09-11-2015, 01:53 PM
Excellent effort! I'm sure it will only get better with time.
Can I make a recommendation? When I am able I always include pieces of raw iron ore, UK tin ore, copper, blue zinc ore, lead (coated with shellac) and other bits of the raw materials that were used to make military and civilian objects during this period of time when I set up an activity at the Penn Museum. It really gets kids, and their teachers, who may not be interested in history, but are interested in science to get involved. An added benefit is the relatively low cost and easy availability of all these items, and kids can handle them without fear of breakage. Explaining what is "bronze" and how it is created seems to be interesting to most people, same with "brass." It can also be a starting point for discussions on why the Romans expanded to some places, southern England for tin, and not to others in their efforts to build an empire.
Can I make a recommendation? When I am able I always include pieces of raw iron ore, UK tin ore, copper, blue zinc ore, lead (coated with shellac) and other bits of the raw materials that were used to make military and civilian objects during this period of time when I set up an activity at the Penn Museum. It really gets kids, and their teachers, who may not be interested in history, but are interested in science to get involved. An added benefit is the relatively low cost and easy availability of all these items, and kids can handle them without fear of breakage. Explaining what is "bronze" and how it is created seems to be interesting to most people, same with "brass." It can also be a starting point for discussions on why the Romans expanded to some places, southern England for tin, and not to others in their efforts to build an empire.
Joe Balmos
