The Meiji University Museum in the Academy Common, Surugadai Campus, held two events: Summer Vacation Children’s Ancient Tomb Class for elementary, junior high, and high school students; and Children’s History Academy for elementary students.
｜Summer Vacation Children’s Ancient Tomb Class
｜Summer Vacation Children’s Ancient Tomb Class
Explaining bronze mirrors used during the Yayoi and Kofun periods
The University Museum held its Summer Vacation Children’s Ancient Tomb Class on July 31. This year’s theme was bronze mirrors used during the Yayoi and Kofun periods. A total of 51 elementary, junior high, and high school students and their parents participated. The participants were divided into two groups: fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students and junior high and high school students.
In the first half of the class, the participants learned about bronze mirrors in a classroom and the permanent exhibition room at the University Museum. They then closely examined actual bronze mirrors dating from approximately 2,300 to 1,700 years ago in the museum’s backroom, learning how their shapes changed over time and about the meanings of the patterns on the back of the mirrors. In the second half, the participants tried polishing miniature replica mirrors. The participants carefully polished their mirrors with sandpaper and abrasive, and voiced surprise when their faces became visible in the mirror surfaces.
In the first half of the class, the participants learned about bronze mirrors in a classroom and the permanent exhibition room at the University Museum. They then closely examined actual bronze mirrors dating from approximately 2,300 to 1,700 years ago in the museum’s backroom, learning how their shapes changed over time and about the meanings of the patterns on the back of the mirrors. In the second half, the participants tried polishing miniature replica mirrors. The participants carefully polished their mirrors with sandpaper and abrasive, and voiced surprise when their faces became visible in the mirror surfaces.
｜Children’s History Academy
Elementary school students freely creating haniwa
On August 5, the University Museum’s student public relations ambassadors held the Children’s History Academy for first- through fourth-grade elementary school students. The participants tried making haniwa clay figures using paper clay. After observing haniwa in the permanent exhibition room, the participants created their own haniwa based on worksheets and prototypes made by the student ambassadors. They freely created figurative haniwa representing people and horses, as well as cylindrical haniwa.
The children brought their ideas to life one after another, using spatulas and bamboo skewers to create patterns and coming up with unique poses. The program had a total capacity of 30 participants across the morning and afternoon sessions, and all places filled quickly. The children enjoyed a day of creative activities while becoming familiar with history.