Ancient Greece History Co-op. - Week 8 - Temples

Week 8: We built Greek Temples using large cardboard boxes.

The temples of the ancient Greeks were somewhat similar to Churches in our culture. They were religious places where people could make sacrifices to the Gods.

My friend was able to obtain several enormous boxes from a local store which the kids enjoyed turning into Ancient Greek Temples.

The oldest and youngest child both decided they wanted to create the Temple of Athena Nike, so they worked together. When they drew their Ionic columns they learned about the three different styles (Doric, Ionic and Corinthian) of columns. Then they drew small pictures all around the top of the temples. These are the friezes which were carving around the tops of temples that often told the stories of Greek myths.

A turkey carving knife works perfect to cut cardboard.

Nike was the goddess of victory. The temple of Athena Nike is located in Athens in the shadow of the Acropolis and actually missed by many visitors because it is much small in size and a bit out of the way.

When the kids were finished working on the temples many of them decided to make their own shoes. Since they came up with their own designs and materials they had a chance to see how shoes may have been originally made and improved through trial and experimentation.