Tamata by 5th Grade

This project was inspired by something I saw on my Garrett Grant trip to Greece this summer (I took the photo on the right). In the Greek Orthodox church, tamata are votive offerings made of rectangular pieces of tin, silver or gold embossed with images symbolizing the subject of prayer for which the plaque is offered. When a loved one is ailing or a person desires a miracle or good luck for something, they make an offering to the church in order to acquire a tamata. A wide variety of images can be found on them, each capable of multiple interpretations. A heart may symbolize a wish for love or a prayer to heal a heart problem. Tamata are tied to a pole beneath the icon or painting of the worshipper's chosen saint with a prayer that their wish comes true. Often, if their prayer is answered, the person will return to the church to donate money or offer jewelry to the icon/saint who answered their prayer.

In this project, fifth graders thought about what they hope most for in their own lives, either now or in the future. They then created a symbol that would represent their hope or wish, and used special tools to emboss their design into 36 gauge aluminum, creating a low relief. Their wishes ranged from health for a 96 year old great-grandfather to luck in Harvest field hockey... Each student wrote an explanation of their tamata which is on display with the piece.