Welcome

To begin, I would like to thank the organization that made teaching this lesson possible. This lesson was generously funded by the Howell Education Foundation with the purchase of an Elmo document camera for the art room and Southeast Elementary School. I would also like to thank Mr. Gorton (our technology teacher) for helping the fifth graders research information to deepen their understanding of this lesson.

This blog is set up for the students and families of Southeast Elementary School in Howell, Michigan. It's purpose is to share the artistic achievements of the fifth grade classes by showcasing their art work.

In this lesson students researched the art of Greek vase painting dating from 600-408 BC. After researching this art form, students created two narrative scenes, one depicting Greek life and another depicting their own lives. Students were given two techinques to use representing the black-figure or red-figure style of vase painting.

The posts within this blog will tell you what the students have learned and the creative processes used in designing their vases. I encourage you to spend some time viewing this blog and I hope that you will be so inspired that you will comment on their hard work.

Thank you and enjoy!

Mrs. Guetschow

PS. In order to see more about the generous support made to art education in Howell by the Howell Education Foundation please go to: http://kidsarequilters.blogspot.com

Bringing the Past to Life

The culture developed by the ancient Greeks may have ended more than 2,000 years ago, but many of their ideas still live on today. Modern American politics, science, language, and drama are based on early Greek concepts. Painted pottery is one of the few forms of art that survived the fall of ancient Greek civilization. The narratives and designs painted on ancient Greek pottery can teach us about the culture and daily lives of the ancient Greeks.

The Enduring Idea or Big Idea in this lesson is culture. All art mirrors life. It is a reflection of the artists' construction of meaning about their life and times. The essential question then becomes: In what ways were vases used in Ancient Greece?

In this lesson, students will learn about the culture of ancient Greek civilization and contrast and compare it to their own lives. This interdisciplinary lesson teaches students to use math in order to create the pattern for their vases, technology with computers to research information and an Elmo document camera to present the information they have learned. Mixing art education with content areas brings meaning and value to learning. The interdisciplinary approach of engaging students in creative expression along with content areas helps students construct knowledge and develop real-life skills that will last a lifetime. I hope you will be able to see examples of this as you read our blog.

This lesson correlates with the following Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks for Visual Arts:
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5
4.1, 4.2, 4.3
5.1, 5.4

This lesson correlates with the National Content Standards for Visual Arts:
1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
2. Using knowledge of structures and functions
3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
4. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others
6. Making connections between the visual arts and other disciplines

I hope you enjoy the work our Southeast fifth graders did. They would love to read your comments, so be sure to post a word or two.
Thank you, Mrs. Guetschow



Visit Mythology Island at: http://www.poptropica.com/

Art with students from Mrs. Burgess' Class

I did a hydria using the black-figure style. In Ancient Greece they would put water in it. A hydria had three handles, one on top so it would pour easily. I used a lot of patterns because the Ancient Greeks used patterns on their pottery. But on the very top of my vase I drew three signs of the three main Greek gods. I liked this lesson because I liked drawing the geometric patterns and leaning about life in Ancient Greece and how the Spartans were trained. Garrett

My Greek vase is an amphora. Amphora's held oil and were given as prizes at Greek events. I did mine as black-figure. I put Greek pillars, vines and geometric shapes on my vase. I have a Spartan just riding around on his chariot. He is out exercising the horses and making sure the chariot is okay. I liked this project. I found it interesting to learn about the kind of vases the Greeks used and what their purpose was. Hayden

I used an amphora without handles. It would have been given as a prize, so I drew Spartans fighting in a competition to win a vase. I did it in the black-figure style. I used a lot of geometric shapes because the old Greek vases had a lot of geometric patterns and I thought it was cool. I thought the project was interesting because I had to think about what life was like back then. Dylan

A dinosa would have been given as a prize in the Olympic games. It would have been filled with oil. I used the black-figure style. Austin

I made my Greek vase in the shape of a dinosa. It would have been given during the Olympic games as a prize. It would have been filled with oil. I used the red-figure style to draw my designs. My designs are triangles and Spartans. There are shields, swords and a bow and arrow. I came up with a story about my drawing because I thought it would be cool. The Spartans are fighting over a sandwich. I liked this project because I liked learning about the Olympic games, and I liked learning about Sparta being the best trained army at that time. Matt

A dinosa was a deep rounded vase used for competition and given as prizes filled with oil. I used the red-figure style and I drew Spartans and used geometric shapes. Connor

I used a hydria. A hydria was used to carry water. It was easy to pour because it had three handles. I did the drawing using the black-figure style and I used geometric shapes. My Greek vase has two Spartans getting ready to fight because they are going to battle. The vase I did about myself is in the shape of a hot air balloon. I put all the things I like on it. I have my softball number, softball bats, a peace sign and the words "love and happiness." I thought this was a cool experience because I learned about Ancient Greece. Hannah

I used a hydria for my Greek vase. I did it in black-figure style. A hydria had two handles for carrying and one handle for pouring. It was used to carry water in. I'm reading the second Percy Jackson book and I took a scene from the story for my vase. Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon which made me think of water and that's why I chose the hydria. For my personal vase, I drew dance, cheer, the peace sign and Michigan State University. I really liked this lesson. The Percy Jackson books are great and it was cool to learn more about Greek culture.
Emma

In 776BC the first Olympics were played. The winners were awarded a crown made of olive branches.
In 508 BC democracy began. Democracy means ruled by people. Only men could decide the rules.
500BC was the start of the ‘classical period’ in Greece. At this time there was a lot of interest in art. The period continued until 323BC.
In 480 -490BC the Greeks beat the Persians. The Greeks kept growing their empire.
Connor

The year the first Olympics were played was in 776 BC, and the prize was a crown made of olive branches. It was in 508 BC when democracy began. Democracy means ruled by the people. The “Classical Period” started in 500 BC. The things that happened during the Classical Period were more interest in art, imagination and buildings. The Greeks defeated the Persians in 490 and 480 BC. The result was that the Greek victories kept the growing Persian Empire in check. The year the Parthenon was finished was 432 BC. The purpose was to look over and protect the city.

Isabelle 

The year 776 BC was the year of the first Olympics. In 508 BC 'democracy' began in Athens. We still use this term today meaning 'ruled by the people.” Male citizens were given the chance to vote in order to decide how the city-state should be run. This is often said to be one of their greatest ideas. 500 BC was the start of the 'Classical Period' in Greece. At this time there was a lot of interest in arts, imagination and buildings especially in the city-state of Athens. This period continued until 323 BC.

Elianna

In 776 BC the first Olympics were played. The winners were awarded a crown made from olive branches. In 508 BC democracy started in Athens, Greece. Democracy means to vote for what you want. In 500 BC the classical period started. In the classical period the people were interested in music and arts. In 472 BC the Greeks defeated the Persians. These Greek victories kept the growing Persian Empire in check.

Garrett

The first Olympics were held in 776 BC. They occurred every four years. The winners would be awarded a crown of olive branches. Democracy started in 508BC in Athens. Democracy means ruled by people but back then only male citizens were given the right to vote. The classical period started in 500BC. During this time, many people started an interest in art. Greek defeated the Persian Empire in 490 and 480 BC. As a result the victories kept the growing Persian Empire in check. In 432BC the Parthenon was finished. Its purpose was to show the Goddess Athena so she could protect and look over the city.

Emily

For some fun and interesting games go to: http://www.poptropica.com

Art with students from Mrs. Carroll's Class

I used an amphora for my Greek vase. It was used to hold oil and given to the winners of the Olympic games. On my vase I drew one of the games. I used chariot racing. I added geometric patterns because I thought it looked cool. I didn't like making the Greek vase because I'm not that interested in Ancient Greece. I made my personal vase in the shape of a jolly rancher. I like jolly ranchers. I added lighting and thunderstorms because I like it when the power goes out. I put me and my dog on my vase, because I'm suppose to be training her. I also drew myself on a balance beam. Heather

My personal vase has leaves as an edging because I didn't want it to be empty. I also used geometric patterns because I thought they looked cool and they are on all of the Greek vases. I put a a tutu and dance bar on it because I've been dancing for 7 years. I used a dinosa because I thought it would work best with everything I wanted to draw. For my Greek vase I used an amphora. Amphora's were used as awards in the Olympic games and they were filled with oil. I drew a lot of leaf patterns on the vase because I thought it looked cool. I liked this project. It was awesome. I like learning about Ancient Greece. Mary

I used a hydria because it was used for carrying water and I thought it was cool. I used the red-figure style to make my vase. I drew waves and geometric patterns. I also drew people making vases and showed how Greek life was back then. For my personal vase I used a ballet point shoe. I drew a cat on it because I love cats. I put more geometric patterns because Greek vases had geometric patterns. I used the sgraffito technique. I liked this lesson because I liked learning about the purpose of Ancient Greek vases. Jacquelyn

I used a hydria and black-figure style drawing. Hydrias would have held water, so I drew a person carrying a hydria on her head. I put a river behind her and a geometric pattern as a design. I really liked designing my own personal vase. I love rats, so I made my vase a rat. I drew softballs and a bat because I like to play softball and I think it's fun. I wrote the word "animals" because I love animals. I like to draw so I added a paper and pencil. I put a swimming pool and trees because swimming is fun and I like to climb trees. Along the bottom, I drew a guinea pig running. Alyssa

I picked a dinosa for my Greek vase. A dinosa would be given as a prize during Greek competitions. Because it is round on the bottom it needed a stand. I put a chariot race on my vase with olive leaves and patterns to make it look interesting. I thought it was fun to make the vases and draw the early Olympic games. It was exciting to learn about the early games.
Matt

I used an Amphora shape for my vases. Amphora's filled with oil were used as awards in the early Pan-Athenic games. On my vase, I drew myself on the beam and I used a medal and a trophy on my vase with geometric shapes. My vase is all about gymnastics because I love gymnastics. On my Greek vase, I have an olive branch in the shape of a crown, a chariot race and geometric shapes.
Madi

I used a dinosa for my Greek vase, and I used the black figure style. I drew the Spartans and Persians fighting against each other and I divided parts of this vase with shapes. For my own vase, I used an amphora shape. I put the things I like on my vase. I drew baseballs, coke and video games because those are the things that say the most about me.

Cam

I used Hercules on my vase because I think Hercules is awesome. He is my favorite figure in all of Greek mythology. I have him fighting off Cerberus. The master bolt is from Zeus because Zeus is helping Hercules. I used leaves and geometric patterns to divide the vase into sections. I really like Greek myths and I think the Percy Jackson books are cool. I liked learning about the different uses of the Greek vases.

Emma

I really learned a lot about Greek art. I thought it was interesting to learn about Greek vases and the red-figure or black-figure pottery. I also liked learning about sgraffito.

Aiden

My "all about me" vase is about gymnastics. It's what I like to do. It's a hobby and a sport for me. I have gotten 1st place in the state competition. I drew a gymnast finishing her floor routine. I also drew her doing a handstand on a balance beam. I thought the project was interesting because I never knew the Olympic games started that long ago. Sydney

For my Greek vase, I used a hydria. A hydria would have been used to carry water in. I drew a lady carrying water back to her house. For my own vase, I used a flip-flop because summer is my favorite season. I drew a pom-pom because I like being a cheerleader and I drew a "H" for the Howell Highlanders. I put a guitar and a piano on my vase because I like them both. I liked using the sgraffito method. It was fun and different. Amanda

I used a Greek dinosa. It would have been used in the games like an amphora. It would have been filled with oil and given as a prize. I did my vase using the black-figure style of pottery. I put a football on it because football is my favorite sport. I drew a field, posts and field goal. I drew a football going between two uprights. I liked this project. I liked it because we had a choice to do a personal vase and I thought the Greek stuff was interesting. Chandler

776 bc was the year of the first Olympics. A crown of olive branches was awarded to the winner. 508 bc was the year democracy started in Athens. It meant male citizens could vote in order to decide how the city/state should be run. In 500 bc “the classical period” people were interested in art, imagination, and buildings especially in the city/state of Athens.

Brandon

The year of the first Olympics was 776 BC. The prize to the winner was a crown of olive branches. Some of the sports were wrestling, jumping, javelin and chariot race.
The year that democracy began was in 508 BC and it began in the city of Athens. We still use the same term today, democracy, meaning ruled by people.
The Classical Period was in 500 BC and it continued until 323 BC. At that time there was a lot of interest in art, imagination and buildings especially in the city-state of Athens.
Charlotte

The year of the first Olympics was 776 BC. As a reward the winner would receive a crown made up of olives. A few sports were wrestling, jumping and chariot racing. Democracy began in 508 BC in the city Athens. The word democracy means ruled by people. We have a democracy in our country. The “Classical Period” took place between the years 500 and 323 BC. During this time people were really interested in art imagination and building.
The Greeks defeated the Persians in 490 and 480 BC. As a result, the Persian Empire was kept in check. The Parthenon was finished in 432 BC. Its purpose was to house a statue of the goddess Athena.
Heather

Ancient Greek Life
• The year of the first Olympics was in 776 BC, and other Olympic games followed each 4 years. A crown made of olive branches was awarded to the winner.
• The first democracy was in the city of Athens in 508 BC.
• The start of the classical period was in 500 BC and ended in 323 BC. In this period there was a lot of interest in the arts including, architecture, imagination and art.
• 490 and 480 BC was when the Greeks defeated the Persians. The Greeks then kept Persian in check.
• The Parthenon was finished in 432 BC. Its purpose was to keep a statue of the goddess Athena safe and let her watch after the city of Athens.
Jacquelyn

776 BC was the year of the first Olympics. A crown of olive branches was awarded to the winner. In the year 508 BC a democracy began in Athens. Democracy means that there was a ruler that made laws. 500 BC was the start of the classic period. At this time there was a lot of interest in art. In 490 and 480 BC the Greeks defeated Persian invaders at the battles of Marathon (490 BC) and Salamis (480 BC).
Aiden

Greek Vase Assignment
By: Amanda
1. The year of the first Olympic Games was 776 BC. Awarded to the winner was a crown of olive branches.
2. In 508 democracy began in the city of Athens. The term is still used today, it means “ruled by the people”.
3. The Classical Period started in 500 BC. During this period there was a lot of interest in arts, imagination, and buildings.
4. In 490 and 480 BC the Greeks defeated Persian invaders.
5. In 432 BC the Parthenon in Athens was finished. The building’s purpose was to look over and protect the city-state.

For some fun and interesting games go to: http://www.poptropica.com