ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 15, 1997 TAG: 9703170040
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER THE ROANOKE TIMES
The new academic standards for social studies require the study of ancient civilizations such as Greece and Rome.
When third-grader Reese Baumann got the chance to ask the oracle of Delphi for a prediction, he wanted to know if his dream would come true.
"Will I be a soccer player when I grow up?" he asked.
The oracle, from the temple of Apollo, left him slightly perplexed.
"Well, yes, I see you with a ball," the oracle said. "If you try hard, you might or might not."
Other classmates wanted to know what life would hold for them: With whom would they fall in love and marry, and how many children would they have? Others wanted to know if they would be famous.
The oracle was a hit with the 8-year-olds. They couldn't wait to get the answers.
Third-graders rarely consult oracles, but the children at Penn Forest Elementary School did Friday as a result of Virginia's new academic standards.
The new standards for history and social studies require third-graders to study ancient civilizations, including Greece and Rome. They must learn the geography, government, architecture, art, religion, sports and other features of the ancient countries.
As part of the study of Greece, the children at the Roanoke County school learned about oracles, the temple of Apollo and divine predictions. They also studied Greek clothing, drama, music, dance, art and food.
The children held a Greek Festival to celebrate their study of the country and show off to parents and teachers what they have learned.
They wore green paper wreaths on their heads and white tunics. The oracle, played by Brenda Shertz, a school secretary, also wore traditional Greek clothing.
The boys performed a Greek drama called "Midas' Golden Touch," about a king whose dream that everything he touched would turn to gold came true.
There were a few giggles from the girls when the boys stumbled over a few lines in the drama. But the boys recovered quickly and the production was generally smooth.
Matt O'Neill, who played King Midas, said he knew little about ancient Greece before his class studied it.
The girls demonstrated their skills in Greek dances, performing in bare feet on the carpet in the school's amphitheater.
Siera Price learned something she didn't like about the ancient civilization: Women were not considered citizens and did not have the same rights as men.
"I'm not sure I would have liked to live there," Siera said. "I don't think it's fair that they treated women differently."
Don Sublett, father of one of the third-graders, showed the children a piece of a Grecian urn that is estimated to be 3,000 years old. Sublett said his brother found it in a cave on a Greek island.
A festival is not complete without food, and the children had plenty of authentic Greek dishes when the drama and dances were over.
Earlier in the week, the students and their parents prepared Greek salads, breads and other food for the celebration.
When the state adopted the new academic standards last year, some critics complained that third-graders were too young to study ancient civilizations. They said young children would not understand the meaning and significance of such history.
"We had to water it down to their level," Mary Brammer, a third-grade teacher at Penn Forest, said. "It's been fun, but I'm not sure how much they understand."
Brammer and Maurie Pomeroy, another third-grade teacher, worked together to organize the festival because they thought it would help motivate the children to become more interested in ancient Greece.
Brammer said the state's new standards have created a "whole new ballgame" in the teaching of social studies in the early elementary grades because they require a curriculum that is rich in history.
Initially, the teachers could find little material on ancient Greece that was appropriate for third-graders, Brammer said. But the children and their parents helped with the search and found extensive background information on the Internet.
Despite the success of Penn Forest's experience with early Greece, Brammer thinks the jury is still out on whether young children can benefit from the study of ancient civilizations.
"Ask me what I think after we study Rome," she said. "That's what we take up next."
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: JANEL RHODA THE ROANOKE TIMES. 1. Playing the part ofby CNBApollo in the play "Midas' Golden Touch," Chris Anderson (right
center) pretends to tie donkey ears on King Midas, played by Matt
O'Neill (left center), while Penn Forest third-graders watch. 2. The
oracle was played by Brenda Shertz, one of Penn Forest's
secretaries. color. 3. Third-graders must study Greece, the Roman
empires and other ancient civilizations under the state's new
academic standards.