Greek and Roman Pottery Design Lesson Plan

Krater (mid - 5th Century BC) may be viewed at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Left, Teacher sample drawing of Greek pottery. Right, A second sample of the assignment using a
portrait design typically found on Greek pottery.

Type of Lesson Plan: Object-based Lesson Plan/Reading Comprehension (Integrated Studies)

Topic: Greek/Roman pottery design

Goals:

• Students identify design and pattern common to ancient Greek pottery.
• Students participate in meaningful drawing activities that reflect their willingness to communicate art concepts they have learned through observation.
• Students actively participate in larger classroom discussions involving art aesthetics.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify the general characteristics of Greek designs in pottery when asked questions and shown slides/pictures.
• Students will be able to produce a contour drawing of a Greek inspired pot.

Missouri Show-Me Standards: FA 2, FA 1, FA 3

GLE’s:

Strand I: Product/Performance – Communicate ideas about subject matter and themes in artworks created for various purposes

C. Grade 6 – Create an original artwork that communicates ideas about the following theme

• Functions of Art in Culture
• Personal Identity

Strand II: Elements and Principles – Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork

A. Grade 6 – Identify and use converging lines and Identify and use contour lines to define a complex object

A. Grade 7 – Identify and use rhythmic lines

A. Grade 8 – Identify and use varied line quality

Strand III: Artistic Perceptions – Investigate the nature of art and discuss responses to artworks

A. Grade 6 – Discuss how different cultures have different concepts of beauty and explain how responses to artworks from various cultures are based on both personal experience and group beliefs

Grade Level Targeted: Middle School (7-9)

Number of Class Periods: two, 55 minute class periods

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• Classroom
• A computer for the slide show

Resources needed for teaching lesson:

• Power point/slide show for Greek Pottery
• Teacher’s sample of the art project

Materials Per Student:

• A selection of black, gold, and orange construction paper
• Large and fine tip black markers
• White glue
• Large stencils of Greek vessels

Vocabulary Terms: The following terms are applicable to identifying the designs found in Greek pottery. Because this particular lesson plan emphasizes Greek design found on pottery, the vocabulary normally associated with clay pottery assignments is not included. This art activity included for this lesson is 2-dimensional.

1. wheel made pottery - is thrown by hand on a potter's wheel that could be either manually or electrically powered.
2. coil pot - is built with a series of layered rolls of clay built up to create a hollow form
3. mold-made pottery - These pots are made by one of two methods: A potter may ''cast'' a molded pot by pouring a liquid clay into a ceramic mold. A potter may form by hand a slab of clay by shaping it around or inside of a stone mold (sometimes called a "Bat") constructed specifically for this purpose.
4. Hydria shaped pot - was used for storing water
5. Krater shaped pot - was used for mixing wine and water
6. Amphora shaped pot - was primarily used for storage
7. Greek key ornament – A geometrical ornament consisting of horizontal and vertical lines joined together at angles.
8. Meander – is a decorative boarder based upon a repeated motif that has no beginning or ending to it
9. Symmetry – in design is a formal, balanced pattern whose sides, right and left, mirror each  another

Step-by-step activity: First I will share a power point (slide show) with my students before actively demonstrating the following art assignment. During this presentation the students will be asked to share their reactions and I will also teach them the vocabulary terms. 

1. Students will design, draw, and cut one paper stencil of either a Hydria, a Krater, or an Amphora shaped pot. (additional stencil samples here)
2. Then they will trace around this stencil on top of a large sized piece of black construction paper with a white colored pencil.
3. Carefully, they will cut the shape out of the center of this black paper leaving behind a replica of their design when the black background paper is placed upon an orange or gold sheet of construction paper of the same large size. Remember, you do not want the shape to be black but the background to be black and the shape orange or gold.
4. Carefully glue down the black paper to the orange sheet of construction paper.
5. Then students should draw out a pattern reflecting the themes and tastes of Greek pottery in general with a black ink marker. They may choose to lightly draw their ideas out in pencil before “blacking in” the design.

Cleanup Time & Strategy: Students will be allotted five minutes to dispose of trash, wipe down tables and place their artwork on drying racks.

Assessment: I will be using an informal assessment and will also take notes during the completion of the projects. The grades will be posted online for the students and their parents to view at a private rubrics site hosted by their school district. Below is a list of criteria that I will be looking for while assessing the student's grades on this particular project:

• The student was able to cut a reasonably accurate representation of a Greek pottery prototype out of construction paper and mount it to another paper surface.
• The student successfully designed a Greek design inspired graphic and drew it with care onto his/her art project. If the student made alterations of his own and demonstrated his resolve to interpret the designs as his own, he is given a better grade.
• The student demonstrated his knowledge of the vocabulary discussed during the power point presentation by conversing actively with the instructor and his peers when asked to.
• The student turned their assignment in on time.

All lessons copyrighted by Grimm, 2010
The above photograph is by the Saint Louis Art Museum, used by permission. 

This printable page of Decorative Elements Found on Greek Pottery may be printed out by teachers to share with students in their classrooms. I've included information below for each design numbered above. These descriptions may come in handy if your are thinking of adapting this lesson for older students.

Effigy Pots Lesson Plan

Effigy Head Pot (mid - 14th - 15th century) from the St. Louis Art Museum.

 

Type of Lesson Plan: Object-based Lesson Plan

Topic: Effigy Pots

Goals:

• Students will develop sculpting skills necessary to creating a three-dimensional medium.
• Students will learn about pottery techniques and designs from Meso-American cultures.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to produce a 3-dimensional pot using both sculpted clay and paper pulp within the same artwork.
• Students will be able to compare and contrast a variety of pottery images from two or three different cultures of people after viewing the effigy power point.
• Students will be able to describe “how” effigy pots reflect the cultures of those artists who created them.

Missouri Show-Me Standards: FA 5, FA 4, FA 1

GLE’s:

Strand V: Historical and Cultural Contexts – Prepare and contrast artworks from different historical time periods and/or cultures

A. Grade 6 – Identify works from Pre-Columbian Americas

A. Grade 8 – Identify works of art from Native American

Strand IV: Interdisciplinary Connections – Explain the connections between Visual Art and Communication Arts and Social Studies

A. Grade 6 - Explain how American artworks reflect the cultures in which they were created

Strand I: Product/Performance – Select and apply three-dimensional media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas and solve challenging visual art problems

A. Grade 7 – Create an in-the-round artwork by joining two or more surfaces using a layering material

Grade Level Targeted: Middle School (7-9)

Number of Class Periods: four or five 55 minute class periods

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• The teacher will need a kiln or an oven depending upon the type of clay the students will be working with
• A variety of covered baking sheets to transport clay and fire it
• A computer for viewing the power point presentation on effigy pots

Resources needed for teaching lesson:

• “Effigy” power point
• Teacher sample projects
• Woodworking glue in specific

Materials Per Student:

• A variety of tools used to mark/manipulate the clay
• A small amount of low-fire or even oven bake clay about the size of the student’s fist
• A small recycled bottle made of glass or heavy plastic, preferably with a handle
• A roll of masking tape
• 2 cups of paper pulp clay, prepared in advance

Vocabulary Terms:

1. Effigy Pot– An effigy pot is a sculpted, three-dimensional vessel representing either a person, animal, or god. Effigy pots may or may not have religious purposes depending upon the beliefs of the artist/culture in which the vessel originated.
2. Low-fire Clay – Low-fire clay is heated between 1700-2000 degrees before it matures. It does not often shrink, is soft to work with, is less durable and it will absorb liquids.
3. High-fire Clay – This clay, porcelain or stoneware, matures at temperature above 2000 degrees, is rigid, more difficult to work with, and is also very durable.
4. Sculpt – To sculpt, is to shape any medium into a new form.
5. Mesoamericans – These are the ancient peoples of North and South America. This group includes the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Astec and Mayan cultures of people as well as any other ancient peoples who once occupied any part of the American continents prior to the 16^th century.
6. Native American -  These people are the indigenous peoples of North America who have occupied the North American continent for thousands of generations. Some of these natives were at one time descendants of Mesoamericans, others may have ancestors who crossed the Bering Strait that joined Siberia to Alaska. Native Americans have lived in the Americas prior to it’s discovery/settlement by European explorers in the late 1400s.
7. Seed Pot – Seed pots are clay vessels fashioned by Native Americans to store seed safely for later use in planting. These pots are usually fashioned after a beast or have a animal/insect depicted on the surface of the pot. of some Seed pots have  tiny openings at the top of the pot in order to keep seed from exposure to the elements, in a dark, dry place, and from spilling easily. The natives did indeed insert one seed at a time through the tiny opening as these were harvested from their plants.
8. Press Mold – A press mold has only one side and it is used to replicate a three-dimensional image in clay.
9. Pierce – To pierce the clay is to stab into it with a dowel or sharp object in order to create a tiny opening.
10. Symbols – Symbols in clay are marks, illustrations, or sculpted areas that are associated or resemble something or someone else other than the clay itself.

Step-by-step activity: First I will share a power point (slide show) with my students before actively demonstrating the following art assignment. During this presentation the students will be asked to share their reactions and I will also teach them the vocabulary terms.

1. Make certain the bottles are clean and dry before beginning this project.
2. Cover with a single layer, the entire outside of the bottle with masking tape. Then set the bottle aside for later use.
3. Sculpt from the clay the facial features that you would like to apply to the bottle.
4. The instructor will place the completed faces on a cookie sheet and bake these in the oven or kiln depending upon which clay he has chosen for the project.
5. On the second day, students will then glue the clay features to the surface of their bottle with wood glue and apply the paper pulp mache to the surface surrounding the mask.
6. Students will then watch a power point presentation and return on the following day to finish applying the rest of the pulp to the outside of the bottle.
7. The bottles must then dry again over night and on the third day, students may attach a felt piece to the bottom of their bottles to keep surfaces from being scratched by their artwork.
8. Wood putty may then be pressed into any crevices the student desires to fill and then it must be sanded before painting.
9. On the fourth day, students may sand out any imperfections and paint their bottles with fast drying acrylic paints.
10. Then a acrylic sealer may be applied by the students with a large soft brush.

Cleanup Time & Strategy: Cleanup time allotted 5 minutes

Assessment: I will be using an informal assessment and will also take notes during the completion of the projects. The grades will be posted online for the students and their parents to view at a private rubrics site hosted by their school district. Below is a list of criteria that I will be looking for while assessing the student's grades on this particular project:

• The student successfully sculpted a face out of clay materials and formed it to fit a curved surface properly.
• The student applied paper pulp evenly across a curved surface, filled it with wood putty afterwards and sanded it down to create a smooth texture.
• The student painted and sealed their effigy pot efficiently.
• The student demonstrated his knowledge of the vocabulary discussed during the power point presentation by conversing actively with the instructor and his peers when asked to.
• The student turned their assignment in on time.

Start with a glass jar or bottle.

With masking tape and crushed newspapers,
shape and tape the effigy around the bottle

Glue the clay features on top of the masking tape as well.

Make sure you look at your effigy
from many different angles in order to
determine the proportions of your creature.

Make sure to add tape to the bottom of the bottle as well.
You will need to glue a piece of felt to the bottom to prevent scratches!

I have added a thin even layer of
pulp to the entire effigy pot.
This will be put in the sunshine and allowed
to harden over night, before I paint the surface.

 

All lessons and teacher examples copyrighted by Grimm, 2010
The top photograph is by the Saint Louis Art Museum, used by permission.

"America's Ancient Cities" published by National Geographic
Society in 1988 contains articles about:
The Eastern Woodlands, The Plains and the Northwest,
 The Southwest, and A Golden Age in Mesoamerica.

         

       Do you need to incorporate literacy with your art assignments? I keep many volumes in my library for this very purpose. I recommend "America's Ancient Cities" for this particular assignment. These articles published by National Geographic are excellent resource material to teach 7th - 12th grade cultural studies.

Egyptian Jewelry Design Lesson Plan

Necklace with Egyptian Amulets may be seen in the 
collections of The St. Louis Art Museum.

Above are sample scarabs typically found in 
Egyptian jewelry design

Type of Lesson Plan: Object-based Lesson Plan/Reading Comprehension (Integrated Studies)

Topic: Egyptian Jewelry Design – Learn to bead a bracelet using stringing techniques found in ancient Egyptian jewelry collections

Objectives:

• Students are able to identify ancient Egyptian jewelry designs compared to those designs of other ancient peoples.
• Students are able to carve a simple bead.
• Students are able to craft a press mold out of low-fire clay.
• Students are able to produce a simple beading pattern with wire and seed beads.

Missouri Show-Me Standards: FA 3, FA 5, VA 1

ST Standards - CA 2, 3, 1.5, 1.6, 3.5

GLE’s:

Reading: Develop and apply skills and strategies to the reading process

H. Grade 6 – Apply post-reading skills to demonstrate comprehension of text:

• Draw conclusions
• Analyze text

Fine Art:

Strand III: Artistic Perceptions – Investigate the nature of art and discuss responses to artworks

A. Grade 6 – Discuss how different cultures have different concepts of beauty

Strand V: Historical and Cultural Contexts

A.    Grade 6 – Identify works from Ancient Egypt

Strand I : Product/Performance – Sculpture, ceramics, other media

A. Grade 6 – Create a relief artwork by joining two or more surfaces using a layering material

Grade Level Targeted: Middle School (7-9)

Number of Class Periods: five, 55minute class periods

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• Computer for power-point
• Tables for students to work at

Resources needed for teaching lesson:

• Power-point titled “Ancient Jewelry Design Part I” by Grimm
• Article titled “A King’s Daughter and Her Personal Possessions”
• Graphic organizer template for copying and a sample filled out for discussions

Materials Per Student:

• Enough wire, dental floss and beads to complete a beaded bracelet
• Wire snips (one set per table)
• Copy of article “A King’s Daughter and Her Personal Possessions”
• A blank graphic organizer
• Pen or pencil

Vocabulary Terms:

1. Headdress – This is a broad term for clothing for the head and it is also used to refer to jewelry for the head when the jewelry is not necessarily a crown or tiara.
2. Scarab – The scarab is a beetle that is symbolic for eternal life or resurrection among the ancient Egyptians.
3. Mascara – This is makeup used to specifically darken the eye lids.
4. Inlaid – To inlay something is to set into it’s surface a decorative pattern of gems, stone, tiles, etc....
5. Dressing Table – a smallish kind of a table used for one person to sit at and apply makeup or fix her/his hair, teeth, eyes etc....
6. Casket – In this case a casket is a kind of small ornate box used for holding jewels but it is also a box used to bury a corpse
7. Cartouche – In ancient Egypt, was a type of hieroglyph used to represent a person’s name
8. Clasps – These are used as a type of brooch or fastener to hold two ends of a necklace, belt, or bracelet together

Step-by step literacy activity:

• Students will be divided into small groups and will read together the article called “A King’s Daughter and Her Personal Possessions” by Dr. William C. Hayes.
• Students will then fill out the graphic organizer included with their packet with their small group members.
• Small groups will then rejoin the larger class and share with all of the students parts of their graphic organizers when called upon by the instructor.
• After this activity a power point on ancient jewelry design will be viewed.

Step-by-step art activity: In this lesson I will teach students “how” to produce their own press mold from Sculpty clay.

• First each student will be given a picture of an Egyptian scarab that they will reproduce in clay that I will provide along with some very tiny tools to help then carve the scarab
• Then I will take the clay pieces home and bake these in my oven as directed on the package.
• Then the students will be shown “how” to press their scarabs into clay in order to create a press mold for future beads. These will in turn be fired again in an oven over night.
• Afterwards the beads may require some painting and sealing depending upon the clay that is available to me at the time.
• After they have accomplished this process, I will then demonstrate for them the some basic stringing techniques used by jewelers.

Cleanup Time & Strategy: Allow for five minutes of clean-up time at the end of a studio lesson.

Assessment for art assignment: For the assessment of the literacy half of the lesson, students will be asked to transfer their graphic organizers to the chalkboard as a larger group. I will look and listen to confirm that all students have the opportunity to participate in the larger discussion and I will also collect the graphic organizers and grade them. These are the criteria I will be looking for when assessing the studio project:

• The project was handed in on time.
• The stringing is sturdy and the length is wearable
• The clay addition is of the student’s own design
• The molds are at least ½ inch even thickness all around for durability

Press molds made with hieroglyphic stamps and Sculpty clay.

Additional Resources for Power Point Presentations: I've included the following pngs. and descriptions given for the jewelry discovered at El-Lahun for those teachers who would like to develop a Power Point about Egyptian Jewelry. El-Lahun (alt. Illahun, Lahun, or Kahun [the latter being a neologism coined by archaeologist William Matthew Flinders Petrie]) is a village in Fayyum, Egypt. Associated with the pyramid of Senusret II (Greek: Sesostris II), it is located near the modern village of Al-Lāhūn (Arabic: اللاهون‎), and is often known by that name. Also nearby is the pyramid itself, known as the Pyramid of Lahun. The ancient name of the site was rꜣ-ḥn.t, literally, "Mouth (or Opening) of the Canal"), realized in the Fayyūmic dialect of Coptic as ⲗⲉϩⲱⲛⲉ). Read more...

 

All lessons copyrighted by Grimm, 2010
The above photograph is by the Saint Louis Art Museum, used by permission.

aztec inspired mask lesson plan

This Tialoc Mask (c. 1300 -1500) is from the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Type of Lesson Plan: Object-based Lesson Plan/Reading Comprehension (Integrated Studies)

Topic: Aztec Inspired Mask

Goals & Objectives: 

• Students will demonstrate basic mask making techniques 
• Students will demonstrate basic mosaic making techniques
• Students will discuss different cultural views of beauty
  

Missouri Show-Me Standards: FA 5, FA 4, FA 1.FA 3

GLE’s:

Strand V: Historical and Cultural Contexts – Prepare and contrast artworks from different historical time periods and/or cultures

A. Grade 6 – Identify works from Pre-Columbian Americas

Strand IV: Interdisciplinary Connections – Explain the connections between Visual Art and Communication Arts and Social Studies

A. Grade 6 - Explain how American artworks reflect the cultures in which they were created

Strand I: Product/Performance – Select and apply three-dimensional media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas and solve challenging visual art problems

A. Grade 6 – Create a relief artwork by joining two or more surfaces using a layering material

Strand III: Artistic Perceptions – Investigate the nature of art and discuss responses to artworks

A. Grade 6 – Discuss how different cultures have different concepts of beauty and explain how responses to artworks from various cultures are based on both personal experience and group beliefs

Grade Level Targeted: Middle School (7-9)

Number of Class Periods: five 55 minute class periods

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• A computer to show the slide show/power point
• A paper shredder

Resources needed for teaching lesson:

•       Power point “Masks”

Materials Per Student:

• Newsprint
• Masking tape
• Glue
• Bold and bright solid blue, white, and turquoise papers
• Wheat paste
• Scissors
• Mod Podge

Vocabulary Terms:

1. Tialoc – was the rain god or the Aztecs
2. Mask – a covering to disguise the face
3. Mosaic – art consisting of the breaking up of small stones or fragments of objects or paper and applying these materials to the surface of another object
4. Death Mask – a mask made from the actual face of a deceased person, it is made to memorialize the person
5. Buccal Mask – This mask only covers the nose, mouth, and cheeks
6. Functional Mask –  this mask is designed for a purpose other than drama, art, or decorative purposes
7. Tribal Mask – this mask is developed for ceremonial purposes by a specific ethnic tribe
8. Persona – in mask making the “persona” is the character that the mask represents

Step-by-step activity: Allow for 20 minutes on the first day to review a slide show about masks

1. On the first day of the studio project, students will crush and shape newspaper into a mask shape and use masking tape to refine the mask and keep newspaper under control.
2. After you have roughed out a shape for a mask that you are pleased with, cover this form entirely with two layers of masking tape.
3. Cut holes for eyes, nose, and mouth and wrap these inside and out with masking tape as well.
4. Then tear one-inch strips of newspaper for the paper mache process.
5. The instructor will provide for you a flour paste to mache with. Dip the newspaper strips into the paste entirely and gently squeeze out the excess mixture into the bowl.
6. Smooth the newsprint pieces out over your mask form alternating the directions in which you layer each strip of newspaper. Overlap the stripes and apply two or three layers on top of each other as you cover the mask completely from front to back.
7. Place your finished wet mask on top of a sheet of wax paper on the drying table.
8. When students return the next day, they will be cutting a selection of papers for the mosaic work that they will apply to their masks when these have thoroughly dried.
9. On the third day the masks should be dry enough to work with. Students may then draw a pattern on top of the mask form with a number two pencil.
10. Then students will apply with white glue one paper mosaic tile at a time to enhance their mosaic tile mask. This work should take approximately two, 55 minute class periods to complete.

Cleanup Time & Strategy: Cleanup time allotted 5 minutes for everyday that a studio assignment is being worked upon in the classroom

Assessment: I will be using an informal assessment and will also take notes during the completion of the projects. The grades will be posted online for the students and their parents to view at a private rubrics site hosted by their school district. Below is a list of criteria that I will be looking for while assessing the student's grades on this particular project.
   * Selection of mosaic patterns and colors that enhance the features of the student's mask

   * Consistent cutting and pasting of paper mosaic tiles that prove care and design

   * Enthusiasm for the project

   * Participation in class discussions

Crush newspapers into a mask shape and
then cover this with masking tape.

Layer wheat paste and newspapers on
top of the mask to give it strength.

Draw your design with markers so that you
know where to glue your paper mosaic tiles.
Remember students are learning a mosaic technique;
do not insist that students necessarily copy
a Tialoc mask if they do not wish to.
Teaching culture does not mean that students
"copy culture." Teaching culture properly means
that students will learn to identify cultural ideas.

Glue down small clippings of "paper mosaic tiles"
with a white school glue. Finish the surface by
sealing it with Mod Podge!

More mask making art lessons:

• Paper Mache Masks
• Making Masks with Plaster Bandages
• Make An African Mask/Shield

All lessons copyrighted by Grimm, 2010
The above photograph is by the Saint Louis Art Museum, used by permission. 

"The Mysterious Maya" by George and Gene Stuart, 1977

Need articles for a literacy activity based upon the Mayan culture? I have a title in my own collection, "The Mysterious Maya" by National Geographic Society. These articles are written on an 8th grade reading level but are interesting enough for 7th - 12th graders. 

the egyptian scribe and his equipment lesson plan

Papyrus (4th Century) from Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in the St. Louis Art Museum's collection.

This seated Egyptian scribe is in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Type of Lesson Plan: Object-based Lesson Plan/Reading Comprehension (Integrated Studies)

Topic: The Egyptian Scribe and His Equipment

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify the characteristics of Egyptian writing and hieroglyphics.
2. Students will be able to roll out clay in a uniform, consistent depth.
3. Students will be able to discuss the differences between Egyptian writing and hieroglyphics.
4. Students will be able to fill out a graphic organizer after reading a brief article about Egyptian scribes.

Missouri Show-Me Standards: VA 1, FA 3, FA 5,

ST Standards - CA 2, 3, 1.5, 1.6, 3.5

GLE’s:

Reading – Develop and apply skills and strategies to the reading process

H. Grade 6 – Apply post-reading skills to demonstrate comprehension of text:

• Draw conclusions
• Analyze text

Fine Art:

Strand III: Artistic Perceptions – Investigate the nature of art and discuss responses to artworks

A. Grade 6 – Discuss how different cultures have different concepts of beauty

Strand V: Historical and Cultural Contexts

A.    Grade 6 – Explain how responses to artworks from various cultures are based on both personal experience and group beliefs

Strand I : Product/Performance – Sculpture, ceramics, other media

A. Grade 6 – Create a relief artwork by joining two or more surfaces using a layering material

Grade Level Targeted: Middle School (7-9)

Number of Class Periods: two 55 minute class periods plus one day where they apply the paint, this should take only a few minutes

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• Computer for power point presentation
• Kiln or oven

Resources needed for teaching lesson:

• Power point “The Egyptian Scribe”
• Samples of ancient writing
• Stamps of hieroglyphs

Materials Per Student:

• Clay for tablet
• Wooden dowels and toothpick for impressing the images
• One rolling pin per two to three students
• Black paint
• Soft rubbing rag
• Soft, large camel hair paint brush

Vocabulary Terms:

1. Scribe – someone who “writes” or copies language
2. Educated Official Class – Egyptians who worked for the government or a high ranking official of the Egyptian wealthy class, these males kept books and transcribed documents/law
3. Chancellery – a government building
4. Kilt – In ancient Egypt this was a kind of short skirt usually made from linen
5. Hieroglyphs – a formal method of writing in Egypt, usually reserved for kings and upper class individuals and/or applied to tombs and architecture
6. Pith – is a spongy, soft material produced by plants
7. Pigments – color from a wide variety of clays, stones, and plant matter that is mixed with a “carrier” (water, oil, egg) in order to make paint or textile dyes
8. Palette –  an object that an artist or scribe uses to spread/mix paint on
9. Papyrus – a kind of paper made from plant material

Step-by step literacy activity:

1. Students will be divided into small groups and will read together the article called “The Egyptian Scribe and His Equipment” by Dr. William C. Hayes.
2. Students will then fill out the graphic organizer included with their packet with their small group members.
3. Small groups will then rejoin the larger class and share with all of the students parts of their graphic organizers when called upon by the instructor.

Step-by-step of art activity:

1. Students will roll out small clay tablets to a depth of at least ½ inch
2. Then, poke out a message or their name using a chart, located in the room, depicting hieroglyphics
3. The instructor will then fire the clay tablets and return these the following class period
4. Students will then brush a black paint over their clay tablet so that the indented “hieroglyphs” will be stained darker than the rest of the tablet
5. Next, they will need to rub down the raised areas with a soft cloth
6. Then an acrylic sealer may be applied for permanency

Assessment of art activity: For the assessment of the literacy half of the lesson, students will be asked to transfer their graphic organizers to the chalkboard as a larger group. I will look and listen to confirm that all students have the opportunity to participate in the larger discussion and I will also collect the graphic organizers and grade them. The assessment of the art project is informal and I will look for the following things:

• Tablets must be rolled to a consistent depth of at least ½ inch
• Students must press into the tablet a hieroglyphic message that I can discern
• Paint should be evenly applied to hieroglyphs only
• Project should be turned in on time

Cleanup Time & Strategy: Allow 5 minutes of clean up if art supplies have been used.

Copyright: Donna Grimm, 2010

More Lesson Plans About Egyptian Scribes

1. Scribe School by The Seattle Art Museum
2. Shunat the Scribe Drama Lesson
3. Back In Time: Heiroglyphics in Ancient Egypt
4. Writing Systems of Ancient Egypt

All lessons copyrighted by Grimm, 2010
The above photograph is by the Saint Louis Art Museum, used by permission.