Matinee Performances of The Odyssey

The Greek Festival Odyssey performances were a smashing success, I must say. Your camera person (me) was a bit challenged, however, so we may need to retake some pictures tomorrow! We are still looking forward to finishing the final act in second block, and due to other obligations in fourth block, we'll be finishing a number of scenes tomorrow.

Tomorrow also brings another premiere...the official launching of our class web logs. Be sure to bring your independent reading books to class because you'll have a chance to talk about your books and also enjoy some time to read, too.

And so, fellow bloggers, I hope you enjoyed the ambrosia, nectar, and entertainment today. Tomorrow will offer new adventure, a new odyssey into the cosmos!

Greek Festival: Opa!

I'm looking forward to our festival today, sharing music, drama, pita chips, cheese, crackers, and juice. It might not be the most lavish banquet, but at least we can set the mood for our puppet presentations of The Odyssey. Even more importantly, it should be a pleasant way to gather notes for next week's quiz!

In the meantime, you bloggers are awesome. I'm anxious for you to see that some bloggers have already started talking about books on our second block site! Officially tomorrow we will all get signed on and begin our blogging journey!

The Muppets Take the Parthenon

Before you begin preparation for your puppet show for Thursday's Greek festival day, we'll take a look at Greek drama. The ancient Greek culture certainly still impacts our culture today. Not only do we have root words, which we have been studying, but also art, drama, philosophy, democracy, Olympic sports, and more. The link to this web site offers a good overview.

Each group will be presenting a story from The Odyssey, and so in a way, you'll be teaching the rest of the class about your portion of Odysseus's journey. Although each of us should have read through all of part one and part two, your group will be the experts on your portion. So, as a group, you should be considering the message your story reveals about Greek culture. The rest of the class will take notes as you perform. We will all consider how the Greeks view loyalty, strength and wisdom, marriage, love, pride, jealousy, and so forth.

This project should shed light on Greek drama as well as Homer's epic poem. Break a leg!

...As a side note, email invitations have been sent out to each of you in preparation for Friday's premiere blogging day! If you see this on your email, just save it for Friday, and we'll help each other through the steps of signing on!

What Do Greeks Value Most?

It might seem puzzling as you read the second part of The Odyssey. Odysseus wants to test the loyalty of his subjects. Since he has been away, the suitors have violated the idea of hospitality while Odysseus, the "host," has been gone. As we pondered in class yesterday, is the bond between parent and infant child so strong that even after twenty years they would recognize each other? And why would the Greeks include a story about an old dog?

Reading about Odysseus and his faithful dog Argos makes me reflect on the wonderful, loyal pet friends I've had in my life. I guess you could say I am dog crazy; in fact, my whole family is. I can't think of a time that we haven't been blessed with canine companions. What do you think the story of Argos tells us about the ancient Greek culture? What role do pets play in our culture today? What does the way our society treats pets say about our culture?

My niece Krista visited the dog pound fifteen years ago and adopted the beautiful dog in this picture. You may recognize him from the many pet pictures I keep in my classroom. His name is Bo, and he dresses up for holidays, enjoys the festivities,and is loved by many. Bo has given my family immeasurable comfort in the years following my niece's untimely death. His life is a testimony to the therapeutic nature of a loyal and loving pet.

Looking for a great book? Author John Grogan writes a moving love story of man and dog in Marley and Me. Click on the title, and you can link to a great interactive site which offers pictures, blog posts, questions and answers from the author, and excerpts from the book. Give it a try. Comparing all this to the ancient story of Argos reminds me that the story of canine loyalty is seemingly eternal.

Blogging Standards and Class Expectations...Odysseus Returns to Family and Kingdom

The first activity in getting our classroom weblog set up this week is an agreement for your student expectations. This weekend's homework included a proposed list of ten (or so) guidelines for participation on the blog. Today your team will review each member's rules and compile a set of rules for the class. As we discuss these for possible adoption, we will reach a consensus on our guidelines for the class. These are important. We don't want to hamper anyone's creative efforts on the blog, but at the same time we want to reflect the true academic and intellectual exchange we're after on our educational weblog.



The rest of the weekend's homework included continued reading of the Odyssey. After ten years at sea and an additional ten fighting the Trojan War, our hero Odysseus is finally home on Ithaca. We'll be looking at some of the lessons he should have learned along the way. I have to wonder as I read this part of the story, how on earth can he expect his family and friends to recognize him after all this time, and why does he want to test them? Would you recognize your parent after years of absence? Is the bond between parent and child that strong? Remember, Telemachus (Odysseus's son) was only an infant when Odysseus left for war. Telemachus sets out to find his father, but how would he know who he is? Should Odysseus's wife Penelope be expected to wait this long for his return? Overall, we should also be able to identify the ancient Greek values and heroic traits. Just how is Odysseus a hero?


Finally, in looking over this week's events, we'll continue reading independently and prepare to post to our weblog about our reading. A lot of you have expressed a readiness to get blogging, and I certainly agree.