Presentation of Learning: Greeks Sing of Heroes

Collect some random cardboard boxes, and most independent studyers know the possibilities for learning and fun are endless. Add in a llama piñata and you’ve got yourself the building blocks needed to reenact the story of the Trojan War! And that’s exactly what iLEAD Exploration kindergarten learner Lia Harrison did with her history co-op group recently.

As part of the “Greeks Sing of Heroes” chapter from the curriculum Curiosity Chronicles: Snapshots of Ancient History, Lia and her family created a fun lesson for the whole group. In this unit, the group learned about Homer, an Ancient Greek writer who wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey. They discussed how these stories combined Greek mythology with history and which parts were imagined and which reflected real-life events.

Jumping off from the curriculum’s included instructions on how to make a model of the Trojan Horse with a small cardboard box, Lia decided to go big and build the entire city of Troy with other boxes that she had in her garage. The final touch was the Trojan horse made out of a mini llama piñata. After peeling off all the colorful tissue paper on the piñata and making a nice mess, Lia painted the piñata and enlarged the candy opening on it to allow her to hide toy Greek soldiers inside. She painted the other boxes too and cut out windows and doors for the city. It was a lot of fun to create this model.

When she met with her co-op, Lia used her model to retell and re-enact the story of the Trojan War. She explained how there was mythology embedded in this historical event as it was retold by Homer. She talked about the heroes in this story and what they did.

In addition to the history fun, Lia and her family made Greek hero training cards and had a hero training camp that day, combining physical education with history. The Greek training camp included a javelin—or lightning bolt—throw using pool noodles, crossing the River Styx (an obstacle course in the park), and a tug-of-war with the Greek goddesses, who were played, of course, by all the moms in the group.

This project and related activities allowed Lia and her co-op to learn about the Trojan War in a fun and active way. Creativity sure makes learning fun!

Resources:

Curiosity Chronicles

Build Your Own Trojan Horse