Teaching �the Ancient World through Making ��
Nathalie Roy�Glasgow Middle School�Baton Rouge, LA
Nathalie’s Program:
I teach two classes �which ANY student can take. �They are both 1-year in length and serve�as elective choices for all students:��Roman Technology - we recreate �the products and processes of �ancient Roman daily life �using experimental archaeology and�hands-on history/STEM labs.��Myth Makers - we use ancient Greek �and Roman myths as inspiration �for maker projects.��Yep, I teach Latin too. But Latin is NOT REQUIRED for these two classes.�
Four Types of Learning Experiences:
1. STEM challenges such as catapults, ships, bridges, dice towers, aqueducts, shadufs, etc.
Making or Tinkering
2. In maker challenges, my students create something for themselves based on a story or technology from the ancient world such as scepters, crowns, necklaces, woven art, sustainable Mardi Gras parade throws, etc.
Experiential Learning
3. Experience hands-on history activities such as household crafts like dyeing, spinning, and weaving, hairstyling, ink making and writing with different tools and on different surfaces, recording keeping with abaci, wax tablets, etc.
The Penelope Project
Students weave the “ugly, imprisoning” fence at our school as a service project.
Experimental Archaeology
4. Experimental archaeology: lessons that help students imagine the daily experiences of ancient Roman people by recreating products or processes. For example…
Sundial Project
Analemmatic sundial:�Uses the viewer’s shadow to mark the time, specific to location, Augustus’ horologium COULD have been one.
Stone Cutting
Mosaic Design
Sundial
Kiln Project
Roman Road �Project
Finished Product
You can learn more about this project by watching this video.
Roman Shoe Project
Final Product
Final Product
Why EXARC?
Absence of daily life experiences of everyday people in the literary record��Hands-on experimental and experiential archaeology help students to understand those lives.���
Resources
EXARC, the international experimental archaeology organization��Outram, Allan K. “Introduction to Experimental Archaeology.” 2008��Paardekooper, Roeland. Experimental Archaeology: Who Does It, What Is the Use?
Grana, Lee, et al. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Experimental Approaches to Roman Archaeology, 2024.��Kean, Sam. Dinner with King Tut. 2025��
Ancient Cryptography
Encrypting and decrypting messages can be a fun activity for students especially with hands-on history!��Presentation Link
Nathalie Roy�Teacher of Creative Classics
Email me at �Fabricatrix@gmail.com.��Website and Linktree and Blog��LinkedIn @MagistraRoy�for more fun #RomanTechnology �activities and classical STEM.