RomanArmyTalk
Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Printable Version

+- RomanArmyTalk (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat)
+-- Forum: Community (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Forum: Romanarmy.com Projects (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=22)
+--- Thread: Roman Summer Camp For Kids (/showthread.php?tid=21886)

Pages: 1 2


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - MarcusNorwood - 12-11-2012

There is a 90% chance that I will get to put on a 2 week Roman camp for gifted/talented secondary students for my school district. The event starts June 12 and ends on the 27. I would like to get suggestions from forum members on activities that would be educational and hands on. I will include some lecture/discussion, but would rather provide practical experiences.

Here are some ideas I have in mind already: Erecting a roman tent, trying on a Roman kit, modeling a Roman structure using Sketch up or some sort of wood modeling, preparing Roman food, guest speakers, making a Roman standard.

If you would like more information on this event feel free to PM me.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Regards,
Marcus Norwood


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - M. Demetrius - 12-11-2012

Without even asking them, I can say that Cohort Five supports this activity. Not many of us can give up two weeks, but we can come for a weekend and help out. We have a log tower we can erect, now that we've shortened it to an approximately 8 foot high platform. You'll see it at Fort Parker, and we can talk more about it then. Bring your best info and I'll bet we can get some soldiers down there to help.

Foods is another activity, of course. Everybody eats, and why not have some of the meals made from Roman recipes?

How about javelin throwing, ropes and knots, boffer sword and cardboard shield combat, and some hands-on activities like quick-set clay articles?


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Musivarius - 12-11-2012

Obviously not as exciting as the 'sticking sharp shiny things in people' activities :wink: you could have them make up a mosaic, working out the patterns then setting it out over the time. The cheapest way is to make the tesserae (tiles) using air drying clay and then paint them.
I've done a rough calculation and over here in the UK you could get enough clay for a mosaic about 1.6m x 1.6m (5' x 5') for £35.00/$56.00, (about 15,000 tesserae). You'd have to paint them, just use a wire and cut the clay into sheets 3/8" thick and then paint the surface before cutting into tesserae.

If you want to do something like that let me know and I'd be happy to send you plans for different designs, border patterns with corners etc. There wouldn't be any charge for a project like this.


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - John1 - 12-11-2012

"Foods is another activity, of course. Everybody eats, and why not have some of the meals made from Roman recipes?"

lighting a fire and cooking on it ALWAYS a winner in our house (never tried it Roman style though), if you have time building an oven might work out well


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Kegluneq - 12-11-2012

Depending on space, you could try a bit of Roman surveying, using a homemade groma? It should be fairly straightforward technically, but also demonstrate a bit of practical mathematics. You could plan a road or small camp perhaps. And unlike the fire, there should hopefully be fewer health and safety considerations...


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Musivarius - 12-11-2012

Surveying sounds like a great idea. If you had a GPS and the space then you could have them in teams and at the end check the results and see which team is the more accurate.


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Kegluneq - 12-11-2012

Quote:Surveying sounds like a great idea. If you had a GPS and the space then you could have them in teams and at the end check the results and see which team is the more accurate.
Might be a bit expensive and fiddly though. Another option would be to see if you could get hold of a bog standard theodolite, as used by surveyors and archaeologists, and compare the two. As it is basically an updated groma you could even forgo the reconstruction, although you'd be missing out a bit then. Total stations do the same but can tell the distance to a particular point as well, however that again misses out on the fun of pacing out your own distances.


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Gaius Julius Caesar - 12-11-2012

Well, I would think it pointless if you didn't use the Groma to start with....
you're just surveying with a modern theodolite then.... Wink

The groma is a fascinating piece and will stirr the kids imagination!


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - M. Demetrius - 12-11-2012

I could teach flint and steel fire kindling. I have the materials and could put them on loan, assuming the world doesn't end in 10 days, of course. :wink:

How many kids, Marce, do you expect to have on site?


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Epictetus - 12-11-2012

I read something in the British press about kids making their own bullas at a camp. I thought that was a cool idea.

And David - maybe you can teach me, too. I have the iron and flint but have never been able to start a fire with it!


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - MarcusNorwood - 12-11-2012

Thanks so much for all the responses. I will try to include all of these ideas. The kids are really going to love this. I am really looking forward to this event. :woot:


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Gaius Julius Caesar - 12-11-2012

Quote:I could teach flint and steel fire kindling. I have the materials and could put them on loan, assuming the world doesn't end in 10 days, of course. :wink:
?

Golly gosh darned...forgot about that...might as well forget about any plans and go back to bed.... :mrgreen:


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - agrimensor - 12-11-2012

On surveying sent a Pm and beginning next year i will sent you drawings ofa groma chorobates decempeda and so on you yust need a surveyor who can oparete them "i"m in Europe "but gla to help btw the chorobates level is easy, so you could make an aquaduct with them by using dolabra and other original tools, or even try making a strech of roman road.
succes.


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Kegluneq - 12-12-2012

Quote:Well, I would think it pointless if you didn't use the Groma to start with....
you're just surveying with a modern theodolite then.... Wink

Or practicing for real archaeology... :evil:


Roman Summer Camp For Kids - Gaius Julius Caesar - 12-12-2012

Yes, but the point of the exercise was to give them a Roman experience, was it not? ;-)