What's that for? Rotolo students learn Greek life from objects

Educators from the Chicago museum spent the morning with more than 500 sixth-graders at the Batavia school. The students met in small groups, trying to figure out what individual items were. They then announced their decisions - and the reason behind them - to larger groups.

"Educated guesses" were encouraged, with the museum's Dan Perkey saying that's what archaeologists do. Perkey is the school and docent coordinator for the museum.

Some students were spot on, as they identified a wood-leather-and-clay object as an item for taking notes, and two wooden stick-like objects as holders for the ends of scrolls.

The museum educators explained each item and tied it to cultural and political practices of the ancient Greeks such as the concepts of democracy, and secret balloting by jurors.

"We're just starting our unit on (ancient) Greece, so it is a nice tie-in," social studies teacher Monika Hubble said.