From Venie Gaki & Christina Bakoyannis, Middle School Faculty

On Wednesday, May 4, EFL students visited the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. 

This field trip, organized by the EFL Social Studies and Science teachers, provided an educational experience and a wonderful opportunity for the students to bond even more. Students were able to consolidate content presented in Unit 3 within the Social Studies discipline; Ancient Greece (Bronze Age and Classical Era) and the material they covered in Science, specifically on the periodic table, metals, and materials. The students marveled at exhibits that date back thousands of years ago and saw up-close the antiquities they had seen only in pictures! Students got to gaze at the gold mask of Agamemnon that was found in the tomb of Mycenae, the statue of Poseidon or Zeus, and the Antikythera Mechanism, the first computer ever used! 

The students had some great questions such as: 

“Why are the figures on some vases red and others black?” or “Why is the left leg of some male statues stepping forward?” 

Students were also asked to find elements of the periodic table depicted in ancient artifacts. The Mycenaean tombs provided examples of copper, gold, and silver elements, and students recognized the chemical properties of these elements. Students connected their knowledge of chemical weathering with their observations of the bronze artifacts, which had turned green over time.

As added fun, upon their return to school, they solved the riddles they had been given and won prizes!

It was a wonderful day full of observations, ponderings, note-taking, questions, and excitement. Above all, it was a unique bonding experience, while students and teachers enjoyed a delightful lunch in the museum's outdoor area.