Emily Neder

Choose Your Own EPIC Adventure

Project Abstract

The Choose Your Own EPIC Adventure project allowed students to explore ancient Greece. The project combined historical investigation with literary analysis in order for the students to understand the cultural significance of ancient Greece. Students chose to read Homer’s The Odyssey or The Iliad; they studied the historical background of Greece and investigated the common themes throughout the text (e.g. journey, power of cunning over strength, pitfalls of temptation, homecoming, glory and fame, respect, honor, fate, revenge, etc.). Then, students used creative teaching methods (in-class skits, creative writing, and discussions) to teach the themes from Homer's epics to their peers. As a final product, they designed and wrote their own "choose your own adventure" book incorporating the various themes.

What did you teach and how did you teach it?

• • Historical significance of ancient Greece and their contributions to western civilization

  • Recognizing themes in literature

  • Creating teaching tools

  • Project-based learning group work techniques

What concepts and skills did the students gain in this class through this project?

Concepts:

• • Greek culture

  • Picking out themes in literature

Skills:

• • Literature circle reading and discussion

  • Creating teaching tools for peers

  • Mapping out, writing, illustrating, and producing a choose-your-own-adventure book

How is the curriculum for this project academically rich and grade-level challenging?

• • Challenging Reading:

    • Robert Fagles translation of The Odyssey and The Iliad

    • One student choice novel from the following list:

      • The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

      • Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

      • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.k Rowling

      • A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

      • The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

  • Challenging Writing:

    • Students had to create their own individual story lines prior to mapping out the choose-your-own-adventure books.

    • Mapping and connecting all of the group's story lines was complicated and challenging. Students had to work together to figure out the overlapping moments and multiple endings.

To what extent was there integration across disciplines in your class through this project?

This project combined English with history and geography. In addition, my teaching partner incorporated lessons on some of ways Greek culture influenced the way we think about science and math.

Which Habits of Heart and Mind (HoHM) and Design Principles were utilized in this project?

This project incorporated all 7 Habits of the Heart and Mind.

Students had to persevere while reading Homer's epics. They had to incorporate evidence while creating their own lesson plans to teach themes and content. They had to be mindful of others' perspectives during the choose-your-own adventure group work, and they had to cooperate and demonstrate compassion toward their peers in order to complete the final product.

How did you incorporate refinement through this project?

Students used refinement at all stages of this project, particularly during the many drafts of the adventure books.