Man Vaulting over Bull at Knossos

I promised my students I would post this photo of a man vaulting over a bull on the walls at Knossos.  Here it is!

New New Tutoring Times Finalized

My new tutoring times (for hopefully the rest of the year) are:

Monday after school and Friday during lunch!

Thoughts on tutoring:

1. It's more like office hours.  Students are welcome to come in for questions, no matter how they are doing in class.

2. I am available by appointment.  This includes mornings.  I was unable to make my tutoring time a morning time regularly due to transportation issues, but I am happy to make an appointment in the morning.

3. Students who feel as though they need tutoring and cannot come any other day before school, after school, or during lunch, should make tutoring a priority over clubs.

Please feel free to e-mail me any questions or concerns, or send them to school with your student.

Project Week

When I came around to answer questions today, some students said they didn't have a list of the requirements for Project Week.  Here they are, along with the rubric, just in case.  As always, feel free to e-mail me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Name:____________________

Seventh-Grade Mythology Project (2013)

You are about to begin your journey through the world of Greek and Roman mythology.  This project will introduce you to many of the famous figures of classical mythology, and some of the methodologies involved in studying classical mythology.  This project is broken down into steps for you, so work methodically through the steps and you will be rewarded with great knowledge.

Step 1: Independent work:

            Read pages 21-44 (up through the end of the section on Sleep and Death).

            While reading, write down all names that are in all-capital letters with a brief (two or three word) description and the page number

                        i.e., Demeter à grain goddess, pg. 695

Step 2: Independent or partner work:

            Make a family tree.  This may take multiple pieces of paper.  If two people are working together, only one family tree needs to be handed in with both names on it.

Step 3: Independent work:

            Read pages 53-64 (about Demeter, both Hamilton’s commentary and the story).

Step 4: Independent work:

            Write a summary of Demeter’s story (note you do not have to include Hamilton’s commentary in your summary).  It should be very detailed.  Aim to write about one sentence per paragraph of text.

Step 5: Independent work:

            Read pages 64-76 (about Dionysus, both Hamilton’s commentary and the story).

Step 6: Independent work:

            Write a summary of Dionysus’ story (note you do not have to include Hamilton’s commentary in your summary).  It should be very detailed.  Aim to write about one sentence per paragraph of text.

Step 7: Small group work (4-5 students):

            Discuss: What are the differences and similarities between Demeter’s and Dionysus’ stories?

            Then, build a Venn Diagram as a group with the fruits of your discussion.  Each person must have their own Venn Diagram with all of the information on it.

            *Note that if your Venn Diagram is not completed well, it is impossible to complete step 8 well.*

Step 8: Independent work:

            Write an essay comparing and contrasting Demeter’s and Dionysus’ stories.  It should be as long as it needs to be in order to include all of the information from your Venn Diagram.  It should include quotations from their stories or from Hamilton’s explanation of their stories.

Extra Challenge: Write a response to the following questions: What does this system of gods and goddesses tell us about the Greeks?

Some advice:

Work methodically,

Use the dictionary, and

Write down questions when you have them.

Name:______________________

Grading Rubric: Seventh-Grade Mythology Project (2013)

Aspects of Assignment	Total Points Possible	Total Points Awarded
Step 1: list of gods and goddess with descriptions 1 pt: list is legible and clearly organized 4 pts: list is complete	5
Step 2: family tree 1 pt: well-organized and legible 9 pts: family tree is complete	10
Step 4: summary of Demeter’s story 1 pt: summary is legible 2 pts: summary is free of grammatical and spelling errors 7 pts: summary is complete and detailed	10
Step 6: summary of Dionysus’ story 1 pt: summary is legible 2 pts: summary is free of grammatical and spelling errors 7 pts: summary is complete and detailed	10
Step 7: Venn Diagram 1 pt: diagram is legible and well-organized 4 pts: diagram is complete and detailed	5
Step 8: essay 1 pt: essay is legible 2 pts: essay is free of grammatical and spelling errors 2 pts: essay contains quotations 5 pts: essay contains all information in Venn Diagram	10

Edith Hamilton's Mythology

Please send Mythology by Edith Hamilton to school with your 7th-grader tomorrow.  It looks like this:

It is required in order to complete the project week project.  As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.  Note that this is not Classical Gods and Heroes, which is not on the North Phoenix Prep reading list.