middle of the unit plan, all students should have an idea about Ancient Greek

life. If they have not been in class I will have them write down anything they know. While the
students work on this I will take attendance. After this aspect of the lesson is done I will show
the students pictures of ancient Greek vases. I will ask them what looks similar about certain
vases. Then I will ask them to guess what the artist was trying to depict in the paintings.
Teaching Methods, Learning Activities and Questioning Strategies:
1. I will have the students sit in groups. I will hand out 5 pictures of ancient Greek vases.
2. I will ask the students what they see is similar between the vases. I will call on students
who raise their hands to give me their answers.
3. I will stand at the front of the classroom. I will show the students a PowerPoint of Greek
vases describing, how they were made, what they depicted, what their uses were, and
why they were important to the Greeks. I will show 20 different pictures of vases from
all around the Greek Empire. I will also tell the students about the different city-states of
Greece and show them how they may differ.
4. I will have students discuss what they find interesting about the vases and what they think
is most important about the vases in small groups. They will also discuss the different
things they find similar between the different vases. After they are done I will allow any
students to share their ideas.
5. Students will be given 24 hardening clay at their tables.
6. Students will be asked to shape a vase with the clay they are given to replicate a Greek
vase. I will walk around the class and ask them why they believe their vase looks like a
Greek one.
7. Students will write their name on the bottom of their vases, then leave for the day.
8. The next day the clay will have hardened and students will be given their vases back. I
will have their vases at their desks already.
9. The students will be asked to paint a story they find interesting onto the vase (can be
original or one they have already heard). I will go around asking again what makes these
stories Greek.
10. When the students are done they will present their vases and their significance to the
class one-by-one.
11. Students will then be asked to wash their brushes and clean their stations, group by
group. When the students are done they will sit at their seats until everyone is done.
Each student will leave their vases to the side of the classroom to dry.
12. Students will be called to line up one by one against the wall to get ready to leave.
Questions: List the questions that you will use to promote discussion and engage all students.
What kinds of responses do you want or will accept? How will you avoid yes/no answers? Will
you call on students, ask them to raise their hand, etc?,
Cognitive Thinking and Tools Does the lesson incorporate the use of cognitive tools to extend
student interest, learning, imagination, and understandings? How will you check for
understanding? How will you help students apply what they are learning?
First I will ask students to raise their hand. This is for the students who may be struggling. If
they hear their peers talk, they may get some ideas. After this I will go around and ask everyone
very similar questions. Then at the end of the activity every will have to present their vase and

answer each of the questions.

Are there any similarities among the vases? What are they?
Why do you believe that the Greeks made these vases?
What purpose do you think the vases held?
Why do you believe that the Greeks painted the images they did?
How does your painting represent ancient Greek life?
Do you believe this is an accurate depiction of these people?

CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION The pictures that the students see will be in a PowerPoint that I will organize ahead of time. I
will have that on my computer and ready when the students walk into the classroom. I will also
have a few printed out that students can look at while they work. These will also be a back up if
the computer does not work. I will allow one person from each group to come and get the clay
for the students. I will also have newspaper on the tables to keep them from getting too dirty.
Students will be allowed to talk during the lesson, but I will place them in their seats based on
where I believe they should sit. I will stand at the front of the room so all of the students can see
me. On the board will give students instructions to sit down, be quiet, and write about what they
know about Ancient Greek society.
SAFETY
Students must realize that once their vases have hardened they must be careful that they do not
break because the shards could cut someone.
CLOSURE/CLEAN UP
At the end of the lesson I will have each of the students describe their vases. I will ask them
what makes their vases Greek-like and why they chose to paint the story they did. After this
each group of students will go to the sink and clean their brushes and put them on a drying rack
and pour out their water. The vases will sit in the back of the classroom until the dry. Once each
table is done they will sit at their seats and wait. Then I will call each table to line up and wait to
go to their next class.
AUTHENTIC STUDENT ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION The assessment will focus on the students description of their vase. If the student can fully
understand why they made the vase and describe what makes this vase Greek-like then I will
know they did a good job. This I believe would reach to all types of learners because they will
be able to explain in their own words what they did. Students may approach the project
differently, but that doesnt mean they are wrong. I want students to know if they can justify their
work appropriately then they are doing what I want them to do. This assessment will force them
to think about how their own art reflects, records, and interacts with history in various times,
places, and traditions. I will also have them write Artist Evaluations so they can write down

everything they are thinking about their work. I can go back and see if the students really
understood what they were doing.
AUTHENTIC TEACHER SELF-ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION My goal is that students understand what I am trying to tell them, while having fun and being
interesting. I want students to understand all of the vocabulary I use and be able to use it when
they present their own vases. I also believe this lesson was paced appropriately. If there is time I
might add in an extra day to have the students draw out on a piece of paper what they are going
to depict on their vases. This way they can mess up and fully know what they want to draw.
This allows them time to brainstorm. I can develop as a teacher by understanding what the
students took out of the lesson. If students looked at this as only a way to write a mythology
story, I want them to realize that these vases also represented real life. I also want them to know
how important art is in different cultures and how the differences really reflect the cultures.