St. Teresa students create Greek museum

Dressed as Odysseus, Tyler Smith, 13, whispered to his audience of second-graders.

"Don't tell the Trojans, but we're going to make a big hollow horse and we're going to hide inside it," he confided. "They'll take it in and we'll storm in and defeat them."

As the next stop on their tour through the live museum of ancient Greece set up by seventh-graders at St. Teresa School, students watched a small skit which explained why the Trojan War began, according to mythology.

Three girls re-enacted the scene where goddesses asked Paris, the disowned son of the king, to decide who among them was the fairest.

Paris, to show his love for Aphrodite, chose her and gave her a golden apple.

"Aphrodite was immortal and Paris was mortal so she gave him a mortal woman - Helen of Troy," explained Samantha Valentine, who played Paris in the skit. "And that's why the war started."

Another group gave a history of Greek philosophers Plato and Socrates while another explained the birth of the Olympic Games, with a description of the events ranging from boxing and wrestling to the discus throw and chariot races.

Samantha Hoch, 12, sculpted the image of Homer from clay for her presentation on Greek culture.

"He was a poet in Greece," she explained. "He was a friend to man and lived by the side of the road," she quoted.

Rachel Lindgren, 12, created a replica of Greek pottery from a picture in her history book.

"It was kind of hard because I didn't know how to do it at first," she said.

Teacher Kara Evans was impressed with the students' work.

"They take it really seriously," she said. "And I think there's a bit of competition to out do last year."

Last year, the museum featured highlights of the ancient Egyptian civilization. Evans said those students still remember what they learned from their displays.

"It's one of those things when you teach hands-on the kids not only read about it, they get to make and do," she said. "It stays with them for the long-term."

Contact Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1272.