From Ms. E.:
This week,
we read the last book of The Odyssey, in which Odysseus is reunited with
Penelope after revealing his identity in an archery contest and a notably
"bloody" revenge scene. After a few questions about what it meant to
"behead a suitor" and some "eww" responses, all agreed that
the ending was "good" because Ithaca returned to peace and Odysseus
was happy.
The children then tested out their own archery skills by trying to
shoot through a hoop with a bow and arrow on the front lawn. As Penelope (i.e.,
MG) watched, R, E, & N took turns with the bow, and each agreed that
Odysseus was an impressive hero because shooting an arrow straight is harder
than it looks!
After, we
went inside and began the first read-through of the Cyclops scene.
With some coaching, everyone began to get comfortable using loud voices,
interacting with one another as characters, and using body language to enhance
the lines. The group then finished drafting the remainder of the scene's script
and retired for snack. We all discussed ideas for additional ways to present
the material in the final performance such as representing some scenes with
music, art, and puppetry. Mr. S. shared some from his trip to Chicago and got everyone
excited about perhaps creating a Trojan horse of our own.
The second
half of the morning was spent discussing and creating props and costumes for
the Cyclops scene. Everyone made sheep masks and boulders for the cave. By
noon, there was a lot of excitement about creating the armor for the scene and
imagining how to make the cyclops look "hideous." Miss E. also
shared a bit about the mosaic project planned for next week. Lastly, R
showed with everyone how she makes "pocket-sized bows/arrows" with rubber
bands and parts of tinker toys. Each archer seemed intent on refining
his/her skills before next week!
