Friday, August 23, 2019

The Ancient Civilizations Camp in August

This was a two week long Summer Camp which included two field trips:
    a glass artist's studio in Week 1
    Chad G. Glassart (Carterville IL)

    an archaeological dig site in Week 2
    General John A. Logan Museum (Murphysboro IL)
I hadn't offered Ancient Civilizations as a summer camp topic since 2008, when Natalie was only 6, so this was really exciting and fun.


And Henry Smith Chapman actually has really nice after-chapter activity suggestions, including making a book about what you're learning about, so we used a lot of them. It's a great little vintage textbook (1929).

WEEK ONE

Monday Aug 12
The Greek Myths; The Great Gods; The Greek Heroes


Tuesday Aug 13
The Trojan War; The Wandering of Ulysses


Wednesday Aug 14
[ mythology Ancient India ]


Thursday Aug 15
[ mythology Ancient Persia ]


Friday Aug 16
How Men Got Fire, Food & Clothing; Men Build Houses and Learn to Write; Man Learns How to Live in Groups

  • Human Evolution Card Set from Montessori Third Great Lesson
  • tracing paper skulls & rice jars from Early Humans by Michelle Breyer
  • How Men Got Fire, Food & Clothing
  • tanned rabbit fur vs. untanned sheep hide, my flax plants all in bloom
  • build a fire in copper fire pit (which we lit on try #6)

  • lunch/recess
    cook lamb shanks over fire, eat outside, tree climbing & outdoor play

  • Men Build Houses and Learn to Write
    on my wishlist: Paleolithic Stone Tool Kit from Clocca Concepts
  • Man Learns How to Live in Groups
  • 1 pm - field trip - studio of glass artist Chad Goodpastor
  • "Hunters and Gatherers Simulation Game" from Early Humans by Michelle Breyer, pp.133-140


WEEK TWO

Monday Aug 19
The Story of Egypt


Tuesday Aug 20
The Land of the Two Rivers


Wednesday Aug 21
Hebrews and Phoenicians


Thursday Aug 22
The Story of Greece; What Life in Greece Was Like


Friday Aug 23
Rome, Mistress of the World; What We Owe to Rome


One of the most fun things we did throughout camp was the special foods.

For Week One, I had to search town for pomegranate seeds! Finally, I found them at Kroger. It's not the time of year for fresh pomegranates, of course. The Co-op had the wheat berries (soft white pastry) for grinding in the mortar and pestle, plus wildflower honey, Mt. Vikos sheep & goat's milk feta from Greece, and Divina organic olive assortments from Greece. The International Grocery Store had Marco Polo jarred sour cherries from Hungary, Buram honeycomb from Turkey, Attiki wild flora and thyme honey from Greece, and Ziyad rose water from Lebanon.

For Week Two, I got the hyssop herb and the ground sumac for Jacob's Lentil Stew from the Co-op, and Ziyad dried fava beans from the International Grocery Store. I had to order the lovage seeds for the Roman chicken dish from Amazon. We substituted anchovies for the garum in this dish, but if you want an authentic recipe for making your own fermented fish sauce in the sun, I have found one at Delishably! I mean, if you're really going to get into this hobby and you are going to go so far as to cook flamingo, dolphin, dormouse, or jellyfish, you may as well be making your own garum!

    Original Garum Recipe
    From Gargilius Martialis, De medicina et de virtute herbarum:

    Use fatty fish, like sardines, and a well-sealed (pitched) container with a 26-35 quart capacity.

    Add dried, aromatic herbs possessing a strong flavor—such as dill, coriander, fennel, celery, mint, oregano, and others—making a layer on the bottom of the container; then put down a layer of fish (if small, leave them whole; if large, use pieces), and over this, add a layer of salt two fingers high.

    Repeat these layers until the container is filled. Let it rest for seven days in the sun. Then mix the sauce daily for 20 days. After that, it becomes a liquid.


In Week Two, my family also decided to have our own little Mesopotamian Feast, including the bread we made in camp as well as a soup and a dessert. Due to food allergies and other restrictions (aka, I can't feed beer to camp kids!) these recipes wouldn't have worked for the camp. But as a family we heartily enjoyed attempting them:

    Ancient Mesopotamian Meal

  • Bread from Just a Pinch
  • Beet Broth from Leftovers: History of the World
  • Mersu from Pass the Flamingo: Ancient Food History and Recipes


In Grades 5 and 6, Waldorf children do entire main lesson blocks on Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. I'm really looking forward to teaching those when the time comes! Find lots of resources for teacher background reading at my previous post, A Huge Booklist for Ancient Civilizations.

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