Explore Ancient Rome

Design thinking is one of HD Qingdao's special courses. This course originated from Stanford University, and it can improve students' ability to discover and solve problems. This semester, the children of HD Qingdao Primary School have carried out DT projects on different topics based on each school department. In the previous article, we introduced the Asian architecture research project that the Grade 2 students participated in. Today, the editor will take everyone on an appreciation tour of the ancient Rome research project created by the Grade 3 students.

By asking the question: Who were the ancient Romans and why are they so important today? Grade 3’s recent study of ancient Rome was intended to give students an appreciation for what a forward-thinking civilization the Romans were and to highlight the lasting influence they have had on European culture.

Students learned that typical parts of modern society like bridges, roads, water systems, and architecture have been influenced by Roman culture and design, in many significant ways, for some 2,000 years.

To get an idea of how skilled the Roman craftsmen and women were, we gave each Grade 3 student a wooden board the size of an A4 sheet of paper and instead of using  tiny stones they were to use small coloured card squares to form their designs.

To help students acquire a better appreciation of Roman thinking and design, we invited Grade 3 to participate in a Design Thinking (DT) project to create a mosaic in typical Roman style. This meant the students needed to create a mosaic - a picture usually built into a wall or floor that was made up of tiny pieces of different coloured stones. 

Designs

Students learned that most Roman designs were of everyday objects and scenes. Often they featured fruit, vegetables, animals, Roman patterns, and occasionally their gods. The Grade 3 students were asked to choose similar images as the subject for their mosaics.

Small Stones Cut to Size

Students learned that the Romans used small stones cut to size to form magnificent designs, the size of entire walls or floors. The students used coloured card strips, which they cut into small squares and then stuck one-by-one onto their boards.

Every student in Grade 3 was able to complete their own individual mosaic - but it was not without some challenges! The level of focus and concentration required by each student to put the right colour tile into the right position was enormous. It was often an exercise in problem-solving when the piece didn’t fit, was the wrong size, or kept falling off. It took patience and perseverance for the students to finish each of their designs.

By making a mosaic in typical Roman style, we hope the Grade 3 students have begun to develop a new understanding and appreciation for how the Romans were so creative, as well as very detailed and thorough in the building of their different public projects. We think that despite these approaches being nearly 2,000 years old, our students at HD Qingdao can still apply some of these lessons to their schoolwork today!