Optical Illusions in the Parthenon

Name: Veronica OLeary

Content Area/Subject: Social Studies/ Art

Grade: 3rd Grade

Duration: 15 min

RATIONALE: This lesson is an introductory lesson on the architecture of the Parthenon. This lesson will teach students the types of
optical illusions that occur in architecture. It will help students understand how the architects of the Parthenon reduced these optical
illusions in their design of the Parthenon.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES (S):
The students will analyze the importance of optical illusions in Greek architecture.
The students will identify the Parthenon as an important artifact to the Greek culture.
ASSESSMENT: The students will complete the worksheet given to them during the lesson. The students will also complete a 3-2-1 at
the end of the lesson. They will list three illusions that are used in Greek architecture, two reasons the Greeks used optical illusions,
and one artifact of Ancient Greece.
PENNSYLVANIA STANDARDS:
9.2 Historical and Cultural Context
9.2.3.E: Analyze how historical events and culture impact forms, techniques, and purposes of works in the arts.
8.4 World History
8.4.3.B: Identify the importance of artifacts and sites to different cultures and ethnicities.
Differentiation

The Teacher Will

The Student Will

INTRODUCTION:

Have a student pass out the

bag of materials to each
student in the class.
Say Today we are going to
talk about Optical Illusions
and the Parthenon.
Say I am going to show

Pass out materials

Materials/Technol
ogy Needed

Optical Illusion
PowerPoint

Wait to be given materials.

Bag of Materials

Time
Needed

5 min

you three pictures that are

optical illusions. An optical
illusion is any image that is
deceptive or misleading.
When we look at each
picture, I want you to tell
me what is misleading
about the picture.
Show first picture in
PowerPoint. Say Who can
tell me what is misleading
about this picture?
Say Absolutely! This
picture seems to be pulsing
back and forth. What about
this one? Change to next
slide.
Say Perfect! It is a picture
of an army, but it looks like
an old ladys face too.
What about this one?
Show next slide.
Say Exactly! This picture
looks like a candlestick and
two peoples faces.
Say As we saw in all of
these pictures optical
illusions deceive the human
eye into seeing something
that may or may not
actually be there. The
Parthenon has many optical
illusions as well, but before

Answer The picture seems

to be moving back and
forth or pulsing.
Answer It is a picture of
an army, but it also looks
like an old womans face.
Answer It looks like a
candle stick and two
peoples faces.

PROCEDURE:

we can get to all that fun,

we need to know a little bit
of history about the
Parthenon.
Say Does anyone know
what the Parthenon is? Or
where it is located?
Say Take out your
worksheet from your bag
of materials. You are going
to be filling out the
worksheet as we go
through the presentation.
The missing words on your
worksheet are bolded and
underlined in the
PowerPoint.
Say The Parthenon is
located in Athens, Greece.
It was built in 447 BC as a
temple to the Goddess
Athena. Does anyone know
why the Greeks might
make a temple in honor of
Athena?
Say The Ancient Greeks
believed that Athena
founded Athens and
provided the olive tree
which gives many
resources that the
Athenians need.

Student answers will vary.

Take out worksheet.

Answers will vary.

CLOSURE:

ACCOMMODATIONS/MODIFICATIONS: I will provide pictures and visual realia to students. I will decrease the amount of
information the students need to use in the assessments.
LESSON EXTENSION: Students will create a Parthenon out of marbled paper. First the students will create the marbled paper by
placing shaving cream on top of an aluminum pan. They will then add paint on top of the shaving cream and use a chop stick to move

the paint around the surface. Once complete, the students will place a piece of white paper on top and lightly push down. They will
place the dipped paper on the drying rack to dry. Once the paper is dry, they will cut out eight identical thin rectangles, one large
triangle, and another large rectangle. They will then glue the pieces together until they create the front of the Parthenon. See attached
for directions and pictures.
PRE-ASSESSMENT: If this lesson were done in a classroom, I would have had the students complete a class KWL chart before the
lesson. I would have the students use sticky notes to fill in the Know and Want to know sections of the KWL on the Parthenon and
Ancient Greece.
CONNECTIONS BEYOND THE LESSON: Students will research other buildings in the ancient world that follow the Golden
Ration and/or contain optical illusions in their architecture. Students will work on a completing a webquest called Geometry and
Architecture, which will connect the lesson to mathematical principles. This webquest discusses the Parthenon, Eiffel Tower, United
States capital building, Sears Tower, and Empire State Building.
CITATION: