What did I miss today (Monday, September 28th)?

Hello, my fine young friends!

You were given your first two vocabulary words today in class.

1. SATURNINE

2. HERMETICALLY

The following images will assist you with the definition of the words.

Hermes was known for his precision, and the fact that he only made one mistake during his occupation as "messenger to the gods."

Cronus was clearly a "dark and gloomy" individual!

Please visit with someone in class to obtain the information we discussed in relationship to these first two words. The handout that corresponds to the vocabulary words can be found in the "Make-Up Box" in the room.

B. We also reviewed the importance of "plotting" your ideas prior to writing. This information can also be obtained from the "Make-up Box" in the room. Students were given the assignment of a plotmap. This assignment is due on Friday. I am asking you to organize the events of your myth on a "map," so that when it is time for you to begin writing your myth, you will have little difficulty in doing so.

I will look forward to seeing you on Wednesday. Remember to bring the supplies you need for your mask on Wednesday and Friday.

MASK MAKING DAYs were on September 23th and 25th!

MASK MAKING......... Who are these "masked" men?

We had so much fun making masks! Each student was asked to create their own god; their god will eventually become the primary character in a nature myth that they will write. The students create a physical interpretation of their god by creating a mask, which they will wear in class.

We discuss the different ways that myths are passed from person to person. Some of these include oral tradition, writing, performaning, and then through the form of art. The "Nature Myth" assignment that the students were recently given pertains to the way myths were shared through the means of writing and performing.

The following pictures are of my B4 students making their masks. I think they look wonderful, and I am so excited to see their completed projects! Thank you for carefully following instuctions!

Each of you are like HEPHAESTUS!

More to come......

If you missed class on Wed., Sept. 17th and Fri., Sept. 19th

An authentic ancient Greek theater masks worn during a tragedy.

Dear Students,

Let me enlighten you regarding what you missed on Wednesday and Friday if you were not in class.

WEDNESDAY

1. We completed our quiz covering the myths of "Arachne," "Daphne and Apollo," "Io," and "Echo and Narcissus."

2. We then discussed a new assignment that was given entitled "Nature Myth Pt. 1." You will need to collect the instructions from someone in class. In essence you are being asked to create your own nature, and the first step is developing a god. "Nature Myth Pt. 1" is due on TUESDAY along with your bandage for your mask. The handout is below. You can copy it as a word document and access it that way.

Name______________________ Period_________________ Score______________

Nature Myth Part 1

We have recently completed reading several Greek nature myths. These include Pandora's Box, Prometheus, Arachne, Daphne, Narcissus, and Demeter. Each of you should have a clear concept that a nature myth was the Greeks' way of explaining aspects of nature that they could not comprehend. You will eventually write your own nature myth. There are three parts to your "Nature Myth" assignment: the written portion is the second part and the performance section is the final part. The following directions relate to the first part of this assignment which is the creation of your god for the nature myth.

Part 1:

You are to create your own god or goddess, as he or she will be the primary character within your nature myth. You can decide if your deity is the protagonist or the antagonist. Please respond to each of the questions below, as this information will be used in the writing portion of your assignment.

1. What is the name of your god or goddess?

2. What is his or her domain?

3. What is his/her symbol? What does the symbol represent?

4. Include special powers or abilities possessed by your god or goddess:

5. What does your deity look like. Describe him/her below and then draw a picture of the god on the back side of this paper. The drawing should be large enough that it is easy to see specific details. You only need to include the face (mask). It is not necessary to dear the god's face using color, but I do request that you label the areas of the face with the specific colors you will be using on the mask. NOTE: THE FACE YOU DESIGN IS THE MASK YOU WILL BE MAKING IN CLASS, and eventually wearing!

Description of god's face:

3. Remember to wear clothes on Tuesday that you are not concerned about in becoming dirty. In addition, the following steps need to be taken:

a. Remove all make-up

b. Remove all jewelry

c. Ladies....pull back your hair

d. Gents.....shave your facial hair or be prepared to have it covered up with tape

I know that you will value and enjoy the mask making assignment, as this is one way the Greeks shared their myths with others. They would record their myths by writing them down, and then ultimately perform them. I have included some authentic Greek masks below.

FRIDAY:

On Friday we submitted our thrones, which are fabulous, by the way, and then we began our discussion of the written portion of the "Nature Myth" assignment. I shared poor several examples of previous nature myths written by former students with each class. We reviewed ways that the myths could have been improved through deeper character development, a stronger plot, and more logical sequence of events. If you missed Friday, please visit with me when you return to class.

I will look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

Best wishes,

Mrs. Crampton

If you missed class on Monday, Sept. 15th....SHAME ON YOU!

I'm sorry that you missed class on Monday; we had a "guest." She is called "Rosy" and she resembled this picture:

Why was she in class, Crampton? Well we read the myth entitled "Arachne," which was the ancient Greek version of how spiders were formed.

We also did the following:

1. Reviewed the myths of "Prometheus," "Pandora," and "Demeter" prior to each student receiving their "take-home" quiz covering those myths, which is due on Wednesday.

2. We also completed our first journal entry pertaining to the following quote: "Hope in reality is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torments of men." We discussed this quote in relationship to what the Greeks thought about Hope, especially concerning the myth of "Pandora."

Image depicting the evils that are released when Pandora opens the jar. Hope was considered an "evil" by the ancient Greeks.

3. We read the myth of "Arachne," hence our special guest.

Your homework for Wednesday is the following:

1. Please read the myths of "Echo and Narcissus," (I gave everyone a copy of this myth in class; however, you can read the version in your textbook), "Daphne and Apollo" (pgs. 119-120), and "Io" (pg. 78-81).

2. You will have a quiz covering these myths on Wednesday.

3. Don't forget that your throne is due on Friday.

4. Your bandage for our mask making assignment is due on Tuesday, Sept. 23rd. The bandage can be purchased at "PRAXAIR MEDICAL SUPPLY" located at 400 N. Geneva Road Suite F. Please be aware that they close at 5 p.m. and that they are not opened on the weekend.

The following pictures will help to give you some schema concerning the myths that were assigned for Wednesday.

Image of "Arachne"

Athena and Arachne comparing their tapestries.

Daphne running from Apollo

Narcissus

The actual Narcissus flower

Image depicting Argus being killed by Hermes

The eyes in the tail of the peacock.

If you missed class on Thursday, September 11th

We accomplished the following on Thursday:
1. Students completed their Application quiz covering the gods.
2. "The Throne" assignment was given and examples shared with students. The thrones are due on Friday, Sept. 19th
3. Students were asked to read three myths for Monday:
a. Prometheus ( I gave you a copy of this myth; read it in your textbook)
b. Pandora (same as above)
c. Demeter pgs. 51-55 in your textbook

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I will see you on Monday!

GREECE TRIP 2009...."GREECE AND TURKEY BY SEA"

If you are seriously interested in going to Greece the summer of 2009, these of some of the amazing sights you will experience. I know many of you are concerned about the cost. Visit with me; I have some strong fundraising ideas that could assist you with paying for the trip.

This is the temple of Hephaestus/Vulcan located in Athens, Greece. It is a spectacular piece of architecture, as it still has its original roof. It was built in approximately 550 B.C.

This is a picture of myself and Jonathan standing in front of the Parthenon, Athena's Temple, in Athens, Greece.

This is most of the group that went to Greece this past June.

This was our cruise ship taken from the island of Santorini.

More to come.......

What did I miss on Tuesday, September 9th?

Do you remember this statue from class today? This is the authentic statue of Artemis found in the Temple of Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. An image of the temple where the statue was housed is located below.

Hello, my fine young friends,

If you missed class on Tuesday, please visit with someone in order to obtain the information we discussed in class; we completed the light green handout that covered more extensive information regarding the gods. You will have a QUIZ on THURSDAY covering this information.

The nature of the quiz is unusual. The questions are application in nature, meaning that you will need to think on a higher level in order to correctly respond to the questions. I have included some sample questions for you below. Use these questions as a pre-test You may obtain extra-credit for the quiz on Thursday, by printing the questions as a word document, and then bringing your answers to class. We will review for the quiz by going over your answers. For each response you answer correctly, a .5 of extra-credit will be given. You will need to identify the god by both Greek and Roman names.

SAMPLE APPLICATION QUIZ

Some gods will be used more than once!

Name___________________ Period__________________ Extra-Credit Score_______

1. If I were mortal, I would have more money that Bill Gates. ___________/___________

2.I have quite a green thumb; every where I step flowers bloom. _________/___________

3.You could compare me to Mrs. Bush. __________/___________

4. I am a female version of Robin Hood. ___________/__________

5. There is always something fishy going on in my family. ___________/___________

6. Parker Brothers, the game developers, gained their skills from me. _________/________

7. "This is what I want for Christmas, Daddy!"

"You can have EVERYTHING on your list." ___________/_______________

8. I could rub shoulders with Bach and Beethoven. ___________/____________

9. My throne is in every home. _____________/______________

10. My favorite movie would be War of the Worlds. ____________/______________

11. The St. Louis Rams are my favorite team. ___________/________________

12. Beware the lightening bolt. ______________/________________

13. I have a wicked cool pet that needs three collars. _____________/____________

14. I could compete in the ParaOlympics. _______________/_______________

15. My daughter was tricked into eating some pomegranate seeds. _________/_________

16. I can teach men how to make sails and nets. ____________/_______________

17. I recently purchased a girdle in the lingerie department of Dilliards._________/________

We would be consider Greek Nuns:
18. _____________/______________

19. _____________/______________

20._____________/______________

I hope these questions help in giving you greater insights into the nature of the quiz that you will be given on Thursday. Remember that you can use FOUR of your thirteen flashcards. I will look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

P.S. Start thinking of the throne you would like to design for your assignment; you may select any god for your subject! I will give the complete details on Thursday. The following pictures of various artists' interpretations of certain thrones. Remember these are INTERPRETATIONS based on the artist's understanding of the god.

Throne of Olmpian Zeus

Throne of Poseidon

Cheers,

Crampton

If you missed class on Wednesday, Sept. 3rd....

Hi, Guys
I just wanted to remind you that your quiz covering the gods (Greek and Roman names, symbols, and domains) will take place Friday, Sept, 5th. Please review the previous post for some pictures of the gods that you can use to help you review and to use as a pre-test!

On Wednesday we did the following:

1. Each student submitted their homework assignment.

2. We worked in groups, according to the god that you were assigned on Friday, and then we compiled information for each groups' god.

3 We shared the information regarding Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon (B1, B2). B4 was able to start with the sharing of information concerning Athena.


We will continue obtaining information on each god, and probably finish on Tuesday. This is the most effective way for each of you to obtain information on all the gods in a relatively short amount of time.

I will look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Work hard on preparing for your quiz!

Cheers,
Crampton

The assignment that was given on Friday......

This is the assignment that was given to each student on Friday, August 29th. You should be able to copy this as a "Word" document and print it off. Each student was assigned a god, and then asked to do some research regarding that deity. I gave each student some information to assist them with their research, and then required that they also find at least one other additional source. TWO STUDENTS missed class on Friday (Cory and Tucker). You two need to stop by my room on Tuesday in order to obtain the information I gave each student concerning their god. Cory you are researching HERA, and Tucker you are researching APOLLO.

"One of Thirteen"

Mythology

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Please read the information about your god that I will give to you during class.

2. Record information from the reading assignment and your additional source that we HAVE NOT discussed in class. For example the following points should be included on your handout:

a. your god's intrinsic characteristics

b. other gods associated with your own and in what capacity

c. specific myths associated with your god and their plotline

REQUIREMENTS FOR HANDOUT:

1. Your information needs to be typed, using 12 pt. font, Times New Roman print, and once ince margins.

2. You are required to locate at least one other source besides the one given to you in class. You must include a "works cited" page listing your references. Please note the MLA citation examples listed below:

BOOK:

Stoddard, Harris. Mythology and You. Classical Mythology and its relevance in

Today's World, Chicago, ILL.: Allan and Bacom Publishing, 1982.

INTERNET:

Gross, Rachel. "Dionysus: Encyclopedia Mythica." March 01, 1997. August 29,

2005.

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/dionysus.html.

3. You are to include at least two quotes from the source given to you in class, or from the additional source you locate, which help to illustrate points of information on your handout.

4. Please use BOLD TYPE or highlight the sections on your handout that you feel are chief in significance. This is to assist you when you share your information with the other students in class.

5. Please make TWO COPIES of your completed handout; one is for me and the other you will be using in class (print two copies from your computer).

6. Make a copy of your additional source, if you are using a text, or print a hard copy of your Interent information, and then staple this information to the handout that you will be submitting to me. I want to see your additional source.

7. Your handout may be structure in any way you choose. Just be aware that the above requirements are compulsory, and that your handout needs to be organized and easy to follow.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this assignment; I am happy to assist you! PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE ABOVE ASSIGNMENT IS DUE ON WED., SEPT. 2nd.