Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 3, Greek Mythology (Young) (5th – 6th)
We had another fantastic day in Greek Mythology. Today was full of heroes and monsters! We started our day by exploring the idea of the hero’s journey. According to Joseph Campbell, most heroes follow a predictable pattern during their quests. We used the Pixar short film Piper to test out the pattern. Piper was indeed a hero, and her adventure was exciting yet predictable.
That led us to the story of Heracles. Is he a hero? We determined that the traditional myth does not follow the predictable pattern, but clips from the Disney film showed us how movie creators love the hero’s journey. They don’t care too much for adhering to the traditional myth though.
Before entering the exciting world of mythological monsters, we played a riveting game of guess box. Students had to ask yes or no questions about the mysterious item. As it turns out, Cookie Monster was not the monster they were expecting. Students did learn a lot about asking really good questions though. The closer they got, the better the questions became. I was very impressed!
We then explored the myths of Orpheus and Theseus. By using the “See Beyond” strategy, students analyzed details, thoughts, questions, concepts, connections, and contexts of the stories. They had some very insightful observations.
The Minotaur lives at the center of a labyrinth, so the students designed their own. What good is a labyrinth without a monster? Using crafting materials, the students then designed their very own (mostly adorable) monsters. These monsters may make an appearance again this week!
Tomorrow, we will learn about the Trojan War, read some more myths, and begin our final project!
Dinner table conversation:
- What are the characteristics of a hero?
- How does the hero’s journey appear in some of our modern stories? What are some examples?
- Why do myths have so many different versions? Does this affect the meaning of the story?
I can’t wait for another exciting day!
Mrs. Young