My class recently began a unit of study on Ancient Greece, including the rise of the civilization and the Trojan War. This great Homer epic interests students easily and opens the way for a fun, hands-on craft building project that I discovered in a book.

Popsicle Stick Trojan Horse

I wish so much that I could share the name with you, but even after several searches online and at my local library I was unable to find it again. If you recognize this project and can help remind me of the name of the original book it came from, I’d be very grateful. It is full of wonderful projects that are clearly illustrated and explained with step-by-step instructions. In years past, when I haven’t been able to do all the projects that my students and I are interested in, I offer them as extra credit projects that can be done at home and brought in.

Back to the Trojan Horse.  Here is the pattern and instructions that I photocopied from the book when I still had it.

trojan horse side 2 001
trojan horse side1 001

After doing the project, here are a few recommendations:

  1. Use cereal boxes to make the patterns and then allow students to copy them on other cereal box cardboard.
  2. The popsicle sticks are a challenge to cut with regular scissors, so you may want to allow students to glue them on first and then help them trim the sticks to the appropriate length with an extra sharp pair of scissors or pinking shears.
  3. Consider using a drill with a larger bit to make the holes for the axels (straws). My students absolutely LOVED working with the drill.
  4. Because you’ll want some parts of the project to dry more quickly then others, have hot glue guns available in addition to the recommended white glue.
  5. Put students in pairs for the project in order to cut down on materials and time invested. It’s actually very enjoyable to watch how they problem solve and work cooperatively.

Ancient Greece History Crafts

Are there any history craft books or projects that you love? Please share!