7~Journal+Reflection

Student Teacher’s Name_Kristen Boone__ 1. Topic: Ancient Civilizations 2. Sequence of events //-// This week we started out learning some basic Greek and Roman Mythology. The class was taught that both mythologies are the same with each country using their own names for the gods. We started with a brief history of the culture in Greece and the Roman Empire: what life was like, living conditions etc. We read four myths over two days and discussed their importance to the people who believed in them. The students learned that each myth helped people better understand the world around them. From this the students created their own myth using their creativity to explain something that occurs in everyday life. Towards the end of the week we played a game in class that helped the class learn the family relationships between many of the gods and what each god was known for. At the end of the week the class took a trip to the Penn Museum to seen first hand some artifacts from this time period. Here they were given a scavenger hunt to complete.
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3. Highlights of one or two notable events - After reading some myths the class was asked to write their own myths based on something that happens in their everyday life. Many of the students were very creative in their interpretation of their own lives. One student wrote a story that explained why little brothers are so troublesome, another wrote one about why her dog spins around in a circle before laying down. I wanted the students to fully appreciate why these myth were so important to the people of the time and I think that through writing their own they saw that the myths succeed in helping to explain things that may otherwise seem unexplainable. The field trip was also a very important part of the lesson. It is one thing to learn about a culture or time period but sometimes it doesn’t quite feel real until you experience it. At the museum the students were split up into groups and given a scavenger hunt to complete that lead them through the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Galleries of the museum. They were asked to find specific items and record information about them. This ensured that the students read and in some why understood what they were seeing by asking them to write out an answer in their own words based on what they saw and read. Most of the students had never been to this museum and had never seen objects as old as those on display. So not only did they learn but it was a new experience for many of them.

4. Analysis of the event(s) - For the most part it seemed that the students really enjoyed this lesson. I think that the field trip was one of the most successful parts. The scavenger hunt was a bit chaotic so I think in the future I will think of a way to better organize the activity. I also think that the students really enjoyed writing their own myths so I would definitely do that activity again but next time I think I will give the option to maybe act it out or include some other activity instead of just writing. r page here.