Ancient Greek Studies

By Dana Burke

Throughout the months of August, September, and October, the 3rd grade studied Ancient Greece. In Language Arts, the girls read the book Adventures of Greek Heroes by Mollie McLean and Anne Wiseman. They also memorized speeches and dressed up as their favorite Greek god, goddess, or hero for their "Talking Museum" project. Each student wrote their own fable, based upon Aesop's Fables, and in Social Studies, they learned about Ancient Greece's culture, entertainment, food, geography, and traditions.

The girls also studied the ancient Olympics and compared those games to our present day Olympics, and throughout the week of October 19th they reenacted the ancient Greek version. The students were divided into three teams: Sparta, Crete, and Athens. The first day consisted of an opening ceremony, a Zeus oath, and team cheers. Tuesday through Thursday, the girls competed in group and individual events, including the javelin (with pool noodles), discus (with a Frisbee), and the long jump, among others. The girls enjoyed cheering on their teams in the various events. On Friday, we had a closing ceremony during which the girls all received purple ribbons and ivy wreaths.