Summer SAVY, Session 3 Day 3, “Percy Jackson & Greek Mythology” (3rd-4th)
What a busy day we had today! We started our day with some more Greek Mythology trivia questions to refresh our memory of what we learned over the last few days. After trivia, we applied that knowledge in one of my favorite activities we do the entire week! The students had to pick a God or Goddess and create an Instagram profile for them on paper. They had to include a profile picture, bio, and username in addition to 3 posts with captions that had comments from other Gods or characters from Percy Jackson. This activity really allows students to show off their creativity and knowledge of Greek mythology, and they did not disappoint today! They brought these home today, so make sure to ask about them and have them explain who each commenter is.
After their snack, we listened to a podcast episode about Daedalus and Icarus from a podcast called “Greeking Out from National Geographic”. I highly recommend them if you are looking for something new to listen to! We learned about how Daedalus and Icarus had to leave Athens and ended up building the labyrinth before being thrown into it themselves and having to escape using the wax wings. We took time to name and describe the characters that are mentioned, as well as define words and summarize what was happening as we listened. A lot of students had heard of the myth but never knew the full story, so this was a fun activity!
Finally, after lunch, we more closely examined the labyrinth and learned about why it was made. Following the discussion, students were able to design and build their very own labyrinth. This was another chance for their creativity to shine through, and it absolutely did! We had some labyrinths that trapped you inside and you couldn’t get out, others where you had to search for keys that unlocked doors before you could escape, and so many monsters throughout that you would have to avoid or fight to save yourself. They were only given cardboard, popsicle sticks, paper, and tape, so the labyrinths that they ended up creating were truly amazing. The Labyrinths also came home with students today, so explore them at home and see if you can escape the maze!
