Design and create foil coins with images that symbolize students’ imaginary leadership in the ancient world.

Skills and Focus: Studio, Art History

Subject Area: Fine Arts

Thematic Connection: Money, Signs and Symbols

Grade Level: Elementary School

Time Needed: 40 minutes

Objectives

• Identify Alexander the Great as a powerful ruler in the ancient world.

• Imagine what it would be like to be a ruler in the ancient world.

• Design and create coins with images symbolic of imaginary rulers.

• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to create a three—dimensional work of art.

Instructional Materials Needed

Stories: Who Was Alexander? and Coins in the Greek World

Map

template

Pencils or ball point pens

Scissors

Materials to decorate the coins, such as markers, crayons, glitter, ribbon, and fabric

Poster board circles cut the same size as the coin template

Glue

Activity

Have students look at a map of the ancient world and choose a country to rule. Have them imagine commissioning a new coin to be used in their country.

Step 1: Discuss how the images on the Alexander coin reflect his rule. Ask students to think about what images or objects will reflect their rule in the ancient world. One side (obverse or front) of the coin they produce should have the ruler's portrait (a self-portrait), while the other side (reverse or back) should have an image of something symbolic of their country.

Step 2: Students should sketch designs with pencil on the coin templates.

Step 3: Tell students to copy their final designs to the poster board circles and decorate the coins with glitter, fabric, ribbon, markers, and so on. Display the coins in class and ask students to explain the symbols on their coins.

Goals

This activity meets Illinois State Goal 26: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced.

This activity meets Illinois State Goal 27: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present.

© 2000, by The Art Institute of Chicago. All rights reserved. Use of this program is subject to the terms below. No part of this program may be reproduced, transmitted or distributed in any form or by any means, except for personal or classroom use. All Copyright in and to the program, in whole or in part, belongs to the publisher and its licensors and is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office