Upper Key Stage 2 Ancient Greece

Parthenon Marbles

Learn the story depicted on the marbles and retell it through performance.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To find out about the story the Parthenon Marbles tell.
• To retell part of the story on the Parthenon Frieze in small world.

Children will:

• Explain where on the Parthenon sculptures were situated.
• Work out the order of the Parthenon frieze.
• Script part of the story of the Panathenaic procession.

• A virtual reconstruction of the Parthenon
• Parthenon Frieze jigsaw
• Parthenon Frieze story
• Small world recreation of the Parthenon Frieze

• Lego or Playmobil figures
• Cameras/tablets

Video with a reconstruction of how the Parthenon would have looked - YouTube clip
Information on the scenes on the Parthenon frieze from perseus.tufts.edu
Photographs of the frieze from beazley.ox.ac.uk
Parthenon galleries at the British Museum from britishmuseum.org

Look in detail at the style of the art and compare it to other art styles in history that it influenced/ was influenced by. Make some sketches.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To compare Parthenon Marbles with art before and after.
• To sketch some of the details of the Parthenon marbles.

Children will:

• Explain the similarities they see between art styles of different eras.
• Make suggestions of how one art style influenced another.
• Make accurate sketches of human and animal figures.

• Art Snap
• Art connections
• Sketching figures from Parthenon art

• Sketchbooks and pencils

Bonnie Greer, a trustee of the British Museum, explains about the Parthenon Marbles - YouTube clip

Work in teams to plan a visual story and then use pose-able models to draw a scene in that story in an Ancient Greek style.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To work out the sources of evidence for reconstructions of Parthenon Marbles.
• To plan and draw copies of Parthenon Marbles with poseable figures.

Children will:

• Identify what different sources of evidence tell us.
• Use a new art technique.
• Create their own version of a Parthenon metope in the same style.

• Source bingo
• Selection of Parthenon metopes
• How to make Poseable human and animal figures

• Sketchbooks

Animation of the reconstruction of a Parthenon metope - YouTube clip

Using newspaper, mod roc and air-drying clay, sculpt a relief frieze of your scene.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To look at how the Parthenon marbles were made.
• To make a sculpted version of the scene they made in the last session.

Children will:

• Know which bits of the Parthenon are carved in low relief, high relief and sculpture in the round.
• Demonstrate their understanding of low and high relief by recreating it.
• Use various materials to create a 3D sculpture.

• The Parthenon Marbles
• How to sculpt in relief

• Poseable figures and drawings from last session
• Newspaper
• Card
• ModRoc
• Bowls of water
• Air-drying clay or FiMo
• Sculpting tools

Carving in marble - YouTube clip
Animation of the reconstruction of a metope - YouTube clip

Create a museum for your Parthenon Marbles, including writing labels and information boards.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To create labels for their work based on their knowledge of the Parthenon marbles.
• To paint their 3D sculptures.
• To write labels and information boards for a museum display.

Children will:

• Select, organise and present historical information.
• Explain their artwork in terms of techniques and as part of a wider story.
• Write for a specific audience thinking carefully about vocabulary, tone and structure.

• How to make a museum
• Label templates
• Information board templates

• Paint and paintbrushes
• PVA glue

Animation of the reconstruction of a metope - YouTube clip

Research how Elgin acquired the marbles and various points of view about who should own them now, preparing for a debate.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To research the role of Lord Elgin in acquiring the Parthenon Marbles.
• To use research to create an information board on Elgin.

Children will:

• Conduct online research about a historical topic.
• Research from non-fiction and retrieve, record and present their research.
• Write for a specific audience thinking carefully about vocabulary, tone and structure.

• Debate research templates
• Information board template

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Assessment of the fate of the Elgin Marbles from bbc.co.uk
Debate about returning the Marbles to Greece from bbc.co.uk
Background on how the Parthenon Marbles came to be in the British Museum from britishmuseum.org
Facts and figures about where the Parthenon Marbles are from britishmuseum.org
British Museum's position on who should keep the Parthenon Marbles from britishmuseum.org How Greece has dropped it's bid for the Elgin Marbles from theguardian.com

Invite another class, the whole school or even parents and governors to see your museum, and hold a debate on who should own the marbles.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To use their historical knowledge to back up arguments in a debate
• To take part in a debate about whether the British Museum's Marbles should be returned to Greece.

Children will:

• Deploy historical knowledge in a debate.
• Take part in a debate.
• Organise their arguments and justify their arguments.

• How to run a debate
• The roles in a debate
• Judges marking sheets
• Visitor feedback form

• Two large cardboard boxes painted white, one bigger than the other
• Cameras
• Gavel
• Stopwatch

There are no weblinks needed for this session.