Greek Lyre Project for Kids
Greek Lyre, made by 6th graders at Laurelhurst School, Portland
You can make a lyre like this one with a coat hanger, rubber bands (or yarn) and a metal bowl. Really the strings should run over the top of the bowl, so that the bowl will work as a resonator to make the music sound louder when you pluck the strings. This student painted the inside of the bowl to look like a turtle shell, as in the story of Hermes making the first lyre out of a turtle shell.
For more information, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
A Greek Potter, by Giovanni Caselli (1986). A day in the life of a Greek potter, for kids ages 9-12.
Hands-On Ancient People, Volume 2: Art Activities about Minoans, Mycenaeans, Trojans, Ancient Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, by Yvonne Merrill (2004). For kids - has a project for making your own Greek amphora.
The History of Greek Vases, by John Boardman (2001). For adults, but clear and readable, by an expert who has written most of the main books on Greek pottery.
Understanding Greek Vases: A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques (Getty Museum Publications 2002) by Andrew J. Clark, Maya Elston, Mary Louise Hart.
Looking at Greek Vases, by Tom Rasmussen, Nigel Spivey (1991) (each chapter is written by a different specialist, but the book as a whole is intended for non-specialists).
Other activities:
* Olympic games
* Play reading
