In the spring of last year, the Carlos Museum received a grant from the Georgia Council for the Humanities Teacher Enrichment Initiative. The grant allowed the Museum to develop a professional learning course for teachers and a tour of the Greek collections for third graders in Georgia schools in support of the new social studies curriculum’s focus on “the roots of democracy.”

Over a week in June, teachers met with Curator of Greek and Roman Art Jasper Gaunt and faculty from Emory’s Art History and Classics Departments as they explored the pinnacle of Greek democracy— fifth-century Athens. Through lectures and gallery visits, they studied daily life in Greece, the development of Greek architecture, the Olympic Games, Greek mythology, and the classical influence on the founding of America. Working as a team, the teachers and Museum staff and docents designed Majority Rules, a curriculum based exploration of the Greek collection specifically for third graders. This fall, the program was piloted with students from Montclair and Fernbank Elementary Schools from DeKalb county, and Morningside Elementary in the City of Atlanta City School System.

Through the objects in the galleries, students learned stories of Odysseus, of the Trojan War, and what happens to human beings who challenge the gods. They dressed in chitons and handled a strigil like a Greek athlete, and cast their vote into a ballot vessel. They learned about the importance of the intellect and reason, and that, to the Greeks, personal character, virtue, and striving for excellence was paramount.

Now this curriculum-based tour is ready for third graders in school systems throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area. As word has spread of its quality and connection to the classroom, teachers from Cobb, Fulton, City of Atlanta, and Macon have called to book tours. So far this fall, over 900 students have participated.