Perseus vs. Percy Jackson

Hey, Kids!

Welcome back to school!

This week we start reading mythology from around the world.  Our first visit will be to Ancient Greece where we will meet Perseus, a Greek hero and model for Percy Jackson.  Have you seen the new Percy Jackson movie?  How much do you know about the Greek hero Perseus and the gods of Olympus from reading Percy Jackson or seeing the movies?  Take this quiz on the National Geographic Kids website to find out.

Also, take a look at our sidebar and find the category “Myths and Legends”.  Click on it and try the quiz “Which Hero Are You?”

 

Photo Credit: lapidim via Compfight cc
The Ideal of Beauty

What do you already know about Greece? Leave a comment with three facts you know about this country. Tomorrow we’ll have a list of what we know and what we think we know. Then we can figure out what we want to know about the home of heroes Perseus, Hercules, Theseus, Jason, and Odysseus and work to answer our questions.

The game is afoot!

 

Welcome Back to School!

Welcome Back to School on PhotoPeach

Hey Kids!
Welcome back to school! I am very happy to see you all again, and I am looking forward to a great year where we will love, learn, and soar!
As you watch the video of our first day at school, listen to the lyrics. How are they appropriate for the beginning of a new school year? How do you feel about the first day of school?

Upside Down by Jack Johnson
Who’s to say
What’s impossible
Well they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There’s no stopping curiosity

I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I’ll find the things they say just can’t be found
I’ll share this love I find with everyone
We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songs
I don’t want this feeling to go away

Who’s to say
I can’t do everything
Well I can try
And as I roll along I begin to find
Things aren’t always just what they seem

I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I’ll find the things they say just can’t be found
I’ll share this love I find with everyone
We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songs
This world keeps spinning and there’s no time to waste
Well it all keeps spinning spinning round and round and

Upside down
Who’s to say what’s impossible and can’t be found
I don’t want this feeling to go away

Tea Time is always 4 o’clock

Our Mad Tea Party

Our Mad Tea Party

Our Odyssey group discussed The View From Saturday, by E.L. Konigsburg, during tea.  We enjoyed tea sandwiches: cucumber; watercress; apricot and brie; and pear, cream cheese and walnut.  Also on the menu were a variety of desserts: petit fours, cannoli, ruggelach, and lemon poppy seed muffins.  Delicious!   After tea, we divided into teams for a rousing Academic Bowl game.  Can you answer these questions?

  • What are the first two letters of the Greek alphabet?
  • Who is baseball’s all-time hit leader?
  • Who was the first Spanish explorer to reach Florida?
  • Who was the first president to live in the White House?
  • What do the acronyms POSH and TIP stand for?
  • How many quarters are in twenty dollars?
  • Who is the father of Jacob and Esau?
  • What is the sequel to Alice in Wonderland?