Essential Understandings:

• The arts allow individuals to express their visions.
• Creative tasks enlarge self-image and offer tools for exploration of texts.
• Human beings are constantly exploring meaning in their environment.
• Improvisation in art offers a tool for creative exploration of texts.

• Students will identify the main components of Greek coin design.
• Students will examine various decorative motifs.
• Students will create a Greek inspired commemorative medallion or coin that shows a character or scene from The Odyssey.

• How can art help us delve deeper into the meaning of a text?
• What was the role of art in Greek society?
• How are the arts interconnected in Greek culture?
• What makes these arts timeless and full of meaning for today?

Rationale Why is this unit worth teaching? The connections between fine arts and literature are important for students to explore if they are to understand the culture that produced the works they study in class. Arts are not separate from literature, which is not separate from historical culture. They offer an opportunity to discover and transform our appreciation of literature. Mythological themes found in The Odyssey become alive when students see them portrayed on coins. By studying the types of Greek coins, their main components and decorative motifs, students prepare to illustrate scenes or characters from The Odyssey.

Assessment:

• Students should be able to identify the predominant themes of Greek coins.
• Students should be able to use the main components of coin design with Greek decorative motifs.
• Students should be able to create a Greek coin that shows a character or illustrates a scene from The Odyssey.
• See attached rubric.

• Slides, or computer images of ancient Greek coins.
• Sheets of silver, gold, or bronze tooling foil.

• Newspapers.
• Tooling instruments.
• Plastic lids.
• One inch wide ribbon and hot glue.

Introduction: The teacher will show the class a number of images of Greek coins, explain the main components and the cultural importance of the pictures and inscriptions on each coin. Components include: heads of rulers or mythological characters; inscriptions; abstract designs; decorative motifs; mint information; animals, mythological and real; events from mythology; battle scenes; sports scenes. Students will identify a wide variety of decorative motifs on each coin.

Procedures: Teacher will pass out newspapers, plastic lids, tooling foil, and tooling instruments. Students will then choose one Greek coin template. Each student will then choose one incident or character from The Odyssey. The student will trace the outline of the lid on the foil, then execute the design on top of several layers of newspaper. When it is complete, the student will cut out circles of newspaper to fit inside the lid, then wrap the design around the padded lid. Finally, the student will hot glue a ribbon to the back of the coin, so that it can be hung from a wall or display. Assessment is based on neatness, originality, and general attractiveness. Once completed, the medallions will be displayed in the hallway, along with a text poster that gives a brief description of Greek coins, the elements of design, and the importance of the relationship between The Odyssey and the design on the coin.

MS Word version of this file.

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The Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies
0139 Taliaferro Hall
The University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland 20742
301-405-6830

Last updated August 1, 2002.