We "played Hercules" with the Wee-Wolves!

Dear Mythology Kids,

If you missed class, I am so sorry! We had so much fun sharing our stories with the Wee-Wolves! This is what we completed in class:

1. I explained your "DESKTOP Teaching Assignment." If you missed class, PLEASE COME SEE ME, as the assignment is fun, but you need to see how it is accomplished. The assignment is due on Thursday, Feb. 3rd.
2. I then identified the mosaics that were selected from each class...WELL DONE! All of them will be on display in the library for the next two weeks.
3. We then took a few minutes to dress in our costumes and then we headed to the wee-wolves! I will post the pictures when I return home. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

Enjoy your weekend!
Cheers,
Kori

STORYBOOKS....WOW!

Dear Mythology Kids,

If you missed class, we completed the following:
1. Everyone submitted their storybooks, and they are delightful! I look forward to sharing them with the Wee-Wolves.

2. We then reviewed for the "Mythological Allusions" quiz by discussing the practice quiz.

3. We took the "Mythological Allusions" quiz and corrected it.

HOMEWORK:
1. Your Mythological Allusions assignment is due on Wednesday. Remember that two of your examples need to come from the white sheet.

Cheers,
Crampton

Mythological Allusions and References

Dear Mythology Kids,

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend. Please remember the following concerning your HOMEWORK assignments:

1. Your completed (laminated and bound) storybook are due Monday. Don't forget that each page needs to contain an image, text and dialogue. In addition, do not forget your three euphemisms. They should be identified with underlined text.
2. Your Mythological Allusions assignment is due on Wednesday, January 26th. You need five references and/or allusions. Remember that two examples must come from the white paper attached to your explanation sheet.
3. QUIZ on MONDAY identifying mythological allusions in literature. Check out the blog below for a practice quiz.

WHAT DID WE DO IN CLASS TODAY?
We worked in our groups and discussed the references and allusions in the poem assigned to each group. This was in essence practice for your quiz on Monday and your assignment due on Wed.

PRACTICE QUIZ:
. You will  have a quiz on MONDAY, Jan 24th where you will be asked to identify references and allusions to mythology found in several pieces of poetry. I gave everyone who was in class on Thursday, a list of the subjects associated with the poems you will evaluate for your quiz. To prepare for the "official" quiz, you should review the following characters: Fates, Prometheus, Aphrodite, Muses, Cupid, Demeter, Persephone, the Greek Underworld, Odysseus and Penelope, and Perseus.

The following is your practice quiz. Please note the BOLD pieces of text. The number next to the text is associated with the corresponding question.

"As an oak tree falls on the hillside
Crushing all that lies beneath,
So, he presses out the life, #1.
The brute's savage life, and now it lies dead. #2.
Only the head sways slowly, but the horns
are useless now."

1. Identify the "he." _________________
2. Identify the "brute." ___________________

"So impressed with all you do.
Tried so hard to be like you.
Flew too high and burnt the wing. #3
Lost my faith in everything."


3. Identify who is being alluded to in this line of text. _________________

"Tis, Apollo come leading his choir, the Nine. #4

4. Identify the "Nine," and explain why the word "choir" is used in connection with them and Apollo.

"He, the first born from out the purple grape #5.
Crushed the sweet poison of misused wine."

5. Identify the "he." _________________________

Dame Helen caused a grievous fray. #6

6. What does the poet mean by "grievous fray?"

"In the last light of the day his tragic song became "Farewell."
It is said that he made his earth-journey and lost what he sought. #7
It is said that they felled him and cup up his limbs for firewood. #8
And it is said his head sang and was swept away out to sea singing.
For him, the music was more mellifluous than any heard before. #9/ #10

7. Explain this allusion.
8. Explain why this event has taken place?
9. Identify the "him."
10. Explain this last line. "Mellifluous," by the way, means "beautiful to the ears."



Good Luck! I hope you have a great weekend!
Cheers,
Crampton

Welcome Back from HUMAN RIGHTS DAY!

Dear Mythology Kids,

If you missed class on Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 you were introduced to the concepts of "Allusion" and "Reference," and the role of mythological allusions and references found in literary work. Please visit with a classmate in order to obtain this information.

I used Icarus as my focus for emphasizing how frequently references and allusions to mythology arise in literary work. This, of course, is due to the fact that universal themes are always prevalent within the myths; therefore, audiences of all types can connect with the themes that are used.

HOMEWORK:

1. Your Mythological Allusions assignment is due on Wed., Jan. 26th. If you missed class, please visit with a friend and then stop by and chat with me, so that I can give you the explanation sheets  for your assignment.

 

2. Don't forget that your story book is due on Monday, January 24th. If you would like me to laminate it for you then I need the finished product on THURSDAY, JANUARY 20th BEFORE B1.

Cheers,

Crampton

 

Cheers, Crampton

Your Mosaics Are Breathtaking! I am so impressed with your efforts!

Dear Mythology Kids,

I am so impressed with your hard work concerning your mosaics...WELL DONE!

If you missed class, we completed the following:

1. Everyone submitted their mosaic!
2. We then worked with our partners concerning the "Hercules" storybook assignment.
3. REMEMBER: The book is due on the 24th, but you will have two new assignments next week that will cause you to think. I would complete as much of your storybook over the weekend as possible.

Enjoy the long weekend!
Cheers,
Crampton

TWO VOACBULARY WORDS and HERACLES STORYBOOK

Dear Mythology Kids,

If you missed class, we completed the following:

1. We completed the remaining two vocabulary words. Visit with a friend in class to obtain the definitions and etymologies.

• Mmemonic
• Rhadamanthine

2. Everyone submitted their "FILM HERO" essays.

3. We worked in our groups concerning the creation of the storybooks for Heracles.

HOMEWORK:

1. Remember that your MOSAIC is due on THURSDAY!
2. Your storybook is due on MONDAY, JANUARY 24th.

Cheers,
Crampton

Back to school with Hercules or is it Heracles...both!

Dear Mythology Kids,
If you missed class, we accomplished the following in class:

Don't forget that you will have a QUIZ covering the irony found within the myth of "Heracles," and how those aspects of irony add to the pathos experienced by our hero on Friday!

"How do I prepare for the quiz, Crampton?"

"Make sure you have read the myth of Heracles found on page 166 in your textbook. In addition, review the storyboard that we worked on in class on Wed. The examples of irony that we identified together will be the questions for your quiz.

"Will there be extra credit for this quiz?"

"Absolutely! I have listed the aspects of irony below. Respond to each one as if you were taking the actual quiz. Originally, I was going to have you complete one of the six questions, but I have changed my mind. You will answer two of the six listed. If you review this way, you will clearly be successful, as you will have two of the six included below, you just don't know which two. You are to discuss the irony found in each excerpt from the myth of “Heracles,” and how the irony adds to the pathos experienced by Heracles. Please be thorough in your response; assume that your audience has no schema on the character of Heracles. Cut and paste the questions into a Word document, and then respond to them on your computer.

1.)    Athena “found” the infant Heracles outside the walls of Thebes, where Alcmene had abandoned him in fear of Hera’s jealousy. Athena showed the child to Hera and urged the goddess to pity the beautiful child so cruelly neglected.

2.)    The goddess drove Heracles temporally mad, and he killed his children, Megara as well—thinking they were either wild beasts or enemies of Thebes. When his sanity returned, Heracles exiled himself from Thebes for his crime. He traveled to Delphi to ask the oracle how best to atone for his crime. The priestess of the oracle instructed Heracles to go to Tiryns and perform any 10 labors devised for him by King Eurystheus.

3.)    Eurystheus directed Heracles to kill the Lernaean Hydra (water snake) as his second labor. Heracles slew the beast by chopping off its immortal head and burying the still-hissing head under a rock. Before returning to Tiryns, Heracles dipped his arrows in the poisonous blood of the Hydra. Thereafter, anyone wounded with one of these arrows would die.

4.)    The goddess sent two poisonous serpents with flaming eyes to destroy both Heracles and his half-brother Iphicles. Yet the mighty infant seized one in each hand and easily strangled the serpents, thinking they were toys he found great glee in his kill of the snakes.

5.)    The perfect host, Admetus entertained his guest while hiding the fact that he was mourning for his wife, Alcestis. When Heracles discovered his host’s secret, he rushed to Alcestis tomb. Upon bringing her back to Admetus, the host promptly died.

       6)  "He sent his servant home to Deianeira in order to obtain the special ceremonial shirt he wore on  these religious occasions. When the servant mentioned to Deianeira that Iole was to accompany Heracles, Deianeira feared  that her husband loved the beautiful princess.”

HOMEWORK:

1. Please read "Heracles" pages 166-179

2. Quiz covering Heracles will take place on Friday.

3. Five Paragraph Essay due on Tuesday, Jan. 11th

4. Mosaic due on Thursday, Jan. 13th

NOTE: ALL MAKE-UP WORK is due on FRIDAY. HOMEWORK COUPONS are also due on FRIDAY!

Cheers,

Crampton