April 2, 2013

Penultimate episode

From Miss E: 

This week we read the 11th tablet, titled "Home". Gilgamesh finally makes it home with Utnapishtim, returning to Uruk with new eyes, with a new heart. The people of Uruk cannot believe their eyes! The king is back! Gilgamesh revisits the stone carvings on the walls of the city. They depict Gilgamesh's adventures with Enkidu, which saddens him to recall.


Inspired by this return, we carved our own bas relief pictures into clay. Many versions of Gilgamesh were made. We played with texture, adding clay vs. subtracting clay from the slabs. The crew came up with many diverse scenes!


With the classes beginning to near the end, we have been discussing what to prepare for our last hurrah for parents and friends. The children DEFINITELY are keen on the idea of acting . . . but so many scenes to choose from! I think we've narrowed it down to either 'when Gilgamesh loses power', 'when Enkidu dies', 'the plant scene', or the 'river of death'.



After sitting for quite a while, we needed to get up and burn off some energy! The children began a game inspired by Gilgamesh. Three children lay on the ground. They are the sleeping lions. Then, Humbaba chases Gilgamesh over the lions. The goal is to make it across alive!