Peek into one of the apartments in an insulae, the four or five story apartment buildings of ancient Rome. “They were livable, but often collapsed,” said Gavin. Stella’s model of an ancient Roman bathhouse surprised visitors with its luxury. “Rich and poor people would visit them together,” she said. “Bathhouses were a place for everyone to socialize, bathe and relax.”
From the building of aqueducts to superpowers of Zeus, the Ancient Greco-Roman Museum, hosted by Team Exuberance, featured exhibits that opened visitors’ eyes to the rich tapestry of life in the ancient Mediterranean world. Creating the museum was an eye-opening process, too, for the sixth graders who made it happen.
“Students have been researching their topics for the last three weeks,” said Jeanne Kellachan, who leads Team Exuberance with teachers Guy Andur and Selina Hedigan. “They really know their material. I am really impressed!”
The museum was a one-morning takeover of John jay Middle School’s Library, attended by other sixth grade teams, parents, and educators. Each student displayed an artifact and infographic; others also created an engagement device or a tri-fold visual.
The student docents engaged visitors in their exhibit with carefully crafted presentations. They were ready for questions, and happy to refer people to other students’ work which informed their own.
Nyla created a spear nearly twice as tall as she is, as well as a catapult for museum visitors to try, as part of her display of ancient Greek weapons.
Mike crafted miniatures to represent the steps the ancient Greeks would take to learn the future from an oracle. A small lamb represented a sacrifice, a tiny bowl indicated a purification ritual, and a small figure on a three-legged stool showed the oracle. “She often gave vague answers,” he said.
Lucy’s research into ancient Greek surgical and medical work came alive as she demonstrated the process in which Hippocrates and other doctors drilled holes into a people's skulls to treat head wounds. Everyone tried on masks at Grace’s presentation of Greek theater.
Jane dressed three Barbies like brides of ancient Greece to draw visitors into a conversation about marriage and divorce. Collin created a container of nine groups of 500 toothpicks each to help visitors grasp what the largest organizational structure of the Roman Army—a legion—was.
Students’ self-directed research on a topic of their choice resulted in authentic learning about the ancient world – and the development of essential skills including communication and the ability to connect information to a larger story.