SAVY Saturday, Week 2, Percy Jackson & Greek Mythology (5th-6th)
Our second Saturday together was a fantastic success! We kicked off the day by matching images of the 12 Olympians with their names—a fun and interactive way to refresh our memories from last week’s lesson. This quick activity encouraged teamwork and discussion, setting a great tone for the rest of the day.
The morning was spent diving deep into the characters of Hades and Perseus, comparing their portrayals in mythology to their counterparts in Percy Jackson. Students noted how Hades, originally depicted as cold and gloomy, takes on a humorous and even helpful role in the book series. Meanwhile, Perseus in mythology is a bold and eager hero, whereas Percy Jackson is reluctantly thrown into the world of demigods, using sarcasm as a coping mechanism. To explore these differences, we read the original myth of Perseus retrieving Medusa’s head and compared it to Percy Jackson’s version, analyzing how each character approached the challenge.
After a snack break, it was time to get creative! The students were given a choice between the characters we have studied so far- Hades, Zeus, Poseidon, and Perseus- and were to write a story or play about what would happen if the original myth version of the god met the Percy Jackson version of the god. This project idea got some very excited and very nervous responses from the group but they all rose to the challenge and wrote some very unique and interesting scenarios where the characters meet, everything from a rift in the space-time continuum to running into each other at the dog park.
Following lunch, we shifted our focus to mythology itself, exploring why myths have endured for thousands of years. What makes these stories so powerful and timeless? Why do they continue to be retold and adapted? Students shared their thoughts on what gives myths their lasting impact—ask them what they think, as they had some great insights!
We ended our day with a social media project. They had to create an Instagram feed that our gods would see if they had an account. Who would they follow? What would they post? Who might they have blocked? Who is hanging out and posting pictures together? They had to consider these questions and more when making their feed. This means that they had to really pay attention to and consider each god’s personality and their relationships with each other.