A New Look at Ancient Rome

You know you can Google Earth any location on this planet today, but did you know you can Google Earth a place from back in time? Take a look at Ancient Rome...

Great Heights Week: Goliath....and David

While thinking of tall things for this week’s theme, “Great Heights,” the idea of doing a Goliath post came to me. I checked this David and Goliath out from the library because I just love the cover illustration! And on the inside too the illustrations are as big as life....really good. But when Shannon and I read it last night I didn’t enjoy the writing so much.  I mean “old rams skipped and danced in their grave fashion”? It was also annoying how lines were repeated and disturbing how the author included details of David cutting off Goliath’s head at the end. Yuck. Is there a plus side? Well, it is gratifying that the book reeks with the feel and look of life back then. And the fact that there was a conflict at the time of King Saul between the Israelites and the Philistines is certainly substantiated. But best of all, underscored is the lesson that you can conquer any problem if you think smart. 


Ages 6-9
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Activity: Here’s a David and Goliath coloring page.

Feeling a little guilty about not having a better David and Goliath offering, I looked around for some online sources and I may have struck gold for the older kids. During the 7th century a Byzantine artist created a series of plates telling the story of David. Today, most of those plates are on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the Online Books Page I found a link to a free learning-activity offered by the museum that encourages young people to look more closely at the Museum’s spectacular set of Byzantine silver objects, known as the David Plates. It provides an in-depth exploration of the plates, including their subject—the biblical story of David and Goliath—and essential background information about the culture in which they were made. Also included are maps, teaching strategies, and activities for students. Wouldn’t it be neat to do this activity before a visit to the museum?

A 5,000 Year Old Epic

These stories about a part god/part man king named Gilgamesh are reminiscent of ancient Greek mythology, but they are more ancient. In fact, they were originally written on clay tablets some 5,000 years ago. Ludmila Zeman has taken these older than dirt Mesopotamian tales and created a kid-friendly, beautifully illustrated trilogy. Besides the lessons in friendship, loyalty, leadership, love and good versus evil, readers will also be exposed to what life in the long ago city of Uruk, situated in present day Iraq, was like. Titles in this series include Gilgamesh the King, The Revenge of Ishtar and The Last Quest of Gilgamesh.

Ages 9-12
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Activity: Can you put a story on a clay tablet that someone else can decipher? We started by making our own Mesopotamian Mud (home made play dough). Here is the recipe we used:

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 tb oil
1/2 tb cream of tartar
Food Coloring:
Red: 30 drops
Green: 20 drops
Yellow: 15 drops

Stir ingredients together then cook over medium heat. Stir until liquid ingredients become solid.

Here is Shannon's cuneiform. She wrote about two friends finding a bird's nest containing eggs. I read it without even stumbling!

To see and find out more about cuneiforms check out these sites:
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Berkeley, California
Horn Museum, Berrien Springs, Michigan
Kelsey Museum of Archeology, Ann Arbor, Michigan
New York Public Library, New York, New York
USC Archaeological Collection, Los Angeles, California
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland

SNOW WEEK - 5,000 Year Old Ice Man

TITLE: Frozen Man

AUTHOR: David Getz

WHO WAS WHERE IN THE SNOW? A man, nicknamed Ötzi the Iceman, died in the Italian Alps about 3,300 B.C. His mummified body was discovered by hikers in 1991.

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THIS EVENT: This book describes the discovery, recovery and scientific study of a man who met his demise during the copper age, some 5,000 years ago. Many of his personal belongings were recovered as well, including clothes and shoes sewn with amazing skill, a copper ax, a flint knife, a bow and arrows, birch bark baskets, berries, mushrooms, and a fire-starting kit. It is also interesting to note that he bore tattoos.

This book was published in 1996 and at that time it was surmised that Ötzi got caught in an unexpected snow storm and froze to death. In 2001 x-rays and a CT scan were performed on Ötzi and showed that an arrowhead was lodged in his shoulder. It is now believed that this killed him. For children with an interest in the work of medical examiners, I would encourage them to do further research on Ötzi. It is AMAZING the knowledge obtained from these scans as well as from tests on his DNA, his hair, his one existing nail, his teeth and so on. Scientists have pinned down the time of year he died, the contents of his last two meals, where he lived as a child and as an adult, how he spent his time, the fact that he was infertile, that he had intestinal parasites, and that he was sick for about two weeks a couple of months before he died.

Ages 9 to 12
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I have not had the opportunity to read Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past, but see it was published in 2008 and am sure it contains more updated information on Ötzi. It also discusses discoveries of Incan children sacrificed to the gods and the recovered body of George Mallory, who died trying to climb Mt. Everest.

Activity: The Museum in Italy where Ötzi is now on display offers interactive internet activities for children where they can do things like Take a Walk with Ötzi.

Eye Witness to History

The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote of his day at the Coliseum watching the Gladiators. Pliny the Younger recalled in a letter how he barely survived the Pompeii disaster of 79AD. Sadie Frowne told of immigrating to America from Poland and Lady Bird Johnson recorded her memories of the day JFK was shot. All these juicy tidbits from history have been collected at an amazingly well organized site, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com.

Browse fascinating written eyewitness accounts from the making of a mummy to Nixon leaving the Whitehouse. But there are also recorded voices, fascinating photos and amazing videos available too.

Warning...addictive browsing. Very bookmark worthy.

Ages 9 and up
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“A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men.”

—Plato

FREE FRIDAY — Galley Ship —

For this free galley ship clip art, click here.

FREE FRIDAY — Roman Chariot Clip Art —

For this free Roman chariot clip art, click here.

Spot On

On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time is oh SO clever. The author, Susan E. Goodman, starts at a busy spot in New York City where skyscrapers now loom. “But on this spot…” you read and then turn the page “175 years ago…New York was a different city.” Suddenly taxis and business people and asphalt give way to carriages and chickens and cobblestones.

With each spread, the spot in New York City recedes further back into time—becoming home to Native Americans and cougars, then woolly mammoths, then glaciers a mile thick, then going back 190 million years to dinosaurs, then way before then to the highest mountain range ever, then a tropical sea and lastly nothing but rock

Your children will be intrigued by this concept and they will be captivated by the illustrations. Well done!

Ages 5-7
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Activity: What used to be where your house is now? Use this template to make your own little book about the spot where you live. Oh, and here is the author's teacher guide.

FREE FRIDAY! —gladiator clip art—

For the free Gladiator clip art, click here.

King Tut Exhibitions

There are two exhibits currently ready to transport you to the Egyptian kingdoms of 3000 years ago.  If we get in the vicinity of either of these over the course of the summer we'll be sure to visit. If you beat us to it, I would really be interested in hearing your comments.

Tutankhamun the Golden King and the Great Pharaohs

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana

June 27, 2009 - October 2009

Art Gallery of Ontario

Toronto, Canada

November 24, 2009 - April 2010
 
This exhibition features 50 objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun including the gold sandals that adorned the mummy's feet and a beautifully adorned canopic jar that mummified his internal organs. In addition to the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun, 80 ancient artifacts are featured, which highlight many of the most significant rulers of ancient Egypt such as Khefren, whose great pyramid is the only remaining structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world and Hatshepsut, the queen who became king.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs

de Young Museum

San Francisco, California

June 27, 2009 - March 2010

This exhibit focuses on the 18th Dynasty, a 100 year period when Egypt was at the height of its power and the "golden age" of Egyptian artistry.  This was the era when Tutankhamun and his ancestors reigned.  The extensive array of more than 130 extraordinary artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun and other ancient Egyptian sites features 50 of Tutankhamun's burial objects, including his royal diadem and one of the four gold and precious stone inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his mummified internal organs.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.kingtut.org.