Each year the Lower School has a “theme” that permeates many aspects of school life. This year, the theme is “Greek Odyssey,” which ties in perfectly with the curricula of both the sixth and ninth grades. On the morning of Wednesday, December 18, the sixth and ninth graders took a field trip to the Lower Campus to participate in some Greek-themed class projects with students in grades pre-kindergarten through four.

Mr. Sturm’s sixth graders prepared three stations for the Lower Campus students, focusing on Ancient Greek food, Greek gods and goddesses, and Greek mythology. The pre-kindergarteners and kindergarten classes prepared dioramas and teamed up with sixth graders to work one-on-one creating various characters from the myths. Rotating from group to group, the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students tried food enjoyed by the Ancient Greeks, met a number of Greek gods and goddesses, and got their hands dirty!
 
Mr. Litowitz’s ninth graders teamed up with the first graders on a project related to Aesop’s Fables. They presented selected fables as skits, inviting the first graders to guess the moral of each fables. Then groups of ninth and first graders created original fables to share with the group.
 
Another section of Mr. Litowitz’s ninth graders teamed up with the second grade for a Greek Zodiac project. Ninth graders created fun, colorful, and informative posters about the zodiac and an associated Greek myth to present to the class. Then pairs of ninth and second grade students worked on a zodiac-themed craft.
 
Ninth graders also worked with grades three and four on some more advanced lessons about what life was like for citizens in Athens and Sparta. Mr. Hodosy led a debate between students representing the citizens of Athens and Sparta, who weighed the pros and cons of the traditions, requirements, and other aspects of living in Ancient Greece. It was a lively and heated debate filled with great enthusiasm and loyalty to each groups’ chosen city.
 
The Upper Campus students in grades six and nine were fabulous teachers and were incredibly well prepared for the lessons they presented. Everyone enjoyed the experience, and we hope to do it again in the future.