Ancient China, Greece, and
Rome
PROJECT OPTIONS
Project Background
 You will be creating a project to represent either ancient China, Greece, or
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Rome.
You will be expected to present your project to the class, and the
presentation is ¼ of your grade. (If you don’t present, you can’t get higher
than a C!)
Your project is worth a test grade.
Each project will come with a detailed directions sheet for how to complete
it.
You are responsible to gathering any materials needed to create your
project.
After all projects have been presented, I will host an ABLE Museum Night
where students may come in to see all of the projects and vote on their
favorites…anonymously of course! Parents MAY NOT vote.
There will be prizes for the top 3 projects!
Any student who attends Museum Night will get 10 bonus points on their
project!
Projects will be due May 22nd and 23rd, and I will choose your due date.
China: The World’s Oldest Empire Map
 Use a piece of poster
board to make a map of
China which includes
major rivers, lakes,
mountains, deserts, and
seas, and shows
historical cities of China.
Terra Cotta Statues
 Imagine that you are
working alongside
archaeologists at Qin Shi
Huang’s tomb.
 They are excavating
artifacts of soldiers,
horses, and chariots.
 Make a clay model of one
of them.
The Great Wall
 Create a portion of the
Great Wall of China
using cardboard, poster
board, or boxes.
Chinese Dragon Mask
 Use papier mache and
other materials to
replicate a dragon mask
which could be used in a
Chinese New Year
celebration.
Chinese Lantern
 Make a replica of a paper
lantern using
construction paper and
other decorations.
Ceremonial Kite
 Make a beautiful kite
that includes traditional
Chinese motifs in the
design.
Chinese Fan
 Using card stock or
poster board, make a
ceremonial fan decorated
with traditional Chinese
motifs.
Chinese Paper Cuts
 Design a traditional
Chinese paper cut,
mount it, and display it.
 This is a good one if you
are short on materials.
Chinese Opera Mask
 Using a balloon and
papier mache, design an
elaborate Chinese opera
mask.
Royal Silk Robe
 Using a white sheet and
fabric paints, imagine
that you have been
commissioned by the
emperor to create an
elaborate silk robe for an
upcoming festival.
 The sheet does not
actually have to be silk!
Valley of the Ming Tombs
 Make a model of the
sacred road leading to
the Valley of the Ming
Tombs.
 This should include the
animals, warriors, and
several temples
associated with the
actual tombs of
emperors.
Silk Road Diary
 You are a trader making a
trip to China to buy luxury
items to be sold in your
shop in Constantinople.
 Keep a journal of your
journey explaining routes
you took, descriptions of
the sights and sounds,
examples of transportation
and dangers, and other
people that you met along
the way.
Chinese Porcelain
 Make a papier mache
model of a dish with a
porcelain pattern painted
on it.
Chinese Scrolls
 Using long pieces of
construction paper and
paint, create a scroll that
could be hung in a palace
to honor the first day of
Spring.
Chinese Proverbs
 Recognize the
contributions of
Confucius to Chinese
culture by choosing one
of his saying to feature
on a greeting card.
 This is a good one if you
are short on supplies.
Chinese Zodiac
 Create a calendar
featuring all of the signs
of the Chinese zodiac.
Ancient Pagoda
 Create a 3D picture of an
original pagoda with
overhanging roofs,
elaborate tiles, intricate
carvings, and bright
colors.
Greek Columns
 Make a replica of one of
the types of Greek
columns using plaster of
Paris and molds.
 Warning: This project is
very involved and will
require supplies and
effort!
Greek Coins
 Using clay and metallic
paint, create a variety of
Greek coins.
 Include a short,
descriptive overview of
their history and the
meaning of the art on
them.
 You can copy ancient
Greek coins or design
your own.
Greek Gods and Goddesses
 Using aluminum foil and
masking tape, create a
detailed figurine of your
favorite Greek god or
goddess.
Hoplite Shield
 Study pictures of hoplons
(the shields of the
hoplites) and then recreate one of them using
cardboard.
Archimedes’ Screw
 Ancient Greek
mathematician,
Archimedes, invented a
device for extracting
water from the ground to
be transferred to a
storage tank or canal.
 Make a replica of
Archimedes’ screw using
a plastic soda bottle and
other supplies.
Ancient Catapult
 Using a block of wood
and other supplies, make
a replica of an ancient
Greek catapult.
Greek Clothing
 Using a white sheet and
fabric paints, make a
Greek chiton, or tunic.
Brooches
 Using clay, paint, and
safety pins, make some
decorative brooches
using traditional Greek
motifs.
Greek Vases
 Research ancient Greek
vases, and choose a
shape and design that
appeals to you.
 Make an etching of the
vase using construction
paper and markers.
Amphora
 Amphoras were beautiful
containers filled with
olive oil from the sacred
trees of Athena.
 They were often given as
prizes after athletic
tournaments.
 Make a replica of an
amphora using clay and
paints.
Olympian Plate
 Create an Olympian plate
that is worthy of the
winner of a grueling
event using a plate, clay,
paints, and other
supplies.
 Note: This picture shows
the modern Olympics.
Yours should depict the
ancient Olympics.
Olympic Wreath
 Make a wreath for an
Olympic champion to
wear using supplies of
your choosing.
Greek Fresco
 Fresco is the art of
painting on plastered
walls.
 Using your expertise in
ancient Greek art, design
a portion of a fresco.
 Include drawings and
symbols which represent
the culture of the times.
 You will need plaster of
Paris, a shoebox, paint,
and other supplies.
Greek Masks
 Using a balloon, papier
mache, and other
supplies, make a replica
of a theater mask that
could have been used in
an ancient Greek
production.
Trojan Horse
 Using cardboard boxes,
paper tubes, dowels,
papier mache, clay, and
other supplies, make a
replica of the Trojan
Horse.
 Note: This project is very
involved and will require
many supplies.
Mosaic Pictures
 The creation of a mosaic
is a labor intensive
artistic technique that
produces a picture using
small pieces of tile,
pebbles, or stone.
 Using a material of your
choice, such as paper
strips or beans, make a
mosaic of a traditional
Greek motif.
Model of Ancient Athens
 Using plywood, papier
mache, cardboard, clay,
plastic figurines, and
other supplies, make a
model of ancient Athens
that includes the
Acropolis, the agora, the
Theater of Dionysus, the
Panathenaic Way, and
other important sites.
 Note: This project is very
involved and will require
many supplies.
Writing Tablet
 Use a wooden picture
frame and paraffin or
candle wax to create a
writing tablet that an
ancient Roman student
would have used in the
classroom.
Roman Tombstone
 Pretend that you are a
tombstone artist and
engraver, and design a
tombstone that is worthy
of a fallen general in the
Roman army.
 You will need clay,
carving tools, a rolling
pin, and other supplies.
Roman Roads
 Pretend you are a novice
road engineer a must
complete a construction
test to get your Structor
Licentia (building
license) for building viae
publicae (public roads).
 Build a model of a
section of the road using
a clear, plastic box, sand,
plaster of Paris, and
different types of stones.
The Groma
 The groma was a tool
used by Roman road
builders which used
weights attached to
strings to make sure the
ground was even.
 Build a groma using
poster board, clay,
aluminum foil, and other
supplies.
Milestones
 Roman milestones were
placed at one-mile
intervals with the names
of the towns to the left
and right of the
milestone and the
distance to each.
 Make a milestone using a
milk carton, paint, and
other supplies.
Roman Arches
 Pretend you have been
hired to design and build
a triumphal arch to a
Roman emperor or
general.
 Make a model out of a
cereal box, papier mache,
paints, and other
supplies.
Ancient Roman Toga
 Ancient Roman men
often wore togas.
 Make your own using a
white sheet, safety pins,
and fabric paint.
Ancient Roman Stola
 Ancient Roman women
often wore stolas.
 Make your own using a
sheet, pins, and fabric
paint.
Laurel Leaf Crown
 Make a laurel leaf crown
like the emperor would
have worn using gold
paint, artificial leaves,
and a gold cord.
Ancient Roman Jewelry
 Make a replica of an
ancient Roman brooch
using clay, craft pins, a
hot glue gun, and paint.
Lucky Bulla
 Roman children wore
good luck charms called
bullas to keep them safe
until they became adults.
 Make a replica of a bulla
using a tin (like one for
gum or candy), a string,
paint, and other supplies.
Roman Shield
 Study pictures of Roman
shields and re-create one
using poster board,
elastic, paints, and other
supplies.
Pompeian Lararium
 Many Pompeian homes
had lararia, shrines that
honored the protective
spirits of their homes.
 Make a replica of one
using boxes, poster
board, papier mache,
paint, and other supplies.
Roman Glass
 Illustrate an example of
what Roman glass looked
like using pictures of
Roman glass, paper,
scissors, and glue.
 This is a good one if you
are short on supplies!
A Roman Villa
 Create your own diorama
of a room in a Roman
villa using a shoe box,
paints, minature plants,
toys, etc.
 Note: This picture is of a
diorama of the city, not a
villa which is a house.
Racing Chariot
 Make a replica of a
Roman chariot using
cardboard, paints, and
other supplies.