As you know from the project planning sheets that you signed this weekend, students are diving into research on their Greek character. We will spend three days researching in class (and students are to continue at home if they have internet access or mythology books at home--including their class text). On Thursday and Friday they will use their notes to draft an essay. This will be submitted to me upon completion (due date on project schedule), as well as incorporated into their project in some creative fashion.
Homework:
Mon, Tues, Wed: project research
Thurs, Fri: essay drafting
Mythology research organizer
Essay outline
Monday, January 23, 2017
We will launch this week with Mr. Kachulis telling "The Golden Apple", the incident which sparked the Trojan War. With equal parts mortals and god(dess)s, this one is a crowd-pleaser, and one that is fun to enact. He will also tell a variety of contrasting scenes from "The Iliad" as a prelude to his final storytelling performance, "The Odyssey".
On Tuesday and Wednesday, students will work with the Greek alphabet to translate root words from Greek to English and determine their meanings. On Thursday, I will introduce the project that will be the capstone to our unit. Students will be given detailed instructions, a schedule/checklist, a research organizer, and a planning sheet and "weekly update" form that need to be signed by parents/caregivers. There is much choice built into this project so that students can work on something that is both of interest and highlights their individual talents. I encourage students to work with a sibling, parent or other family member on their project--this has proven in previous years to be a wonderful way to spend time together!
Homework:
Monday: final draft Theseus essay due Tuesday
Tuesday: read story of "Phaethon" for Thursday; add to charts as needed
Thursday: read story of "Orpheus" for Monday; add to charts as needed
project planning sheet COMPLETED AND SIGNED for Monday
Mythology Project Instructions, Schedule, Plan/Update Sheets
On Tuesday and Wednesday, students will work with the Greek alphabet to translate root words from Greek to English and determine their meanings. On Thursday, I will introduce the project that will be the capstone to our unit. Students will be given detailed instructions, a schedule/checklist, a research organizer, and a planning sheet and "weekly update" form that need to be signed by parents/caregivers. There is much choice built into this project so that students can work on something that is both of interest and highlights their individual talents. I encourage students to work with a sibling, parent or other family member on their project--this has proven in previous years to be a wonderful way to spend time together!
Homework:
Monday: final draft Theseus essay due Tuesday
Tuesday: read story of "Phaethon" for Thursday; add to charts as needed
Thursday: read story of "Orpheus" for Monday; add to charts as needed
project planning sheet COMPLETED AND SIGNED for Monday
Mythology Project Instructions, Schedule, Plan/Update Sheets
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Students are actively engaging the question "what does it mean to be human?" as we read, listen to, and discuss Greek myths. We've followed heroes on fantastical journeys, tracking the changes in their characters as they overcome obstacles to reach their destinies. Themes of courage, loyalty, wisdom, and nobility collide with the cracks of human flaws and emotions evident in mortals and immortals alike. These allow young readers to recognize themselves and their own life journeys mirrored in these mythological tales. We are all "perfectly imperfect" beings!
This week, students will peer conference their Persephone/Hades diary entries and work on revisions. They will then engage the writing process to craft an essay relating to the story of "Theseus and the Minotaur", the culmination of two days of work last week in which groups of students analyzed a section of the story and presented their findings to the class. (Instructions linked below)
This week we welcome student teacher Neil Vercellin who is coming to us from the Collaborative for Educational Services. Neil has a background in film as well as a preliminary teaching license. I am very excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with a new teacher!
Homework:
Tues: finish ORGANIZER (only) for Theseus essay; diary final due Thurs. (typed)
Wed: diary due Thurs.
Thurs: finish essay DRAFT
Fri: final Theseus essay due Tues. 1/24
Rd. 2 stories: "Prometheus" and "Pandora" - due Tuesday 1/24
Theseus Essay Writing
Essay Conferencing Form
This week, students will peer conference their Persephone/Hades diary entries and work on revisions. They will then engage the writing process to craft an essay relating to the story of "Theseus and the Minotaur", the culmination of two days of work last week in which groups of students analyzed a section of the story and presented their findings to the class. (Instructions linked below)
This week we welcome student teacher Neil Vercellin who is coming to us from the Collaborative for Educational Services. Neil has a background in film as well as a preliminary teaching license. I am very excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with a new teacher!
Homework:
Tues: finish ORGANIZER (only) for Theseus essay; diary final due Thurs. (typed)
Wed: diary due Thurs.
Thurs: finish essay DRAFT
Fri: final Theseus essay due Tues. 1/24
Rd. 2 stories: "Prometheus" and "Pandora" - due Tuesday 1/24
Theseus Essay Writing
Essay Conferencing Form
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
This week we are working on a variety of reading, writing, listening and speaking activities. On Monday and Tuesday, students are drafting diary entries for either Persephone or Hades, following the suggestions in the instructions as well as the brainstorming they completed first. This creative writing activity not only allows students to demonstrate their knowledge of the story of "Demeter and Persephone", but to practice descriptive writing skills, focusing on word choice and use of literary devices to create imagery.
Mid-week students will engage in a close reading of the story of "Theseus and the Minotaur" as it appears in their book. They will work in groups to analyze a section of the text, comparing it to the oral version they heard from Mr. Kachulis, and identifying effective language in the written text. Students will present their text analysis to the class.
On Friday we will hear the story of "Perseus and the Medusa", a perennial favorite!
HOMEWORK:
Read/chart pg. 22-38 due Thursday 1/12.
Read/chart pg. 39-53 due Tuesday 1/17.
Diary draft due Tuesday 1/17 for conferencing; final due Thursday 1/19.
Diary of Persephone or Hades--instructions
Persephone/Hades Diary Brainstorming Organizer
Mid-week students will engage in a close reading of the story of "Theseus and the Minotaur" as it appears in their book. They will work in groups to analyze a section of the text, comparing it to the oral version they heard from Mr. Kachulis, and identifying effective language in the written text. Students will present their text analysis to the class.
On Friday we will hear the story of "Perseus and the Medusa", a perennial favorite!
HOMEWORK:
Read/chart pg. 22-38 due Thursday 1/12.
Read/chart pg. 39-53 due Tuesday 1/17.
Diary draft due Tuesday 1/17 for conferencing; final due Thursday 1/19.
Diary of Persephone or Hades--instructions
Persephone/Hades Diary Brainstorming Organizer
Friday, January 6, 2017
A Celebration of Ancient Greece: An Interdisciplinary Unit
Students have embarked on a journey of ancient Greece that will span all of their academic classes. Artist-in-residence Nick Kachulis, a local Greek scholar, educator, and musician, will be storytelling select myths in ELA classes, leading lessons in Social Studies, math, and science, and mentoring students in their research and projects. Our journey will end in early March with a showcase of student work for families to attend.
This past week, students heard the story of "Theseus and the Minotaur", a myth focused on a mortal hero's journey, as well as "Demeter and Persephone", a myth peopled by gods and goddesses that is often viewed as the ancients' explanation for the seasons as we know them.
In addition to listening to and discussing stories that Mr. Kachulis tells, students are reading Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of Greek Mythology and recording characters on a chart. In class we are engaging the concept of myths as reflecting values of the ancient Greek culture, as well as modern-day connections to how these fantastical characters and their adventures show us what it means to be human. Through the stories, students are immersed in highly visual, descriptive language which we are identifying and appreciating as valuable in their personal experiences of reading and writing. Finally, we are looking at Greek root words as a basis of our English language.
Homework 1-6-17: Read/chart pgs. 3-21: due Monday.
This past week, students heard the story of "Theseus and the Minotaur", a myth focused on a mortal hero's journey, as well as "Demeter and Persephone", a myth peopled by gods and goddesses that is often viewed as the ancients' explanation for the seasons as we know them.
In addition to listening to and discussing stories that Mr. Kachulis tells, students are reading Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of Greek Mythology and recording characters on a chart. In class we are engaging the concept of myths as reflecting values of the ancient Greek culture, as well as modern-day connections to how these fantastical characters and their adventures show us what it means to be human. Through the stories, students are immersed in highly visual, descriptive language which we are identifying and appreciating as valuable in their personal experiences of reading and writing. Finally, we are looking at Greek root words as a basis of our English language.
Homework 1-6-17: Read/chart pgs. 3-21: due Monday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)